Yesterday I was spending some time watching some of my favorite shows on the Outdoor Channel including The Management Advantage and Get in the Game. In case you didn't already know, both are how-to shows that talk about land management and conservation issues a lot of the time.
Coincidentally, yesterday they both were talking about strip discing, a method of generating wildlife habitat that is relatively easy to do and much less expensive than extensive clearing of land, amending the soil, and planting expensive seeds. You might recall I mentioned something similar in my post entitled, "Properly amending the soil first...".
One landowner was discing strips throughout his property wherever he had natural openings or trails. The other was alternately discing and burning areas in an old over-grown pasture. But both were utilizing the existing seed bank and generating early successional growth without the expenses involved with clearing and planting large food plots.
There is still labor and equipment involved, but the cost and effort is considerably less when using this approach. There may be some manipulation necessary by daylighting or edge feathering with a chainsaw and piling the brush with a tractor; but if you can find a way to scarify the soil and get sunlight and moisture to the ground, something will sprout and grow. It may not be anything but weeds (sometimes called forbs by the biologist), but that could be a salad bar to wildlife.
So don't let hard times and high prices on seeds and fertilizer deter you from improving your property's habitat when there are alternative methods to get things done. And yes, Edge Habitat can help with this type of approach as well. In fact, it might be our preferred method because it is so close to the natural way.
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