Thistles, socks and nettles....

[deniscooper]

So last year some may remember I was looking for advice about removing excess stones from
The smallish area I was using to grow veg. I ploughed and rotorvated the paddock which brought up loads of stones. After clearing a load of them by hand I planted the various veg. Over the year I realised my mistake with the rotavator and ploughing that someone kindly pointed me to dirt to soil book and holistic management book where they explain about no till methods. So as expected the rotavator just chopped up the weed roots from thistles, docks, nettles etc and the exposed soil was prime for the taking.

this year I think I’m probably not going to grow much mainly due to time and other commitments. So the paddock is currently mainly soil (dirt) but I’d like to try and do something to get rid of the weeds. These are primarily creeping thistles, spear thistles, nettles and docks.

my initial thinking was to put the pigs on there to clear up the weeds and then spread seed for a mixed diverse cover crop (not sure of what yet) then leave the cover crop to grow and later in the year put the sheep / cows on it to graze if off.

is my current thinking going along the right lines?
I don’t really want to use weed killers ideally.

also I’ve noticed the grass and hay fields are showing signs of creeping thistle and spear thistles. What is the best way to tackle these in the grassland? Last year I pull them out by hand but they soon came back.

 

[It was already broken.]

You getting creeping thistle in February? Things must be very forward in Staffordshire. Anyway my father told me there is a sixpence at the bottom of every thistle root.

 

[Al R]

Use a ragfork (small 3 prongs) for thistles, ideally after a tight grazing so their easier to see. Yes it’s time consuming but it’s what a lot of people do.

 

[deniscooper]

Yep that’s what I did last year. Guess as the roots keep spreading they grow some more but pulling them weakens them I assume.

I meant I’d seen more and more coming up last year - non coming up yet although I doubt it will be long.

 

[Al R]

Yep that’s what I did last year. Guess as the roots keep spreading they grow some more but pulling them weakens them I assume.

I meant I’d seen more and more coming up last year - non coming up yet although I doubt it will be long.

Scotch grow most of the year here just slow down a bit, got a lot dinner plate sized ones already this year but their hard to see in the grass at the moment.
If you do it correctly with the ragfork the whole taproot comes up with it.

 

[Old Boar]

Pigs will clear it for you and dig down to clear roots. They will also dig up stones, and if you pile them up, will distribute them around the area again. Just for fun. Take them off as soon as it gets cold and wet or they ruin the soil structure. If you eat that lot of pigs and leave the area fallow, and repeat the following year, you will have a clean plot that has been turned over and over, has a nice lot of muck on it, ready to grow whatever you fancy. If you dont need the land for animals, why not plant an orchard with apple and plum trees, and a few soft fruit bushes? Nothing is better than a warm raspberry picked straight of the bush, apart from a dessert deep purple gooseberry. And then it would be a place to sit and think. We all need one of those!