[Jacob-list] Hedgerows

[Linda]

We had a row of cherokee rose at our previous place in the yard, where I 
would let the sheep out to graze every so often. It was really dense - 
wild growth, never trimmed. There was fence on the other side, so I 
wasn't counting on the hedge to keep them in. They love eating roses and 
had it denuded of leaves within a few months (limited turnout in the 
yard), at which point they could wiggle into the center of the vines. 
The vines made a mess of the fleeces and occasionally a sheep would get 
trapped by rose vines tangled in the wool. I let them out now to eat the 
roses after shearing.

Linda

Neal Grose wrote:

> My grandfather helped people plant multiflora rose and kudzu for 

> erosion control back in the 30s. One of his friends said that it was 

> the only evil thing Mr. Joseph ever did. Both are famously invasive 

> now, and both can only be with goats and SHEEP!

> Neal

>

>

> -----Original Message----- From: Zach Oaster

> Sent: Saturday, January 29, 2011 10:42 AM

> To: jacob-list at jacobsheep.com

> Subject: Re: [Jacob-list] Hedgerows

>

> In mid-Michigan, back in the 1960s, my great uncle once planted

> several fence rows of multiflower rose for the purpose of natural

> livestock containment. While this worked great for a while (after the

> initial growth/pruning period), my grandfather (who lived down the

> road), and other neighbors started complaining that the multiflower

> rose was beginning to show up in their fields and fence rows. Within

> the period of a few decades the plant has literally infested the

> entire area. It had not been native to the area, but you wouldn't know

> that now.

>

> All of this to say that natural fences can be an unnatural addition...

> and that species that tend to grow and populate easily will do so with

> or without your consent. Choose carefully.

>

> ^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^

> Zach Oaster

> zach at fattoaster.com

> Visit Zach & Lindsay's farm blog: http://www.fattoasterfarm.com

> ^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^

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-- 
Patchwork Farm Jacob Sheep <http://www.patchworkfibers.com>
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