Biodiverse Polyculture (USDA 8a Zone Pasture) - sounds better than "My Acres of Weeds"

[Bawkbok]

You must be getting good rain there!

 

[U_Stormcrow]

Nice! Is it stuff you've planted?

It is. Mostly clover (white/berseem) and Pensacola bahia grass. Scattered in, just starting to sprout is some of the "food plot" mix. The shoots are too big to be clover or bahia, but not yet big enough that I can figure out what they will grow up to be. Best guess is either the grain rye or the oats (also winter peas, red clover, chickory, sugar beets)

 

[U_Stormcrow]

You must be getting good rain there!

Last week, yes. Only 1/4" last night - the horrible no good very bad day weather we were forecast last night almost entirely passed north of us. Suspect our biggestwind gusts were only 45-55 mph.

Counting blessings.

...and will be watering all this week. Redoing some sprinkler risers as soon as I'm done fixing the electric fence.

 

[Bawkbok]

My rain dances are to no avail. Hear the thunder and see the rain just to the north of us by a few miles - every time. Stifling hot here, not even a breeze. Bone crispy dry. We live in a sucking vortex sink drain. The rain separates around us to the north and south.
Where NOT to live.

 

[U_Stormcrow]

that doesn't describe what I remeber of the I-4 corridor ends - you could set your clock by the rains in Tampa/St. Pete/Clearwater and the greater Daytona area. So I'm going to guess Ocala -area. Because it never seemed to rain there when I was backpacking.

but as you have chosen to list "Florida" as your location, I'm goign to respect your privacy and ask you not to confirm/refute my guess.

"Soon". the weather pattern should shift "soon".

 

[NatJ]

It is. Mostly clover (white/berseem) and Pensacola bahia grass. Scattered in, just starting to sprout is some of the "food plot" mix. The shoots are too big to be clover or bahia, but not yet big enough that I can figure out what they will grow up to be. Best guess is either the grain rye or the oats (also winter peas, red clover, chickory, sugar beets)

Some of the bigger seed leaves make me think of brassicas (broccoli, turnip, radish, kale, anything in that family.) Are there any of those in the food plot mix or already growing in the pasture?

Googling for images of "broccoli seedling" or "radish seedling" (etc) gave me plenty of comparisons to double-check what I thought I remembered

 

[U_Stormcrow]

Some of the bigger seed leaves make me think of brassicas (broccoli, turnip, radish, kale, anything in that family.) Are there any of those in the food plot mix or already growing in the pasture?

Googling for images of "broccoli seedling" or "radish seedling" (etc) gave me plenty of comparisons to double-check what I thought I remembered

yes (radish) in the feed plot and (yes) several in the pasture from past years - radish, sorrels, rape (source of canola), mustard

 

[U_Stormcrow]

Pulled 3x Gorilla carts worth of topical soda apple today. MAN, AM I TIRED! Also sunburnt, maybe a bit. Probably "sun touched", not burnt. Skin isn't warm to the touch, just tight.

That's most of a cubic yard of weeds, but the pasture is looking much better for it. Most of it was either starting to flower or flowering, only a cuple were starting to fruit. The stuff will stil come back from roots - but at least it won't also be coming back from seeds next year.

Corn hasn't started to sprout yet - more water, I think. We've nbeen pretty brutal dry this week. I'll water consistently this week, see what comes of it. Otherwise, I have several grasses in seed, and the goats aren't eating all of it (just most of it), the maypops are starting to bloom, and most of the white closer seeds are getting ready to fall.

The pasture has had worse years. MUCH worse.

Oh, and a surprising amoung ot the radish seeds toot this year, and its gone to leaf. Oddly, the goats don't much seem to care for it, a surprise to me. Hopefully breaks up the soil some, and the goats go for it later in the year. June and July tend to be among my wettest months of the year, so... We've almost made it thru the rough patch. (May is my lowest rainfall month - the week before last notwithstanding).

 

[U_Stormcrow]

 

[Sally PB]

Pulled 3x Gorilla carts worth of topical soda apple today. MAN, AM I TIRED! Also sunburnt, maybe a bit. Probably "sun touched", not burnt. Skin isn't warm to the touch, just tight.

That's most of a cubic yard of weeds, but the pasture is looking much better for it. Most of it was either starting to flower or flowering, only a cuple were starting to fruit. The stuff will stil come back from roots - but at least it won't also be coming back from seeds next year.

I just looked that stuff up. You pull that barehanded?!?!

The thorns look like what grows on horse nettle. Those have stabbed me through leather gloves. The immature fruit look like cucamelons. Wow, though, do they make a lot of seeds!

What do you do with the pulled weeds? I have weeds that I toss on the compost pile, and some that go on the PITA weed pile. (Looking at you, brome grass!)