Yeh not humans, plants. In this particular case bushes. I knew these things were growing here but it is getting ridiculous so decided to look up exactly what I'm dealing with and best way to get rid -
You gotta laugh when you find out the local name for this pretty but annoying bush -
Yup it deserves it too. Nothing is getting through the thicket it has formed all along the front wall which is where I had planned to plant lots of fruiting berry bushes - blueberries, rasberries, tayberries, gooseberries, blackcurrants and anything else I can pick and eat.
An interesting fact I found out about this species on my hunt for help was that it was - "Widely planted as cover for game in woodland". Well that explains it then because the land to one side and the back of mine is supposed to be wildlife sanctuary but must have been used for game hunting previously. I've even caught them still using it to hunt pheasant so now I know who put it there. Bloody toffs and huntscum.
Source: http://invasivespeciesireland.com/species-accounts/established/terrestrial/snowberry
These pretty white berries are poisonous to humans and I've never seen the birds eating them either so they are just taking up space.
I'm going at it with a short scythe, a saw and even an electric hedge cutter depending on thickness of the stem (yeh I've left this too long). I did clear the back field once to the ground about 5 years ago but it is now higher and thicker than ever there. That will have to wait for now. I want this strip ready by autumn to plant.
As I said last week I was cutting a path to the pear tree first. Well I reached it. There it is -
still can't see it, here's a close up -
It's that straggly looking thing in the middle.
That's only about half way along the stretch I need to clear. If I don't do it soon it will take over the whole field. So as it's pretty hard work for li'l ole me I'm doing a bit each day weather permitting.
Gonna work my way back from that point through this lot -
Not only am I fighting through the Lardy Balls there are wild cherry trees seeding themselves in there too making the going even tougher.
Here's a pile of wild cherry already hacked next to the Lardy Balls pile.
I feel another giant heugel coming on......
My well thought out plan of action for this mammoth task is to -
- Cut everything down to the ground
- Remove any protruding roots of trees
- Leave all cuttings on the ground to even it out much as possible and return nutrients to the soil
- Cover with the most heavy duty weed barrier on the market and plant through that.
Today it is mostly raining tho so I'll take a raincheck thankyou.
A cuppa tea and a nice sit down.
Mutual cooperation, got someone else to cut mine, nah na nah nah na.
Meh that's just grass mate. This is hardcore. I'd love some help yeh but finding it is another matter round here.
If you know a farmer, they will cut it this time of year, harvest it, and use it for winter feed tgal.
Yeh grass but not this stuff. Cows can't eat this and I want my grass cuttings for myself not to feed the meat industry.
Lol you are funny, my man that has cows does not eat the cows, he just lets them eat grass till they die of natural causes, like we all do, it saves on diesel to cut grass, you silly vegan sausage you.
Awwww bless him. Send him a big vegan sausage hug from me to him and his darling cows. 😍
Them cows poop too much 😂
yeh it's called grass recycling huh