Plants to Benefit Migrating Ducks
Answered by: Inge Poot
Question from: Mike Shreve/Tiffany Garbs
Posted on: January 20, 2006

What is the best stuff to plant in Texas, USA for migrating ducks? When is the best time to plant?

The number one plant is probably wild rice, Zizania aquatica. We do not offer it in 2006, but perhaps we will again in future years. It is best sown in the late fall into shallow (10 to 150 cm, ideal under 45 cm deep), still water with a rich, mud bottom. The level of the water should not fluctuate. Keep ducks and fish away, or they will eat all your seeds! Seeds must be stored wet and close to 0 degrees Celsius to survive.

Commercial grains such as wheat, soybean and millet attract them too. Lettuce and wild portulaca was eagerly eaten by my Muscovy ducks and I am guessing that wild ducks will like them too. Planting bull rushes in very wet ground or open water attracts them, because they can hide in it. In open water this plant provides a habitat for spawning fish and ducks love tiny fish as a main course. If the plant takes over an area of open water just cut the stems to below the waterline in any portion you want to get rid of and those pruned plants will suffocate during the winter. Snow geese eat the roots. All geese also like corn.

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