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[quote][i]Originally posted by txbikergirl[/i]
[br]looking for what y'all do to keep your fence rows clear.  we aren't environmental extremists, but we really do attempt to keep things organic/natural on our land for our health and the worlds - so looking for what others are doing other than just "roundup the fence row" which is what everyone around here does.

keep in mind we get 30-40" of rain annually, so that means the fence rows we just completely cleared in february already have 2' of thick growth on them.  we do think that in a normal year we can probably clean the fence rows in november, and then not have to touch them again until july.

we only have 25 acres, so it isn't as if we have 1000 acres of fences and crossfences - it is a manageable amount once we have done our first complete pass of fence clearing/replacement (we are at only about 10% right now).  we have one of those torch things so could burn it, and given all our rain that isn't as dangerous as it is elsewhere.  we live in the piney woods of east texas, so we have pine trees and sweet gums and tons of brushy stuff - not just grass.  we did cut back everything 2' on each side of the fence line in february so all the trees and tough stuff was taken down to the ground - but of course everything thrives in our combination of water/heat/humidity.

oh, and large amounts of the fencing will be "field fence" in order to keep wild hogs out (or future farm hogs in) so we can't just offset mow under the barbed wire fence or just weed eat it easily...

i know about orange oil, vinegar, etc - but in this large of an application that isn't an affordable option.  any other practical advice??
[/quote]

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T O P I C R E V I E W
txbikergirl	Posted - Jun 07 2015 : 3:04:06 PM looking for what y'all do to keep your fence rows clear. we aren't environmental extremists, but we really do attempt to keep things organic/natural on our land for our health and the worlds - so looking for what others are doing other than just "roundup the fence row" which is what everyone around here does. keep in mind we get 30-40" of rain annually, so that means the fence rows we just completely cleared in february already have 2' of thick growth on them. we do think that in a normal year we can probably clean the fence rows in november, and then not have to touch them again until july. we only have 25 acres, so it isn't as if we have 1000 acres of fences and crossfences - it is a manageable amount once we have done our first complete pass of fence clearing/replacement (we are at only about 10% right now). we have one of those torch things so could burn it, and given all our rain that isn't as dangerous as it is elsewhere. we live in the piney woods of east texas, so we have pine trees and sweet gums and tons of brushy stuff - not just grass. we did cut back everything 2' on each side of the fence line in february so all the trees and tough stuff was taken down to the ground - but of course everything thrives in our combination of water/heat/humidity. oh, and large amounts of the fencing will be "field fence" in order to keep wild hogs out (or future farm hogs in) so we can't just offset mow under the barbed wire fence or just weed eat it easily... i know about orange oil, vinegar, etc - but in this large of an application that isn't an affordable option. any other practical advice??
15 L A T E S T R E P L I E S (Newest First)
txbikergirl	Posted - Jun 11 2015 : 6:47:09 PM sorry i am so late to reply here. had a few long days at the desk, which means any and every free moment is spent outside choring ;> its hot, but we can be happy it is NOT wet or humid - and the late sunsets are just a joy to help getting all the work done outside. we've got sycamore trees and sweet gums and something else... hubby is in a battle of wills with mother nature
NellieBelle	Posted - Jun 11 2015 : 12:38:25 PM Thank you Charlene. It's certainly green. Right now we're getting drenched. 1.7" and still raining. Very lush and very wet right now. Pouring rain. Flood warnings and watches, Tornado watch.
CloversMum	Posted - Jun 11 2015 : 11:12:28 AM Janet, beautiful place! I love spring green (and the trees).
NellieBelle	Posted - Jun 11 2015 : 06:13:39 AM ;)
Ron	Posted - Jun 11 2015 : 06:01:56 AM I read about them things once! Sorta like a sage brush...just bigger..( smarty pants )
NellieBelle	Posted - Jun 11 2015 : 04:24:03 AM Ron. Tree, a woody perennial plant, typically having a single stem or trunk… (now who's the smarty pants?)Illustration. Stick=trunk, green bushy stuff=leaves, tree. ;)
Ron	Posted - Jun 10 2015 : 5:59:37 PM Trees? What are they?
CloversMum	Posted - Jun 10 2015 : 4:41:39 PM I am thinking that 8 month old trees that are already 12 feet tall are not a typical farm problem! :-) At least not here in northern Idaho. I'd love to have some of those fast growing trees as we are trying to plant lots of trees on our land which is old farm fields. But trees in the wrong places are as much of a problem as no trees!
farmlife	Posted - Jun 08 2015 : 6:47:19 PM Cows are good munchers! It sounds incredible to have trees that grow so fast.
txbikergirl	Posted - Jun 08 2015 : 10:07:50 AM thanks everyone. we have a DR mower so maybe we'll just do that 1-2 times a year. the problem with the rate of growth here is that there are tons of TREES - and we all know nothing ruins a fence more than trees. we have trees on our dam that are 12 feet tall and only 8 months old... and so we are battling those buggers too. i know it is all just a part of farm life but we are trying to work smarter not harder if possible. but perhaps once we have cows on the land most of the problem could be handled by them and then we'll be left with a more manageable problem. THANKS!
Mike	Posted - Jun 07 2015 : 7:52:25 PM Love Showy Milkweed and the Monarch flutterbys. No sprays, no nothing. We are not on a road, the house is back 1/2 mile so we have lots of wildlife here. Pheasants have been here forever and they are distance flushers, frustrate a lot of my friendly hunters. Saw a close friend shoot a double one day though. Two of those big Iowa birds flushed out of the asparagus bed (1000 plants) in the fall when the asparagus ferns are four to six feet tall. One went east, one went northwest. He got the east one and swung smoothly to the left (damned difficult) to get the NW one at about fifty yards out. Best shot I ever saw and I think of Chad every time I'm in the asparagus.
NellieBelle	Posted - Jun 07 2015 : 6:00:57 PM I'm like Mike, we leave the ditches and fencerows for wildlife. I even have no mowing signs up that say, " No Mowing, Road ditch for wildlife." I do use the torch and burn around my garden but then the rest is cleared by hand. Joe uses the weed eater and we have a DR weed mower that will cut down anything including your leg/arm, small trees. I'm not able to handle it anymore but the guys still use it. Don't care for sprays. I've learned to eat some weeds (stinging nettles). Milkweeds I leave for monarch butterflies. Actually planted some. So some weeds can be beneficial. Since I've gotten older, I can tolerate more than I use to.
Mike	Posted - Jun 07 2015 : 4:51:08 PM Leave the fence rows for the wildlife. No Roundup, no cutting. When you get cow she can clear what's edible. Find out what are the poisonous plants in your area and if you have them, THEN clear them only. Works for me.
Ron	Posted - Jun 07 2015 : 4:20:42 PM http://www.amazon.com/AVENGER-Killer-Organic-Gardening-NON-TOXIC/dp/B00CTBQUIE/ref=sr_1_4/187-8993514-1678122?s=lawn-garden&ie=UTF8&qid=1433719038&sr=1-4&keywords=weed+killer+organic Maybe even make something like this on your own?....
Ron	Posted - Jun 07 2015 : 4:11:14 PM I think you covered it Cindy...best I do here is mow up close as I can, weed eat where I have to...spray here specially roundup is out...I would rather have the weeds! Lol..