Western PA - pasture grass?

[TomOfTarsus]

Hello, all.

I live near Pittsburgh, PA and have a small (~ 1/2 acre) open area that I'm trying to maintain until I decide how to grade it or otherwise make use of it.

Trouble is, about once a year, work gets ahead of me and this ground ends up 3-4 ft deep in a variety of grasses and weeds - so deep that my little TC-18 is troubled to get through it and I end up using a brush blade on a weedwacker - no fun at all.

But I've been out in the woods and seen clearings that have obviously grown all summer without maintenance, and they aren't that deep.

So does anyone have any suggestions as to what I could plant there that is mow-able and won't get 4 ft high?

Thanks! Eventually I want to have fruit tress and a garden there, in case you're curious, but I still have a bunch of stumps to get out and other "potholes" to remove.

Tom

 

[sweep]

You have 1/2 acre and work is busy enough that you cannot cut it so it grows to 4 feet high??

You are one heck of a busy guy.

SRS if you cannot maintain a 1/2 acre just cutting grass, fruit trees and such are not for you. They need to be sprayed at least once per month and other maintenance such as pruning, measures around them to control deer etc. I look at my fruit trees and observe them every 3-4 days looking for blight, worms, insects etc. I have seen perfect fruit and come back 2 days later to be full of blight or insects.

I don't want to be a wisea** but fruit trees are about as high maintenance as it gets.

 

[TomOfTarsus]

Yessir, I am just that busy! Several issues are combined right now to make it so bad.

(1) My eldest daughter moved out a year or so ago and got married in June - that killed a lot of spring work. But since she (and her 2 large dogs) moved out, we've been re-rugging, repainting, and all that;

(2) I'm renovating the garage right now, had a floor poured and am painting, redoing the interior doors and all my tool storage.

(3) My job keeps me away from home almost 11 hrs/day, and travel is often unexpected, then you're gone for 3 days to a week. It won't always be that way, but if I wait until then to plant the fruit trees, I'll never get anything from them.

(4) When I do get to mowing, the yards near the house get done first. Hill mowing and weed-wacking is time consuming, we're working to get rid of the steepest (and most time consuming) mowing tasks.

Problem is, I'm trying to make ice cream out of horse apples. The home was poorly sited years ago when I was young and stupid (I know, now I'm just old and stupid!). I got the land next to the house, which increased me from less than 1/2 acre to 5.75 acres, as it contained natural springs, a decent flat area next to the house, and lots of mature cherry, maple and oak; but generally it's steep. Other than the flat area next to the house, this 1/2 acre is about the most usable section on the land. We're working to make our steep hillside location more maintainable, but like I said, work, weather, and other malarkey combine to allow this lot to get out of hand once in a while.

I know what you mean about fruit trees being high maintenance, but it's funny - a guy across the street from me planted some kind of pear tree in his front yard, doesn't look cross-eyed at it, and every year has piles of pears laying everywhere - deer eating them and everything. Figures...

Thanks,

Tom

 

[MoKelly]

Yessir, I am just that busy! Several issues are combined right now to make it so bad.

(1) My eldest daughter moved out a year or so ago and got married in June - that killed a lot of spring work. But since she (and her 2 large dogs) moved out, we've been re-rugging, repainting, and all that;

(2) I'm renovating the garage right now, had a floor poured and am painting, redoing the interior doors and all my tool storage.

(3) My job keeps me away from home almost 11 hrs/day, and travel is often unexpected, then you're gone for 3 days to a week. It won't always be that way, but if I wait until then to plant the fruit trees, I'll never get anything from them.

(4) When I do get to mowing, the yards near the house get done first. Hill mowing and weed-wacking is time consuming, we're working to get rid of the steepest (and most time consuming) mowing tasks.

I need a nap just reading all this.:laughing:

MoKelly

 

[TomOfTarsus]

You got that! I hit the bed last night at 9:00 to lay down a bit while my wife showered and woke up at 11:00 when she came to bed. Went back to sleep and got up at 6:00 to head to work (where I am now!)

But, what about pasture-type cover?

Anybody know what I could plant here after I kill the weeds?

Thanks, all,

Tom

 

[MMagis]

Honestly, anything you plant will still get overcome with tall weeds if not maintained. The simplest thing to do is actually just cut it more often. I know, easier said than done. But that’s the best way to go about it.

 

[forgeblast]

What about a clover wildflower mix. You can look at some of the hardier varities of apples, that are no spray (i think miller nurserys has them, enterprise and goldrush are two that come to mind). You can look at some grafted pears also. I have a varity that is a japanese and european mix, I cant remember the name. Also there are the coloniade type trees that need no pruning.
Just fence them in deer will eat them to the ground.
I wonder if it had orchard grass there, you may need to till it up and replant a slower;shorter variety.