Healthy soil and sustainable growing

["art corbit" <art_c@cox.net>]

The worst problem grass we have here is called nut grass. If it gets started
there is only two ways to get rid of it. That is either chemicals or till
your ground up about 6" deep and then sift it through 1/4" hardware cloth to
remove the nuts and that is one big dirty job. It has a nut down about 4 "
deep and if you try to pull the grass it will just break off the nut and
then grow back. I always just waited untill I had row crop growing and then
dig the Johnson grass out of the row. Plowing will kill it in the middles.
Johnson grass roots will die in just a few days if they are laid out in top
of the ground where they can dry out.

Art in Arkansas (Fort Smith)


----- Original Message -----
From: "TradingPostPaul" <tradingpost@riseup.net>
To: <livingontheland@lists.ibiblio.org>
Sent: Monday, July 17, 2006 11:23 AM
Subject: Re: [Livingontheland] A No Till Question for Larger Fields


>
> Well, we've heard about chicken tractors, now we have pig tractors. That
> sounds a bit easier than hoeing ;-) and perhaps more economical in the
long
> run than glyphosate. Some would rather not rely on any chemical, including
> yours truly, but I haven't had that problem so I can't make a judgment on
> it. Today in this mess of specialization big farmers rarely think outside
> the box. It's one or two cash crops, and nary a thought about how animals
> might fit into the picture. Horses, chickens, and pigs can all do some of
> the chores while they grow. And ... they are self replicating.
>
> paul, tradingpost@riseup.net
> listowner
>
> *********** REPLY SEPARATOR  ***********
>
> On 7/17/2006 at 10:54 AM Claudia & Linda wrote:
>
> >It wouldn't exactly be "no-till" but one way to clear the Johnson grass
> >would be to get a few feeder pigs and an electric net.  Set up your net
in
> >one spot and let the pigs clear it for you.  They'll dig up and eat all
> the
> >tender roots, fertilize, grind up the tough grass stalks and leave them
as
> >mulch. When they have sufficiently cleared that patch, move them to the
> >next
> >area, rake level the area they have cleared, seed it to whatever grasses
> or
> >crop you want, possibly using seedballs and lightly mulch.  The pigs will
> >need shelter and water.  You can provide water in a 55 gal. plastic drum
> >with a water nipple screwed in near the bottom that they will learn to
> >drink
> >from.  This will prevent them from spilling water in a trough and making
a
> >mudhole that compacts the earth.  By limiting the area they can graze you
> >force them to completely clean up the area before moving them to the
next.
> >By the time they've finished their job, or maybe even before, you should
> >have some good size market hogs to offer and a good start on clearing the
> >Johnson grass.
> >
> >Claudia
> >
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>
>
>
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