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#1
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Letting it go: Was: Proper way to mow
"Keith Nuttl" wrote in message...
If he has two acres he could make a beautiful natural area with all kinds of native plants and trees. Just because the area is natural does not mean that it requires no maintenance. Just different. I'm fascinated with this idea but don't know how to apply it practically. We own 9 acres that are mostly pasture and some dense tree areas. In the pasture areas there are sporadic trees that are 1'-2' high that we planted in the past 2-3 years, in other areas plenty of Sweetgums and Cedars, and a few Oaks coming up (I live in Mississippi). I was just letting most of the land "go" with trails through it all, and a regular lawn area close to the house. It looked kind of strange having a lawn that ended abruptly turning into a 5' high weedy area. Mostly it was turning to blackberry and thorny vines, and then eventually honeysuckle that strangled everything. I can show you honeysuckle vines I saved that were 2" in diameter that literally cut oak saplings in half. There was also a tremendous fire danger in the fall and winter when all the sedge (sage?) grass turned dry. Not knowing what else to do, last month I went full bore and bush-hogged everything except for the trees which I flagged beforehand. It looks ok now, but I dread the idea of doing that all summer; that was a bear to cut through. Without buying goats or cows, what other way is there to maintain such an area except for cutting it like 1 big ole yard? I'm all for reducing my mowing time. -- Cheers! Duke |
#2
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Letting it go: Was: Proper way to mow
In article ,
"Dukester" wrote: Without buying goats or cows, what other way is there to maintain such an area except for cutting it like 1 big ole yard? I'm all for reducing my mowing time. Sheep or geese (geese are also handy for notification of visitors/robbers, per another thread). But I'm guessing you don't want livestock at all - though livestock are the best way to keep a meadow as a meadow. Bush-hogging a few times a year will keep it somewhat under control - I'm guessing from what you said that you had left it for several years before your recent outing with the bush-hog, which does make the job more difficult. If you're essentially turning it into open forest with your tree plantings, the need to bush-hog might reduce somewhat as your trees grow. Killing off everything that grows there now and replanting densely with things which do well in your area (thus keeping down weed invasions) and stay low would be another option, but that's also work. Up here a dense planting of clover works pretty well, though you still want to mow a few times to keep the taller weeds from making it. Controlled burns work well in some areas, but I can't say if they would work for your particular spot - probably not since you are trying to grow trees in it. -- Cats, Coffee, Chocolate...vices to live by |
#3
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Letting it go: Was: Proper way to mow
It depends on how much time you have, or stay with the property.
Several years ago we bought a new how that had most of the lot burned in a woods fire. There were some trees but many were fire damaged and had to be taken down. The best way to plan your future woods survey the area, determine what has potential and what does not. Further prioritize those items as those that have immediate potential and those that should go immediately. Each time you walk through the area trim with the priorities in mind encouraging what you want and trimming back what you don't. There will be a time when it looks like and uncared for area but over a few years you will start seeing your plan grow into place Dukester wrote: "Keith Nuttl" wrote in message... If he has two acres he could make a beautiful natural area with all kinds of native plants and trees. Just because the area is natural does not mean that it requires no maintenance. Just different. I'm fascinated with this idea but don't know how to apply it practically. We own 9 acres that are mostly pasture and some dense tree areas. In the pasture areas there are sporadic trees that are 1'-2' high that we planted in the past 2-3 years, in other areas plenty of Sweetgums and Cedars, and a few Oaks coming up (I live in Mississippi). I was just letting most of the land "go" with trails through it all, and a regular lawn area close to the house. It looked kind of strange having a lawn that ended abruptly turning into a 5' high weedy area. Mostly it was turning to blackberry and thorny vines, and then eventually honeysuckle that strangled everything. I can show you honeysuckle vines I saved that were 2" in diameter that literally cut oak saplings in half. There was also a tremendous fire danger in the fall and winter when all the sedge (sage?) grass turned dry. Not knowing what else to do, last month I went full bore and bush-hogged everything except for the trees which I flagged beforehand. It looks ok now, but I dread the idea of doing that all summer; that was a bear to cut through. Without buying goats or cows, what other way is there to maintain such an area except for cutting it like 1 big ole yard? I'm all for reducing my mowing time. -- Cheers! Duke |
#4
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Letting it go: Was: Proper way to mow
Dukester wrote:
Without buying goats or cows, what other way is there to maintain such an area except for cutting it like 1 big ole yard? I'm all for reducing my mowing time. Fire, flood, livestock, poison, or mow. Boils down to those. |
#5
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Letting it go: Was: Proper way to mow
Offbreed wrote in
: Dukester wrote: Without buying goats or cows, what other way is there to maintain such an area except for cutting it like 1 big ole yard? I'm all for reducing my mowing time. Fire, flood, livestock, poison, or mow. Boils down to those. you could also pave over it with asphalt, mulch or flowers alternatively you could possibly genetically engineer leaf cutter ants for lawn control purposes |
#6
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Letting it go: Was: Proper way to mow
Dukester wrote:
Without buying goats or cows, what other way is there to maintain such an area except for cutting it like 1 big ole yard? I'm all for reducing my mowing time. Fire, flood, livestock, poison, or mow. Boils down to those. |
#7
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Letting it go: Was: Proper way to mow
Offbreed wrote in
: Dukester wrote: Without buying goats or cows, what other way is there to maintain such an area except for cutting it like 1 big ole yard? I'm all for reducing my mowing time. Fire, flood, livestock, poison, or mow. Boils down to those. you could also pave over it with asphalt, mulch or flowers alternatively you could possibly genetically engineer leaf cutter ants for lawn control purposes |
#8
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Letting it go: Was: Proper way to mow
You could turn it into a small offroad track for go karts or atv's.
-- Advertise your metalworking stuff free he http://www.wallenderengineering.com/class/index.php "Salty Thumb" wrote in message news Offbreed wrote in : Dukester wrote: Without buying goats or cows, what other way is there to maintain such an area except for cutting it like 1 big ole yard? I'm all for reducing my mowing time. Fire, flood, livestock, poison, or mow. Boils down to those. you could also pave over it with asphalt, mulch or flowers alternatively you could possibly genetically engineer leaf cutter ants for lawn control purposes |
#9
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Letting it go: Was: Proper way to mow
Xref: kermit rec.gardens:272598 alt.home.repair:463949 rec.crafts.metalworking:449977
Salty Thumb wrote: Offbreed wrote in Fire, flood, livestock, poison, or mow. Boils down to those. you could also pave over it with asphalt, That'll work. mulch Normal mulch won't bury the trees, though nutrient depletion (nitrogen) might count as "poison". or flowers Mow to establish, anyhow. alternatively you could possibly genetically engineer leaf cutter ants for lawn control purposes Oh, that's "livestock". Kudzu might work G. |
#10
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Letting it go: Was: Proper way to mow
Offbreed scribed in qYmdnSEWEL9daeLdRVn-
: Fire, flood, livestock, poison, or mow. fire will make it grow FASTER when it comes back up swarf, steam and wind -- David Forsyth -:- the email address is real /"\ http://terrapin.ru.ac.za/~iwdf/welcome.html \ / ASCII Ribbon campaign against HTML E-Mail - - - - - - - X If you receive email saying "Send this to everyone you know," / \ PLEASE pretend you don't know me. |
#11
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Letting it go: Was: Proper way to mow
DejaVU wrote:
Offbreed scribed in qYmdnSEWEL9daeLdRVn- : Fire, flood, livestock, poison, or mow. fire will make it grow FASTER when it comes back up Depends on the plants, the season, and how hot the fire is. |
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