Chicken mowers…
I have a few weeds within the frogfruit “lawn” – only a bizillion!!!!!!!!!!!! YIKES! So I needed to get creative weeding in between the frogfruit plants…and fast before they go to seed!
2 weeks after I planted my frogfruit lawn, it is a weed fest. In retrospect, I should have dusted everything with corn gluten as I plugged the plants. Live and learn!
Some weeds are good and I go back and forth between a combined frogfruit/horseherb “lawn”…however for now, the goal is single species.
Work it girls! I put my chickens, and my Texas tomato cages to work! This set up allows me to place them in between the frogfruit plants so they don’t eat those. I do this half an hour, then give them a break back in the coop for water, etc. It will take a week or so I am guessing to get the weeds under control. I don’t want to push them out there too much in that small a space, although they don’t seem to mind. They love to eat green things!
Not bad! They get the white grubs while they are at it too.
CHEERS!
- Posted in: Back Garden - year 2 ♦ Hens
- Tagged: chickens for grub control, chickens for organic weed control, Hen mowers, homesteading, xericstyle
ha! Brilliant!!! the horseherb does look really nice, but I guess it would compete out the frogfruit. Chickens save the day (and your back)!!
yes ma’am! I think the horseherb and frogfruit together could look super – although I also think single species is potentially better for the eye to rest …and it may look more polished (in my head anyways!). The horseherb may not give me a choice, however. We will see! -xericstyle
I had to laugh when I saw your team approach to keeping the weeds down.
…me too, Charlie, me too… ;) -xericstyle
That is a brilliant solution! We have a horseherb “lawn” which was already here. I see no reason to change it even though the horseherb dies out in heat, cold, and drought which is pretty much most of the time. If frogfruit sticks around through those things then it is a better choice.
That is a VERY good point Shirley – thanks, I needed that. You have given me more incentive to keep up on this approach. Thank you. :) -xericstyle
I had to giggle while reading this post! You are so resourceful! I have tomato cages…now I just need some chickens;)
Ha! You can borrow ours if you need to :) -xericstyle
You are an inventive girl Xericstyle! I have to admit I did wonder about the weeds while the frogfruit is growing. I am intrigued, what is corn gluten? The frog fruit does look like its growing, pretty fast! Christina
Thanks C, I had to be. These weeds are well beyond pulling by a human. ;) Corn gluten meal is used as a pre-emergent herbicide – organic and non-toxic. It is also a fertilizer. It does NOT always work on first application though…but I still think I should have done it as anything would have helped. I could have plugged one plant, dusted all around it, plugged the next. Wish I had. -xericstyle
Lovely! I bet those chickens are way happier then you’d think even in such a small space! Fresh geens!
I think they are too – they are lovin’ the greens! Thanks for stopping in today – love your new garden beds! -xericstyle
Creative and organic weed control. I love it! Hey, I think I saw in another post that you really like those Texas Tomato Cages. Do you still like them and are they holding up? Did you get the extensions? Thanks.
I love them – at over 5 years old they are like new. They work excellent, and they fold flat. I got the 6 pack of the med 20″ cages. They came with extenders – which are wonderful. HIGHLY RECOMMEND -xericstyle
I really like frogfruit but I have no quarrel with horseherb. I bet your chickens loved their salads! haha. Here’s some extra info on corn gluten for anyone hoping to learn more: http://puyallup.wsu.edu/~Linda%20Chalker-Scott/Horticultural%20Myths_files/Myths/Corn%20gluten.pdf
Awesome! Thx, Debra! – xericstyle