'Tis the season... for either sitting in your treestand or thinking about stocking stuffers (or both at the same time if you're like me).  It seems as though this holiday season has crept up rather fast.  So let's spare all the eloquent prose and get to the point.  I'm starting this column for the same reason I scratched-out a semi-readable book:  more folks keep realizing the potential of their small properties and keep asking me for more information about how to build "gardens", for their benefit and that of their neighborhood wildlife.  For this reason, Whitetail Micro-Plotter's now has a full compliment of seed blends to add to our information bank and we are in the process of concocting more.

 

The simple-but-effective Whitetail Gardening does promote and give information about other seed manufacturers.  But every blend seems to have its own glitch(s).  And recall, this is New England - NOT Tennessee or Alabama!  With this in mind our seed blends have 3 specific purposes:  1) They intend to bridge the gap between wildlife and humans (yes, annual blends #1 - #3 are heirloom seeds, all quite succulent to people also), 2) be user friendly to small property owners; packaged in flasks - NOT bags - they fit nicely in your back pocket making transportation easier, they won't rip or tear and can be "re-sealed" with ease, and 3) They are pure seed.  What you order is 100% what you get. 

 

A reoccurring problem I've encountered with other manufacturers is that their seed blends have excessive "inert matter" and filler.  Vermont state law describes inert matter as:  "all matter, not seed, which includes broken seeds, sterile florets, chaff, fungus bodies and stones as determined by methods defined by the Association of Official Seed Analysts".  So you might buy a 3 pound bag of seed, but only a small percentage of what the bag is advertised as is actually in that bag (sometimes not more than half the bag will actually germinate).  In fact, some blends have enough "grass" in them that your perennial plots' future depends on that manufacturer's herbicides!  This is the single greatest reason that I sought pure seed blends for myself, family/friends, clients and most importantly our wildlife.

 

Our seed blends are better described on the Annual and Perennial pages on this site.  You'll find delicious, high protein, annuals like broccoli and brussel sprouts, turnips and beets, and peas/beans, to perennials like Tug of War alfalfa, chicory and clover.  I've had some incredible luck with planting turnips and beets (high in vitamins and excellent fertilizer when turned back into the soil) in shallow soil (see Wintering Area Management page).  Combine this shallow-grown fruit with broccoli "trees" scattered throughout a perennial blend "base" and you could not have provided a better combination of nibbles for pre-winter wildlife.  Add to this line-up a few rows of heirloom peas and beans and you'll have your kids enjoying peas from six inch pods too.  Some folks go as far as transplanting brussel sprouts into their plots like tomatoes into their gardens.  The take-home point here is that these seeds produce greenery that has proven itself time and again in cold, short-seasoned climates.  And though I chose them specifically for New England and the Northeast, they'll work most anywhere you can get a seed in the soil.

  

My hope is that this column generates feed back (of all kinds) and will allow me to give micro-plotters frequent updates about our habitat progress.  We're always discovering new and innovate techniques to promote wildlife survival in human-friendly fashions, so stay tuned.  And if it suits you, I still have confidence in the ol' personal check method of payment.  So please feel free to drop an email or call with any question of if you would like any additional information or futher explanation of our seed blends or services.  Remember your wildlife and have a great holiday season! 

 

Kind Regards,

 

 

President and Founder, Whitetail Micro-Plotters