Creating a waterfowl mecca - Update 2
Update on the waterfowl habitat improvement
Good news so far on the progress of the smartweed planting. It is flourishing. It took minimal ground work to plant the smartweed and it is doing really well. I will definitely plant more of this next year. Early season ducks especially teal love the smartweed. The pond has dried up a bit to about half capacity allowing for the growth of weeds and plants which will be beneficial. My plan is to start pumping water in a few weeks to flood the smartweed and make it a swim up diner for the ducks.
The wild rice did not fare as well. We had a healthy stand of wild rice then pond moss took over and covered the water limiting the sunlight to the rice. We have some rice that has gone aerial and started to seed out but nothing like the initial stand. Next year I need to plant the rice much earlier. One thing I have learned for sure is to diversify your plantings so not all your eggs are in one basket.
Next update in August
Donnie SCHIMMELPFENNIG
Next year pump the entire pond dry if you have the means To pump water back in and plant the entire thing in JAPANESE MILLET but not to thick and seed it directly in the mud ! It will grow fast and with little effort you will have a duck Mecca esp your early ducks like teal and woodies