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Tammy W
Joined: 06 Jul 2005
Posts: 6
Location: Plano,TEXAS
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| Posted: Tue Jul 12, 2005 9:36 am Post subject: 6 acres and I'm new to organic |
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We have 6 acres in East Texas on a lake. We are building a home and will have a lot of area that we will leave as natural as possible. There are tons of weeks, poison ivy and oak, briars, bull nettle and insects (beetles, ticks, fleas, ants).
We are committed to going completely organic, but don't know where to start since there is so much land and so much work to do to get it in shape.
Can you give me some advice on where to start and how to get the briars, weeks, poison ivy under control? |
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CaptainCompostAL
Joined: 10 Mar 2003
Posts: 876
Location: Irondale,Alabama
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| Posted: Tue Jul 12, 2005 10:00 am Post subject: |
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Always start small first!
Do a small plot (maybe 20'x20' or a little bigger) using lots of homemade compost and/or legume/grain cover crops, in order to build the soil first, and feed the soil biology, before you plant anything. |
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Tricky Grama
Joined: 06 Mar 2004
Posts: 752
Location: Plano & land at Dodd City,TEXAS
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| Posted: Tue Jul 12, 2005 6:24 pm Post subject: 6 acres |
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Tammy-
Congrats on the land! AND on a lake! But I feel for you w/briars, poison ivy, etc. We have some acres in N. TX and have battled briars/p. ivy/grapevine/honeysuckle/etc for a few years and I don't think it ever ends. In the areas that we can mow, we have hurt the ivy & briars but not gotten rid of them. The areas we can only clip w/lopers, etc, are growing back w/vengence. If you can take it a little at a time, like the Cap'n says, maybe you could kill them off 1/2 ac at a time. Cut the ivy as close to the ground as you can & force a soup can or other type over the stubble. We haven't done this b/c we'd have 10 ac of soups cans. Haven't used 10% vinegar yet either. But our trees look 100% better since we've pulled out the vines. Good luck!
Patty |
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pakin
Joined: 31 Dec 1969
Posts: 219
Location: Hubbard,TEXAS
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| Posted: Wed Jul 13, 2005 6:56 am Post subject: Land |
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Is there any way you could get a goat or two to help you out? Elsewhere on the forum there's of livestock guard dog available for adoption.
You'd need a fence and a way to care for the dog. Maybe you have to wait until you get moved to East TX.
Pat Akin |
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Dchall_San_Antonio
Joined: 18 Mar 2003
Posts: 2019
Location: San Antonio,TEXAS
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| Posted: Sat Jul 23, 2005 12:56 am Post subject: |
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| If it was my property I would fence it off in half-acre paddocks and put several goats in. As they eat the brush down and deposit their droppings, they are fertilizing and stamping in the grass seed in the pasture. In about two weeks move them to the next paddock. Keep rotating them through until you see an improvement in the grasses. You'll have to take pictures and take notes as this goes or you may not see the vast improvement. |
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Kathe Kitchens
Joined: 21 May 2003
Posts: 829
Location: Dallas,TX
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| Posted: Thu Sep 08, 2005 8:08 pm Post subject: GOATS are the answer |
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Yes! Goats are the easiest, fastest way to improve your soil and get rid of unwanted vegetation. They're the best way to go, saving time, fuel, aching muscles and headaches. If you don't want to buy them, borrow or rent some. I know for a fact there are plenty of goat herds out near your property. Look on the net or in the phone book, or ask up at your local feed store.
Kathe :lol: |
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