Landscaping And Yardwork

[whoisit]

We have always done landscaping and gardening but lately its more to save our property fence from vines and small trees growing through them.
It also gives us something to do for boredom and exercise 'lots of exercise'.

But it can be challenging getting briars or thorns out of your skin. Anyone else have fences to keep up?

 

[Otis Mayfield]

We spray a lot of Round Up.

 

[whoisit]

We only have a lawn tractor so of course that means nothing far as this type of landscaping.
We use manual tools like lopers ,pole saw weed eater sometimes a chain saw for the larger trees.

Fiskars 394801-1003 PowerGear2 Bypass Lopper, 32 Inch, Black/Orange​

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[whoisit]

We spray a lot of Round Up.

Sorry but I have never used chemicals of any kind on this land and nobody has lived here since 1953 so we try to stay as organic as possible. Not a tree hugger just try to keep it simple but it is hard work,lol.

 

[whoisit]

We spray a lot of Round Up.

Otis I have a correction to make, we did use Master Blend in our hydroponics ,we tried organic didn't work it stunk.

 

[lg325]

The only nonchemical method I know of to get rid of brush on the fence line is Goats. Or rent a DRBrush cutter or something similar.

 

[Stryder50]

Those of us living in somewhat "wet" climates know slugs (and snails) as destructive psts to our garden plants. There are some interesting solutions, such as beer filled can traps, but here's another option;

Electric Garden Slug Fence​

Electric Garden Slug Fence

Electric Garden Slug Fence: Slugs will ruin a vegetable garden pretty fast unless some serious means of taking care of them is implemented. The electric fence has proven to be pretty well 100% effective in my experiments to date. The fence consists of two runs of w…

www.instructables.com

 

[whoisit]

The only nonchemical method I know of to get rid of brush on the fence line is Goats. Or rent a DRBrush cutter or something similar.

U just saw a goat about 30 minutes ago,he hangs with 3 huge Pyreenee 'spl' dogs. They let them run loose on dirt road.Just one billy goat. I fear somebody will run over them the way these damn yankees from up north drive on these dirt roads. No manners, no respect for anyone. Even worse they could run over a child who plays on roads in warm weather. I'm out there cutting vines on frontage and the dust me out!! Plus run over onto the grass to mi9ss bumps in the road in their luxuary Escalades and other vehicles not really made for bumpy dirt roads.

I took some pictures of some of the work to send to kids may put them up. My daughter says slow down,lol.

 

[whoisit]

Here is a picture I just took of how big these vines get,these I use loppers or pole saw on,hubby uses pole saw more than I do.
I've been pulling these vines for 24 years, pulled 1000s.

All in the trees, after awhile they will kill the tree.

I call these layi9ng on the ground 'Body Slammers' more dangerous on the ground at times than swinging.My back is still hurting from just closing out gate week before last ,one wrapped around my ankle and threw me hard to the ground. Lower back hurt every since.
Same thing with acorns, like walking on marbles all kinds of moves trying to stay verticle.

 

[Stryder50]

We have quite a few trees on out half-acre rural lot. Many started from seed such as the back row of 20-25' oak at the south end of our property. We've had a slippery elm which is peaking over 30' and while far enough from the house to pose no danger if it toppled this way, the wife has wanted it gone ~ so we have a local tree service company chopping it down for us. (I'd like to have kept it, but you gotta chose your battles on the domestic front.)

The main trunks and branches being cut into about 12-18" rounds to split for firewood, the smaller branches getting ground through their chipper. The crew is making fast progress this morning and it will open up that central part of our yard some. Birds and squirrels will miss it.

Weather warming enough that we'll have to start prepping the garden areas. Might try keeping honeybees once more this season, get a couple of starter nucs.

We do have a couple of hens, but their older and not laying much this time of year.

 

[whoisit]

We have quite a few trees on out half-acre rural lot. Many started from seed such as the back row of 20-25' oak at the south end of our property. We've had a slippery elm which is peaking over 30' and while far enough from the house to pose no danger if it toppled this way, the wife has wanted it gone ~ so we have a local tree service company chopping it down for us. (I'd like to have kept it, but you gotta chose your battles on the domestic front.)

The main trunks and branches being cut into about 12-18" rounds to split for firewood, the smaller branches getting ground through their chipper. The crew is making fast progress this morning and it will open up that central part of our yard some. Birds and squirrels will miss it.

Weather warming enough that we'll have to start prepping the garden areas. Might try keeping honeybees once more this season, get a couple of starter nucs.

We do have a couple of hens, but their older and not laying much this time of year.

Looks like yall are foing ok ,it takes time and lots of energy or if you have it money,we don't have money for hiring others to do the work.
Some we may be able to but they have to have insurance to work on our land, one injury can take all you've ever worked for away from you. A well connected lawyer to local leaders can put you in the poor house in a New York style minute. I've seen an old man lose his family farm for generations to such a suit.
Be careful who you let work on your property.

 

[marvin martian]

We spray a lot of Round Up.

That shit causes cancer.

