A Little Help Please

LazySusanFarms · May 15, 2012

We will be planting our first 350 pecan seedlings this fall and have a question for the group. The biggest challenge for the health of seedlings is the competition for moisture so most tree farmers keep the area surrounding each tree free of plant and grass material. We do not want to use any kind of herbicide to keep the 5' x 5' are around the tree free of grass.

Assuming that there will be no obstructions (tree stakes, etc), what would be the best mechanical approach to keeping the area grass free?

Western · May 15, 2012

Maybe a thick layer of mulch. The small trees I have seen here (pecans) have large mounds of dirt,maybe a foot tall them. I have seen laborers out with weed eaters working around the young trees. Sunday I saw an older pecan orchard with cows fenced in, common here.

LazySusanFarms · May 15, 2012

Western said:
Maybe a thick layer of mulch. The small trees I have seen here (pecans) have large mounds of dirt,maybe a foot tall them. I have seen laborers out with weed eaters working around the young trees. Sunday I saw an older pecan orchard with cows fenced in, common here.

Once the trees get a little older, you can graze cattle in the field without too much harm from rubbing. When the trees are smaller, deer rub can be a big problem, especially here where deer are very plentiful.

randy41 · May 16, 2012

landscape fabric may work. the ground has to be bare before laying it down.

remington270 · May 16, 2012

Weed eating along with mulch will be your best bet. May I ask why no herbicides? I believe it will be much more expensive, time consuming, and harder work without them.

handirifle · May 16, 2012

Might be planning on getting them certified Organic. You can't use pesticides or herbicides anywhere near them. That's my guess.

dusty3030 · May 16, 2012

Read up on flame cultivators and flaming weeds.
Fast and organic.
Might have to build your own, but that is what pops to my mind.

Worked good on cotton, cotton plants have a woody stem like a tree and makes me think this would be a good organic alternative in your orchard as well.

You don't have to hold the flame on the weed, just brushing over the green vegetation kills the weed.

dusty3030 · May 16, 2012

dusty3030 said:
Read up on flame cultivators and flaming weeds.
Fast and organic.
Might have to build your own, but that is what pops to my mind.

Worked good on cotton, cotton plants have a woody stem like a tree and makes me think this would be a good organic alternative in your orchard as well.

You don't have to hold the flame on the weed, just brushing over the green vegetation kills the weed.

Red Dragon Vineyard & Orchard Flamers