The Accidental Smallholder Forum
Community => Coffee Lounge => Topic started by: arobwk on May 19, 2016, 07:35:17 pm
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Had to ponder over where best to post this! Anyway, here I am ...
For reasons I won't bore you with, I ended up having to plant over 300 willow cuttings in pasture. All I could manage was an agressive strim before planting and a temporary rabbit fence supported by bamboo cane (latter working so far). Of course, the pasture (and weeds) is now taking off. I've accumulated a large pile of newspapers as a weed suppressant and intend to use cut & bent lengths of fencing line-wire as my cheapie option for pegging the newspaper down. However, any experiences/recommendations please re using newspaper as a weed suppressant?
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I've not done this myself but I think the secret is to lay it very thickly and keep it wet - also, keep it weighted down if you in a windy spot.
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Thank you,
Much as I expected, i.e. as thick as possible! Any thoughts though (anybody) on how long a good wad of pegged-down newspaper might last? Is it days, weeks or (optimistically) months? Any further info would be good.
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It should last months :thumbsup:
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The way willow grows around here weed suppression would be the last thing I'd worry about. I'd worry more about lots of bits of wire in my field,,,,
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Good point about wire in my fields pgkevet! Unfortunately, though, the shorter cuttings were a bit swamped on last inspection. (Hand shears used as an immediate fix around the worst affected - oops, 2 less willows, but thankfully only 2!) I'll make sure to peg in a consistent patterm so that the pegs will be more easily found/recovered when the time comes.
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When we were planting trees the group had a system of newspapers then a square of hessian, (coffee imported in the sacks which were then recycled for project), then the corners were pushed into the ground with a spade. I realise hessian isn't freely available, but thought you might work on that idea?.
Could you put manure on top of paper to hold it down? I would think a year or two would be enough before willows grow away.
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You could also weigh it down with woodchip that you can get free from a tree surgeon. It will help to suppress the weeds for longer and will rot down beautifully.
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Charles Dowding uses cardboard so I would suggest paper of at least the thickness of cardboard packaging as used by removal firms. http://www.charlesdowding.co.uk/?s=cardboard (http://www.charlesdowding.co.uk/?s=cardboard)
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Thank you all for the many thoughts.
(Happens I have some spare hessian - bought for some lime-mortered walling restorations - might try toeing in some of that, subject to checking back on how much it cost me to buy per sq m !!)
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It might not look so pretty but if there's any chance there will ever be grazing animals on the area and knowing just how deadly wire can be to a ruminant I suggest using anything else - logs, gash wood, bits of brick, old milk or fruit juice containers filled with water ...... The newspaper, if laid at least six sheets thick, should last through the Summer at least.
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Do you have access to lawn clippings? These could go on top of the newspaper in a mulch, help hold the paper down and rot down into the soil over time. Pegging down first sounds reasonable, then gradually take up the wire as you mulch, hold down with something else etc. A bit more work, but at least you can get on quickly with weed suppression and then remove the wire at a more convenient time.
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When I've planted willow in a wet and very weedy area I've used cuttings about three feet long above ground. With their heads above the surrounding competition they've done very well and quite quickly start to shade out the weeds if planted fairly close together. No need for any mulching or ground cover at all. Also keeps the vulnerable young shoots away from the bunnies.
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We planted willow over 15 years ago and they just took off. I found it is better to trim the tops back every year. they grow so fast to quite a height but do not form strong roots. Our trees must have been well over 5ft in a couple of years from small cuttings. They did not do well in strong winds so I started cutting them back to slow the height down. Did much better and we now have lovely trees.
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The way willow grows around here weed suppression would be the last thing I'd worry about. I'd worry more about lots of bits of wire in my field,,,,
I'm totally with you ... we have even 'planted' a large twiggy bit of stick to give our hens some shelter which is now growing!
The last thing I would put down is wire! We have used bits of wool carpet on some other non willow trees which grow rather less vigorously.
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we used plastic sheet or weed fabric, weighed down by soil or muck, making sure not to burn the new plants with fresh muck. survives the wind then.
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Baz has been collecting big bale wrap. He's rolled up the sides of the wrap to use as weed suppressant.
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Thanks all for the many suggestions/comments. I'm not completely dissuaded from using wire pegs, but I shall try other means first. I have a volunteer (my "Ex" who helped me do the planting) who is up for protecting our efforts: she will be experimenting with the newspaper option and means of keeping it in place. I'll let you know how she fares/what she comes up with!
(She has also reminded me that she has a roll of sileage wrapping up for grabs - maybe another option!)
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Update - toeing the corners into a spade slot works, but takes for ever. Steel wire pegs it will have to be (I'll be careful to retrieve them all idc). When willow crop allows, I will experiment with fresh, bent willow cuttings and potentially increase propogation rate at the same time (although they will need to be dug and transplanted along the way). MIght also plant a plot of bamboo (with rhizome barrier) for the long term.
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I've found the best time to take cuttings is in late Autumn. Slant the bottom cut, so you know which end goes in the soil, poke them in two buds deep and wait for Spring. Success rate is usually around 80%. Bunnies don't generally bother with them.
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I've found the best time to take cuttings is in late Autumn. Slant the bottom cut, so you know which end goes in the soil, poke them in two buds deep and wait for Spring. Success rate is usually around 80%. Bunnies don't generally bother with them.
The bunnies decimated mine. Of a few hundred cuttings only a couple survived :(
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Deer cause problems round here, they love willow. how much snow dictates winter rabbit damage. 2/3 years ago we had drifts and they took the heads out of some small apple trees, and nearly killed the holly
Voles will also nibble round the Base.
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Delayed update: I have now used a combo of black silage wrap between willow rows with newspaper for the gaps along the rows, simply weighted down with a very bountiful supply of stones that ploughing and harrowing has eventually produced !! The ground is sloping, so the rows will receive good run off of rain, but I've also punctured the wrap where each stone is placed to ensure inter-row penetration aswell. The grass is resilient: while the silage wrap is not totally opaque, I'm v surprised that it still looks like a buttoned mattress so many weeks later!
I have rabbits and roe deer living on or frequenting my bit: the bunnies were onto the willow cuttings in a flash. Quick erection of rabbit netting simply staked with bamboo canes nipped that in the bud (pun intended). As it is a very temporary arrangement, I merely strung 2 runs of fishing line above after experimenting with some fishing line 'barriers' across field openings and across the tops of stone walls where deer obviously cross. Judging by the 'confused' hoof marks in the mud, they didn't like it one little bit (although a couple of attempts were obviously made to jump the 'invisible barriers' because the top line was broken a couple of times)! So far, definately no rabbit and seemingly no deer intrusions into the fenced willow planting.
Permanent rabbit/deer fencing to 5 acres is next 'project'. Some fencing experimentation will be involved and a trial selection of components has been accumulated (including the Screwfix bundle of Tornado's premium rabbit netting - great price). I'll report idc!