Pasture Improvement

PatriciaPNW

Lovin' The Homestead
Joined
Sep 18, 2019
Messages
58
Reaction score
91
Points
67
Location
Western Washington
I don’t think I will ever have more than chickens on this pasture because it borders wetlands and creek for salmon spawning so it’s not good to have manure runoff etc. Nor will I grow anything on it because of the deer and limited sun - I have potential garden space elsewhere. So why do I still feel like I should improve it? I over seeded with a clover mix a few weeks ago and there’s quite a bit of seedlings from that. Today I dug hole for a plum tree and noticed the dirt seems pretty healthy. Maybe overseed with pollinator mix? I will be careful with invasives like vetch too - that was in some mixes I saw. Any thoughts?
View attachment 12599View attachment 12598
 

baymule

Sustainability Master
Joined
Nov 13, 2010
Messages
10,698
Reaction score
18,586
Points
413
Location
East Texas
I have some serious dirt envy! That is some beautiful dirt! I have white sugar sand, like the beach, but without the ocean.

Pasture mix-what are you wanting? A tall tangle of natural beauty or a mowed lawn? I love bulb flowers, plant them, forget them, they come up, bloom, die back and come back year after year. Wild flowers and tame flowers would be good for bees. Plant milkweed for monarch butterflies, if they go that far north.
 

Beekissed

Mountain Sage
Joined
Jul 11, 2008
Messages
12,774
Reaction score
3,934
Points
437
Location
Mountains of WV
You need a few hair sheep on that...just a few...and do some intensive grazing to produce better pasture. ;) No runoff danger at all and it will naturally beautify and diversify your grasses. And, just may take care of your deer problem...I haven't seen a single deer in the meadow since getting sheep. They were in there every day, acting like we didn't even exist, but they don't seem to like the sheep.
 

PatriciaPNW

Lovin' The Homestead
Joined
Sep 18, 2019
Messages
58
Reaction score
91
Points
67
Location
Western Washington
Sheep!!! My longtime dream - I’ve only had acreage since 2012 and only lived on it since 2015 but when I retire that’s the big fun project. How did you all know?
 

Beekissed

Mountain Sage
Joined
Jul 11, 2008
Messages
12,774
Reaction score
3,934
Points
437
Location
Mountains of WV
I agree with "why wait?" Sheep are probably the easiest livestock out there. Easy to fence, easy to keep. Check on them once a day. Couple times a year there's something more extensive to be done, like worming, shearing, and hauling lambs to market.

Agree! Or, if you get hair sheep, no shearing, very little if any worming and could be you could sell right from your place to individuals so you don't have to haul them to market. Any given year you are too busy to mess with lambs, you just don't breed them, etc.
 

baymule

Sustainability Master
Joined
Nov 13, 2010
Messages
10,698
Reaction score
18,586
Points
413
Location
East Texas
I castrate all the boys and name them Dinner. Lamb is our red meat. Millions of pounds of beef hamburger are being recalled along with 2 million pounds of chicken, but it’s not in OUR freezer! Raising your own meat is much healthier for you. A couple of ewes would be fun, keep your pasture mowed and give you meat. Win-win.
 

Latest posts

Top