Homestead mailing list

["Lynda" <lurine AT softcom.net>]

It wasn't a big space, but our neighbor was successful.  It took a couple of 
years but he ran goats in until it was dirt and then used one of those 
thingys whose name escapes me at the moment.  Not tilling but like a bunch 
of fingers that go down and just turn the soil up.  He turned the goats back 
in and they munched on roots for a week or so and then he went back in with 
the tiller and planted a cover crop.  I don't remember if if was alfalfa or 
something else.  Seems to me it was alfalfa and he got a hay crop out of it. 
The following spring he turned out sheep and goats and did the whole rip it 
up thing again.  the only brambles he has now are on the fence line and they 
getting sparcer and sparcer as he has the goats in each spring and they are 
outside this area another part of the year.

Lynda
----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Robert Walton" <waltonrp AT gmail.com>


> I agree that Moon is correct in looking toward pasture. In creating
> pasture, does anyone on the list have experience in converting land to
> pasture in which brambles have taken hold?
>
> I've plowed up two fields that I'd like to eventually put to pasture.
> One is an acre and a half. I planted it to oats and crimson clover.
> The other is 3/4 acre. I planted to buckwheat. Both should be ready
> for me to disk and reseed to buckwheat and some other stuff this
> summer.
>
> I just walked back there this morning and see a lot of brambles coming
> up. I'm hoping that whacking them with the disk in a month or so,
> again in August and again in Sept/Oct. will make them very weak for
> winter.
>
> Brambles come back from the root and plowing and disking just chop up
> the roots and make more starts. Hopefully frequently killing them back
> will weaken them and they will die in winter.
>
> Any thoughts?
>
> Moon, are those tillable acres full of brambles :>)
>
> Rob - Va
> _______________________________________________
> Homestead list and subscription:
> http://lists.ibiblio.org/mailman/listinfo/homestead
> Change your homestead list member options:
> http://lists.ibiblio.org/mailman/options/homestead/lurine%40softcom.net
> View the archives at:
> https://lists.ibiblio.org/sympa/arc/homestead