Author Topic: What will grow in the old pig pens? (Read 3952 times)

Azzdodd · « **on:** January 17, 2014, 10:59:54 am »

I had stock fenced area were the pigs used too be now I've pulled them all down as they had seen better days too be honest the ground as you can imagine is ruined poached water logged :-) good old pigs hay! If I leave it too come back naturally will I get the usual weeds? No really bothered what grows there as it will be for the pigs again one day am I better off giving it a covering with grass seed or something? It's not fenced off from the sheep or anything now so can plant turnips or anything

hughesy · « **Reply #1 on:** January 17, 2014, 12:02:14 pm »

If you're going to put pigs on it again why waste your money on grass seed? Either grow a crop or just let it go natural. The pigs won't care they'll just dig it up again.

Azzdodd · « **Reply #2 on:** January 17, 2014, 12:05:09 pm »

Well I am going to let it go natural my point is will recover in a few months?

hughesy · « **Reply #3 on:** January 17, 2014, 12:19:15 pm »

Depends on the time of year. At the moment not much will grow but once spring gets underway it'll recover quickly. I suppose the right thing to do would be to take the pigs off before winter sets in and try and get the ground covered to stop the winter rain washing all the goodness out of the soil. The field my adult pigs are in is completely trashed now but once the ground starts to warm up I'm going to move them out and plant turnips etc in there.A lot depends on the amount of land you have available.

Azzdodd · « **Reply #4 on:** January 17, 2014, 12:22:51 pm »

Well it only had weaners in I've now managed too train them to electric fence! Which is great.....I have a fair but spare ATM I'm hoping when the ground gets warmer and a good harrow and roll will help it come along there is a really rough area were they are at the moment making light work off it

Foobar · « **Reply #5 on:** January 17, 2014, 12:32:04 pm »

If its not fenced off from the sheep then they will eat the new shoots of whatever grows, so planting a forage crop (kale, turnips etc) would be a waste of time. If you can fence it off then I would plant a mixture of forage crops - either for the sheep to eat later this year, or if you are getting more pigs later in the year, for them.
If you just leave it then chances are you will get a lot of weeds coming up (depending on how weedy it has been in the past).

Bodger · « **Reply #6 on:** January 17, 2014, 12:59:20 pm »

I'm thinking of putting in swedes or turnips for the pigs or perhaps spuds for our own use. We are also considering planting the whole lot up with sunflowers.

Azzdodd · « **Reply #7 on:** January 17, 2014, 01:17:55 pm »

Weeds don't really bother me aslong as something grows on it whatever I put in there will soon be turned over by them when they get back in there

darkbrowneggs · « **Reply #8 on:** January 17, 2014, 01:37:06 pm »

I did that once and it came up docks and nettles - I was only just getting rid of them 20 years later. But the bit which was used for veg grew the BIGGEST cauliflowers I have seen in my life, including the ones at the shows.

Fowgill Farm · « **Reply #9 on:** January 17, 2014, 02:26:41 pm »

Normally it takes around six mths for pig ground to recover and thats if the weather plays ball!
We rotivate, roll & re-seed our ground conditions permitting, we had issues with docks & nettles for a long while, they are nuisance to get rid off if allowed to run riot, so if you do allow it to grow wild keep mowing it down to weaken the perennial weeds.
hth
Mandy