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#05-269 December 12, 2005

Shrub Lespedeza Available Through S.C. Forestry Agency

Farmers and other landowners interested in planting food plots for bobwhite quail should apply now for shrub lespedeza seedlings. Lespedeza seedlings can be ordered directly from the S.C. Carolina Forestry Commission.

Lespedeza applications can be downloaded from the S.C. Forestry Commission Web site, www.state.sc.us/forest. Applications may also be obtained from local S. C. Forestry Commission offices, and other state and federal agencies such as Clemson Extension, S.C. Department of Natural Resources (DNR) and Natural Resources Conservation Service. For more information, write to S.C. Forestry Commission, PO Box 219, Trenton, SC 29847 or call (803) 275-3578.

The seedlings cost $40 per 1,000, which is enough to establish a 1/8th to 1/10th acre food plot for quail. This is equal to a 300- to 400-foot-long strip of 5 to 7 rows, with seedlings spaced 2 to 3 feet apart in the row. Seedlings ordered now will be available for planting December through March.

"Strips of shrub lespedeza provide an important late winter food and concentrate birds for hunting," said Judy Barnes, DNR small game biologist. Barnes also said maintenance such as bushhogging and fertilizing every two to three years, in February or early March, is critical. Without occasional maintenance, the plants become too woody and seed production quality and quantity decrease. Apply lime in the soil where the lespedeza seedlings are to be planted at the rate of one ton per acre unless a soil test indicates otherwise.

Landowners should recognize that annual planting of food plots alone will not affect an increase in quail populations. Proper quail management focuses on providing adequate cover and resources for all phases of the quail's life cycle. For technical assistance, contact the DNR Small Game Project, PO Box 167, Columbia, SC 29202 or call (803) 734-4306 in Columbia.

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