Cattails

C

CMC

New member
Hello has anyone ever tried transplanting cattails (bulrush). to create a escape/roosting cover plot? even would be used as winter cover. Here in Ont, Canada we deal with alot smaller properties so size I am thinking might be very small to some with a very large land to work with. I was thinking something around half acre size.

Thoughts?
 
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Are you thinking about making a wetland or improving existing wetland habitat?

I've used "plugs" to increase wetland habitat in areas in the past.

That said, these were very small areas. To do this by hand with larger wetlands would be very time-consuming and costly.

If you have a wetland area that can support cattails and bulrush, I would think that the seeds are already there, in the ground. Especially for cattails. In this case you'll have to kill whatever is blocking the wetland vegetation from taking root and hope that area stays wet enough to support cattails/rush. Otherwise the same situation will be at hand.

Nick
 
Yes I have a section on my property I think would be perfect. Doesn't hold a great amount of water more so just always wet. But as you said it is taken over by some other brush and vegetation. Would take some work to get it cleared out but in the long run filling it with cattails would prob be more beneficial than the scrub that is there currently.
That is what I was wondering is if anyone has ever done some transplanting with cattails and had them catch and multiply. My plan would be to transplant as much as I could than let them seed the rest over time.
 
As I've aged, I've gotten pretty sure there are rules covering everything.

Ask around about introducing new species into wetlands in your state. Sure as heck, there's probably some wetland biologist who specializes in what you are doing.

Best wishes.
 
Be careful with cattails. They will become a sorrow if you want open water. Very, and I mean really difficult to get rid of! Read the USFW reports on cattails in the upper Midwest. Disking, tilling, burning, they come back better than ever.
 
CMC said:
That is what I was wondering is if anyone has ever done some transplanting with cattails and had them catch and multiply. My plan would be to transplant as much as I could than let them seed the rest over time.
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If you're willing to wait it out and let nature do it's thing, you can pull those babies and replant them with no problem. They'll get one heck of a root system going and before long you'll have cattails;)
 
You can go get a sack full of the seed heads and toss them in your wet area and they will grow. I seeded the face of a watershed lake of mine this way a few years ago and cant believe how good they grew.
 
oldandnew said:
Be careful with cattails. They will become a sorrow if you want open water. Very, and I mean really difficult to get rid of! Read the USFW reports on cattails in the upper Midwest. Disking, tilling, burning, they come back better than ever.
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You better pay attention to this post by oldandyoung. Cattails can be just like hemp you can't get rid of it. so be sure thats what you want. Because If you change your mind it's to late. I,ve been fighting them for several years in a wetland area That I wanted them they are out of control and a major pain in the butt to control. So be careful my friend.:)
 
For ideal year round pheasant cover, cattails are an important piece of the puzzle. Along with grasses for nesting, a wheat field or any small grain, stubble left after harvest, a weedy patch of corn, couple acres of Russian Olives mixed in with some junipers, wild rose, snowberry and some wild plum thickets.
Take a quarter section of a good mix of this. :)
You could invite all us UPHers over for limits of roosters.:thumbsup:
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:(
 
I'm working on it and hope to improve a water source this spring that would support some cattails--trees are the rub as they are slow to grow. There are about 70 acres of habitat on this quarter so far and another 35 acres of habit on my quarter across the road. My investment in habitat so far--172 acres--cost? who cares!!!! In the works is a pollinator planting and more trees. :D:D
link for pollinator video below

http://r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp?f=001Bw8G...cgFOnpQoGCJtSODPtn6PRS6IT6PMA38eqPyM8g4HCOQ==
 
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SDJIM said:
I'm working on it and hope to improve a water source this spring that would support some cattails--trees are the rub as they are slow to grow. There are about 70 acres of habitat on this quarter so far and another 35 acres of habit on my quarter across the road. My investment in habitat so far--172 acres--cost? who cares!!!! In the works is a pollinator planting and more trees. :D:D
link for pollinator video below

http://r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp?f=001Bw8G...cgFOnpQoGCJtSODPtn6PRS6IT6PMA38eqPyM8g4HCOQ==
Click to expand...

Cost? Who Cares? Darn right SDJIM! If I had $ boo coo it would go to help the real needy and then wild game!!!!!!!!
 
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