duking it out

We have a noxious weed called knapweed. Not the one herbalists talk about, although we have that one too, but it's an annual and easy to control.
We started to experiment with "invasive" plants to see which survived. The 1st contestant was sunchokes- it was a tie after 2 years. There were a few sunchokes left and most of the knapweed was gone in that area. We moved the sunchokes; we had 2 years of heavy rain and landslides wiped them out.

The spearmint hasn't been invaded by it yet, but the milkweed doesn't like mint. I'm wanting to border the spearmint with rhubarb; that may work to keep the mint in check. Works on grass.

I think I'll try comfrey v. knapweed next. The goatslove them both, that'll make it easier to harvest.

I love to do this...I think bermuda grass is my 'knapweed'.  I will let anything grow to try to out compete it.  Comfrey will hold it's own and I don't see much in the mint and raspberries.  I've planted sunchokes in several spots but they are young yet.

Along the edge of this property is a small branch of a creek.  On both sides it has honeysuckle, privit, english ivy, vinca and bittersweet thoroughly taking over.....I'm not really sure which is winning but I think the bittersweet is doing the most damage to trees.  I don't see hardly any poison ivy though.  I forgot, there is also trumpet vine.  Sometimes I think about planting a bamboo in that area just to see what would happen.

Judith, get a couple of weanling wethers, fence the area, let them clear it, then put them in the freezer or donate the meat to a food bank. Do it again next year. Everything you mentioned will come back from the roots. I don't think any are toxic to goats, either.

Liz Hoxie wrote:Judith, get a couple of weanling wethers, fence the area, let them clear it, then put them in the freezer or donate the meat to a food bank. Do it again next year. Everything you mentioned will come back from the roots. I don't think any are toxic to goats, either.

Thanks Liz....That's the part I should have added...our backyard neighbors have goats fenced up to the border of the creek and don't have a speck of any of those plants....we have fenced areas but not close to the creek so keep it mowed as much as we can.  Our sheep (have since been butchered and eaten) might have eaten some of these things if they were able to get at them.  We've been testing a few with this donkey now...kind of picky for a donkey We're giving some thought to future fencing along that area.