 

[Maxnovax]

I had to pull up five deep rooted tree trunks from my yard..

I went to Home Depot picked up 10 Mexicans,, told the 100 a person.. when they were done I called ice on them.. had them arrested .. told them they tried to break in my house so they can never get citizenship lol

 

[Stryder50]

We focus on two types of gardening.
One is what's called straw bale gardening, where you plant in the straw bales (NOT hay!)
We use these mostly for our tomatoes, peppers, and cucumbers, along with basil and a few other sorts of compatible plants. Once the bales are "cooked" and composting inside ~ @ ten days of soaking with water and some fetrilizer, then we plant our starts with some top soil layer over the top and in the planting holes. A couple benefits are the foot plus elevation to make working easier and the bales do a great job of retaining heat to get the roots through the often chill Summer nights. We get rather bountiful crops by season's end.

Straw Bale Gardening | Home & Garden Information Center​

Beginner's Guide to Straw Bale Gardening - Safer® Brand​

IMAGES:

straw bale gardening at DuckDuckGo

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We also do layer or a.k.a. "lasagna" gardening.
This involve putting down corrugated cardboard sheets (boxes), cleaned of plastic tape and labels, them placing compost on top followed by layer of topsoil. The plants ~ seeds and starts ~ can punch their roots through rather easily once it is wetted enough, but weeds have a hard time pushing their sprouts up and through.

Cuts down a bit on the weeding process, and after several seasons has built up a healthy garden bed.

How to Make a Lasagna Garden - The Spruce​

Lasagna Gardening | Home & Garden Information Center​

IMAGES: layered or lasagna gardening at DuckDuckGo

 

[Natural Citizen]

With vines and stuff like that, you just have to do it the old fashioned way.

I find it to be quite stimulating work. Usually the birds are chirping. The butterflies are floating around.

I miss the smell of honeysuckle in the air. So I might plant some and install some lattice for it to grow over. That'll be a bit of a chore keeping under control, but the smell is just so heavenly in the air. Especially in the evenings. Plus I like to bite the ends off em and suck the nectar out.

 

[Natural Citizen]

All in the trees, after awhile they will kill the tree.

Those are the good vines for swinging on.

Down home when I was little I could go out in the woods and find those at the top of steep hills (like really, really steep hills) and swing down to the bottom for a good long time.

 

[Stryder50]

Looks like yall are foing ok ,it takes time and lots of energy or if you have it money,we don't have money for hiring others to do the work.
Some we may be able to but they have to have insurance to work on our land, one injury can take all you've ever worked for away from you. A well connected lawyer to local leaders can put you in the poor house in a New York style minute. I've seen an old man lose his family farm for generations to such a suit.
Be careful who you let work on your property.

We hired a commercial yard and tree service company. Local. Have a team of about five guys here with lots of commercial equipment, especially large, heavy chippers for the smaller branches. They did in a couple hours what would have taken me days to weeks and likely not as well or safely done.

I now have some piles of rounds to split into firewood since we use a wood stove to heat our home.

We don't have lots of money, but there are times to "splurge" to get it done, right, and have some one else provide a warranty of sorts. Not to mention do our part to support local businesses/enterprises.

 

[Stryder50]

BTW, we have a dehydrator, which gets lots of use, plus do a bit of canning as well. Between the fresh veggies and fruits* to pick and those we preserve, we get some of our food needs/costs covered, AND get exercise and fresh air in the process. Also, it's all organic so we don't get unwanted chemical "schist", which is part of the hazard with store bought.

* We've a few apple and couple pear trees and have some nut, mostly walnut, trees as well. And a couple of grape vines.

 

[whoisit]

We hired a commercial yard and tree service company. Local. Have a team of about five guys here with lots of commercial equipment, especially large, heavy chippers for the smaller branches. They did in a couple hours what would have taken me days to weeks and likely not as well or safely done.

I now have some piles of rounds to split into firewood since we use a wood stove to heat our home.

We don't have lots of money, but there are times to "splurge" to get it done, right, and have some one else provide a warranty of sorts. Not to mention do our part to support local businesses/enterprises.

That is good if you can manage it. We do most of our work but then we have lots of time on our hands and don't have to pay gym or rehabilitation center to stay in shape. We are old so it may be a little slower but eventually gets done. Huby can't do much but he is not bed ridden yet,thank God.

 

[Stryder50]

That is good if you can manage it. We do most of our work but then we have lots of time on our hands and don't have to pay gym or rehabilitation center to stay in shape. We are old so it may be a little slower but eventually gets done. Huby can't do much but he is not bed ridden yet,thank God.

I'm 71 and my wife is 65. We recently changed to another gym that offers the "Silver Sneakers" program (saves some on the costs). Since the PNW can be a bit cold and damp often, especially in Winter, the gym gives us exercise option when outdoors isn't so appealing. Plus some forms of workout we don't get from yard and garden activity.

Still, we have a flora intensive half acre with lots of vertical and horizontal carbon sequestration and usage biological systems that are self-expanding and self-replicating, so we can be busy most times of the year tending those as well.