Autumn olive is extremely invasive. It is hard to believe how much has spread onto our place so I've been cutting it a little at a time (only can do it 15-20 minutes at a time) and it appears I'll be cutting for many, many days yet. Here is some I've cut and believe me, the pictures do not do it justice at all. I think most of this was about 12-15' tall. It grows in clumps, sort of like witch hazel.
Looks like my place. That crud is everywhere. I keep telling myself...Self, get out there and get that crud cut down........but I haven't done much of it yet.
That kind of stuff is a bugger to remove - hard to get at it. Would you consider using some kind of systemic herbicide on it so that it won't grow back?
If you would like Dennis Ill give you a hand this weekend? I need to get up there and see you again and a I need a vacation anyway! Funny thing I was just in your area last night about 9pm. We thought better of dropping in that late unanounced.
What you need is a couple of these. Both these boys were only a year old in the pics. We sold the big Red one to a farm. The spotted one is my pride and joy. We had a couple out to buy one of this years bucklings and they said "what would you have to have for that one?" (speaking of Wyatt). I looked em dead in the face and told them "there is no amount that I would consider". They bought a buckling and loaded it up and the lady came back to me and gave me their business card and said "if you ever decide to sell him.... call us first." He is a once in a lifetime buck. His temperment, disposition, confirmation, offspring..... everything this buck does and has is perfect. He is 2 yrs old now and the size of a small donkey. All these pics are from last year.
I need to rent a couple goats for the fenceline at the back of my property. It is filthy with poison ivy and multiflora rose...and goats love that stuff. Wouldn't take long and they'd make it gone.
Before we got the goats, the garden had gotten overgrown. We put 'em in there, and within a few days, it was almost completely defoliated. They also did a nice job fertilizing things.
In Knoxville TN there was an article in the paper within the last week where the City of Knoxville has hired a herd of Kiko goats to come in on a five acre track that has been overrun with evasive species of flora. The farmer that brought the goats has brought in a LGD with them to protect them from theives and predators. It's a small herd of 20 goats which will remain on the property until Oct. The city spokesman said that to treat the area properly with chemicals would cost $5000 per acre (that number sounds insane) but that they were able to lease this herd of goats til Oct for $6500. Man if I could lease mine..... I could take my cad to another level.
If I wanted goats strictly for "brushing" I would get Kikos. They are low maintenaince, perisite resistant, and hardy. And their size means they can really eat. I chose Boer Goats in my small "hobby herd" but want to introduce a couple Kiko does and breed in their qualities into my herd.
You hear more and more about folks renting goat to clear out property of brush. I've read where some estates and universities have rented them. A lot better than using poisons.
Its insanly high to me. Of course tax payers are paying for it and it is a City Contract not a Private Homeowner contract.
That is in the plan. Probably won't happen until next spring though which would be a good time to hit it hard.
They do require some care and attention. My wife won't go along with me even having a few chickens. Had I got them when I wanted to, she would have been stuck with their care while I am laid up. So, she was right to object. ( this time ) I still think the goats are a good option and poisons should be avoided. I had saw lingering affects from herbicide in my gardens years later. I was using it on my lawn to kill weeds. Two years later, I turned the lawn to garden. My tomato plants were very deformed. I contacted the extension service. It was pesticide. The ground has to be tilled over and over to destroy the stuff. The manufacturer denied that was possible, but there is a lot of documentation to the contrary. To me, using poison just isn't worth it.
