Washingtonians

[broodytood]

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What a cutie! I need to stop looking because I want goats for blackberry control, and DH says NO GOATS!!!!

The problem, of course, is that nothing else works: no other animal eats the darn stuff*, and cutting back and digging the burls is a yearly life-time job, because anywhere blackberries have grown for more than a year or two is full of viable seeds (they have this in common with Scotch Broom, BTW). Burning in February and digging the burls only has to be done about every three years, and is best for fruit production but is highly illegal; I've yet to find a non-organic control that works with less effort than burning, or half as well. Goats are da bomb for blackberry control, wethers are great pets, but there's two problems: they'll eat anything if you don't protect it by fences so tight you can't see in, they can climb like cats (and the pygmies are worst for that, followed by Cashmeres). Oh, and they have really unfortunate senses of humor. Wethers are great pets, but there's three problems...



* well, Jacob sheep, when there's no green grass. Which is not my current condition. I will have photos of my new lamb and the sheep tractor by this time tomorrow.

I was told that pigs do the best job on blackberries. They eat all of it even the roots after they snout them out. Don't know though, never had one.

 

[Stumpfarmer]

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The problem, of course, is that nothing else works: no other animal eats the darn stuff*, and cutting back and digging the burls is a yearly life-time job, because anywhere blackberries have grown for more than a year or two is full of viable seeds (they have this in common with Scotch Broom, BTW). Burning in February and digging the burls only has to be done about every three years, and is best for fruit production but is highly illegal; I've yet to find a non-organic control that works with less effort than burning, or half as well. Goats are da bomb for blackberry control, wethers are great pets, but there's two problems: they'll eat anything if you don't protect it by fences so tight you can't see in, they can climb like cats (and the pygmies are worst for that, followed by Cashmeres). Oh, and they have really unfortunate senses of humor. Wethers are great pets, but there's three problems...



* well, Jacob sheep, when there's no green grass. Which is not my current condition. I will have photos of my new lamb and the sheep tractor by this time tomorrow.

Oh man, so all those blackberry bushes I pulled out on Sunday (my dh asked if I got in a fight with a cat when he saw my arms) and dug up the roots, and they are just gonna come back? Grrrrr.

We used to have pygmies too, but they could climb out of every fence, even with a hot wire, and the doe got into our rhodies (poisonous) and cost a small fortune at the vet to save. The little boy had one horn that came back, and he would ram my leg with that sucker every day, trying to dump the bucket of llama grain I was carrying so he could eat it. They got rehomed when the girls left for college.....kind of the opposite of the rest of you. My nest was not yet empty though (still isn't and I can't wait!)

Susie

Yup, sorry, but it's worse than anything except Ivy , and that only by reason of its fruit and the fact it doesn't smell bad.

Grub out every sprout you see, as soon as you see it, and get all the root: it's much easier than doing it later. Keep it up, and eventually you'll run out of seed-load and root fragments. I have been told.

The last time mine were under control was right before I got pregnant the first time. My husband is a great believer in the great round toit, and the seedload/burls dated back to before anybody knew what horrors the "new, easy, fruitful family garden plant!" would hold. Right before I damaged my back badly enough to be flat for two weeks, I was on a pace to get them under control in... three months? Maybe?

 

[Stumpfarmer]

Quote:
The problem, of course, is that nothing else works: no other animal eats the darn stuff*, and cutting back and digging the burls is a yearly life-time job, because anywhere blackberries have grown for more than a year or two is full of viable seeds (they have this in common with Scotch Broom, BTW). Burning in February and digging the burls only has to be done about every three years, and is best for fruit production but is highly illegal; I've yet to find a non-organic control that works with less effort than burning, or half as well. Goats are da bomb for blackberry control, wethers are great pets, but there's two problems: they'll eat anything if you don't protect it by fences so tight you can't see in, they can climb like cats (and the pygmies are worst for that, followed by Cashmeres). Oh, and they have really unfortunate senses of humor. Wethers are great pets, but there's three problems...



* well, Jacob sheep, when there's no green grass. Which is not my current condition. I will have photos of my new lamb and the sheep tractor by this time tomorrow.

I was told that pigs do the best job on blackberries. They eat all of it even the roots after they snout them out. Don't know though, never had one.

I've heard that too. Here, I think. They also take out everything else less than 6"DBH.

I hate pigs. I can't eat pork at all anymore, so I'm purely agin' 'em.

(Oh, bacon, sweet, sweet bacon, food of my daily desire, lost forever).

 

[PitterPatterPalace]

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Any partidge like the one your daughter had at the fair?

No, these look to be mostly blue, a few black and a few lavender. The blue and black are split for lavender too. I just know that you want some!!!

We sure do like those partridge ones.

 

[broodytood]

Quote:
I was told that pigs do the best job on blackberries. They eat all of it even the roots after they snout them out. Don't know though, never had one.

I've heard that too. Here, I think. They also take out everything else less than 6"DBH.

I hate pigs. I can't eat pork at all anymore, so I'm purely agin' 'em.

(Oh, bacon, sweet, sweet bacon, food of my daily desire, lost forever).

Too bad you couldn't have them eat your berries and then sell them as soon as they get big and stinky! Maybe they are stinky from the get go.

 

[PitterPatterPalace]

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Sorry, my fault. I don't mean to spread my headaches...

 

[RustyHen]

We had our goats in the Rouge Valley because they were the only thing to eat Poison Oak and star thisle which we had a lot of both. they did there job as long as I stayed out with them. could not keep the whole 5 acres goat proof fenced. That is why I like the Boers they are much easier to keep under fence.

 

[Chicken Rustler]

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brave one now aren't ya !!!

 

[pettec63]

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I have been doing the extreme coupon thing for a month now and have saved over 250 - 300 dollars!! It really works!! it just takes time to get the papers and find the deals, I subscribe to a few blogs most of them are from up there, but, they take the guess work out of stuff, I will pm you about your goats.

My wife is doing the coupon thing also.

yeaaa!!

 

[pettec63]

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Oh very cool, I hope I can save that much. I have been doing ok with it, and must say my son is happy to have food in here more now than before. We should start a Coupon thing on this site and see what every one is doing. Does that sound good, maybe do a coupon swap or something. I have so many for baby things. I can get lots of the mail coupon one's have a 6 inch stack from last weeks, dont know about this week.
Hope to hear from you soon.

Pre-kids when I had more of a social life, a bunch of friends and co-workers and I would get together a couple of times a month to play poker, but instead of using chips or money, we exchanged coupons. It was a lot of fun, but I always seemed to end up with the Depends.

that is just too funny!! .......did you save any??

( just kidding) LOL