Area around the wetland - try to plant stuff that is tolerant of wet conditions. Shrubs like speckled alder, silky dogwood, winterberry are good. Buttonbush will take over the joint. If you want to plant some conifers there, I've got a sleeper for you, that the experts won't recommend - White Cedar. Don't worry about deer damage; the deer in Hillsdale County don't know what the hell it is, since it doesn't grow there!
For the uplands, White Pine is tough to beat, but you may have to thin the stand sooner than you think, in order to keep the lower branches from dying off. My plantation of 2-2 White Pine transplants is now 6 years old, the trees are now 12-14 feet tall, and the stand needs to be thinned over the next 2 years.
Also on the uplands - plant a good-sized stand of solid switchgrass. And, if you're into providing something of beauty, as well as nesting cover, plant a stand of Big Bluestem, Indiangrass and wildflowers. Don't know anyone who successfully established prairie grasses who wasn't darn glad they did.
For shrubs, Autumn Olive competes better than anything else in grassy weed fields. Uplands only, it doesn't like getting its feet wet.
Back to the wet areas - plant a few Tamarack (use the native larix laricina, rather than the euro version). Not great cover, but the most beautiful tree on your farm when the needles go yellow.
For the uplands, White Pine is tough to beat, but you may have to thin the stand sooner than you think, in order to keep the lower branches from dying off. My plantation of 2-2 White Pine transplants is now 6 years old, the trees are now 12-14 feet tall, and the stand needs to be thinned over the next 2 years.
Also on the uplands - plant a good-sized stand of solid switchgrass. And, if you're into providing something of beauty, as well as nesting cover, plant a stand of Big Bluestem, Indiangrass and wildflowers. Don't know anyone who successfully established prairie grasses who wasn't darn glad they did.
For shrubs, Autumn Olive competes better than anything else in grassy weed fields. Uplands only, it doesn't like getting its feet wet.
Back to the wet areas - plant a few Tamarack (use the native larix laricina, rather than the euro version). Not great cover, but the most beautiful tree on your farm when the needles go yellow.
