Geese to keep grass down in new forest plantation?

waterfaerie

I have 2 hectares, about 1.6 of which was planted with native woodland a year ago. Unfortunately, the forestry company we used are useless and despite us constantly hassling them, they haven't weeded once so we have a grass problem that's affecting our growth. I'd also like to control the grass in the unforested area in an organic way and someone mentioned geese to me.

I'm a total beginner and I have a few questions that hopefully people here can help with.

Will geese damage the trees? There are 4,500 of them so it would be a lot of work to put tubes around each tree.

We have stone walls and sheep fencing. Will that contain the geese or would they need something more? Do their wings need to be clipped or do they stay at home? What about foxes?

Would I be better to get a small flock and moveable fence and move them around or get enough geese to do the whole 2 hectares? If moving them, how often would they need to be moved?

Do they need to be housed overnight? Any advice about that with a moveable system?

Is there any more work involved that I mightn't have considered? We really need a low maintenance solution as we're very busy renovating a house and have a baby as well so the less work, the better.

We also like to go away for a few nights every couple of months and we don't have anyone to mind them. Are geese able to mind themselves for a few days at a time? They'd have access to fresh water no problem.

I'm open to other suggestions if geese won't be easy enough. Thanks!

wrangler

waterfaerie wrote: »

I have 2 hectares, about 1.6 of which was planted with native woodland a year ago. Unfortunately, the forestry company we used are useless and despite us constantly hassling them, they haven't weeded once so we have a grass problem that's affecting our growth. I'd also like to control the grass in the unforested area in an organic way and someone mentioned geese to me.

I'm a total beginner and I have a few questions that hopefully people here can help with.

Will geese damage the trees? There are 4,500 of them so it would be a lot of work to put tubes around each tree.

We have stone walls and sheep fencing. Will that contain the geese or would they need something more? Do their wings need to be clipped or do they stay at home? What about foxes?

Would I be better to get a small flock and moveable fence and move them around or get enough geese to do the whole 2 hectares? If moving them, how often would they need to be moved?

Do they need to be housed overnight? Any advice about that with a moveable system?

Is there any more work involved that I mightn't have considered? We really need a low maintenance solution as we're very busy renovating a house and have a baby as well so the less work, the better.

We also like to go away for a few nights every couple of months and we don't have anyone to mind them. Are geese able to mind themselves for a few days at a time? They'd have access to fresh water no problem.

I'm open to other suggestions if geese won't be easy enough. Thanks!

i'd imagine that foxes would clean them out.
Roundup in a knapsack sprayer is used by some people, you'd need a hood onthe nozzle of the sprayer, to stop drift on to the trees

https://www.mosskillers.co.uk/sprayer-hood-rectangle

waterfaerie

wrangler wrote: »

i'd imagine that foxes would clean them out.
Roundup in a knapsack sprayer is used by some people, you'd need a hood onthe nozzle of the sprayer, to stop drift on to the trees

https://www.mosskillers.co.uk/sprayer-hood-rectangle

Sorry, I should have said I'm open to other suggestions apart from chemicals.

The long term goal is to establish a nature reserve / eco sanctuary and an area for organic food growing (for self-sufficiency, not for selling) so I need a more natural solution, hence the geese idea.

webels

A strimmer around trees is what I did for the first 3 years. They are well established now so no need. A bit if work mind. And don't skin the trees.

Say my name

We had geese here when I was a youngster.
So from my father's wisdom..
Farm geese won't fly over sheep wire but they need to be reared from goslings on the farm.
They'll definitely eat the grass and he thinks the trees should be ok.
A shelter at night is essential to keep Reynard from nabbing them.

We used to have Chinese and white geese ourselves.

fepper

waterfaerie wrote: »

I have 2 hectares, about 1.6 of which was planted with native woodland a year ago. Unfortunately, the forestry company we used are useless and despite us constantly hassling them, they haven't weeded once so we have a grass problem that's affecting our growth. I'd also like to control the grass in the unforested area in an organic way and someone mentioned geese to me.

I'm a total beginner and I have a few questions that hopefully people here can help with.

Will geese damage the trees? There are 4,500 of them so it would be a lot of work to put tubes around each tree.

We have stone walls and sheep fencing. Will that contain the geese or would they need something more? Do their wings need to be clipped or do they stay at home? What about foxes?

Would I be better to get a small flock and moveable fence and move them around or get enough geese to do the whole 2 hectares? If moving them, how often would they need to be moved?

Do they need to be housed overnight? Any advice about that with a moveable system?

Is there any more work involved that I mightn't have considered? We really need a low maintenance solution as we're very busy renovating a house and have a baby as well so the less work, the better.

We also like to go away for a few nights every couple of months and we don't have anyone to mind them. Are geese able to mind themselves for a few days at a time? They'd have access to fresh water no problem.

I'm open to other suggestions if geese won't be easy enough. Thanks!

Your forestry company has a obligation to you to maintain the plantation in good condition and growing successfully for 4 years and to be paid the 25% of grant aid remaining,after that its up to you

enricoh

I Know a lad with a few acres of Xmas trees , he had geese in for weed control but had to shift them out as they were whipping out the trees as well.

Markcheese

Would think geese would nibble the tips of the trees if they could reach. !! , you'd need to put them in a shed in the evenings, but once they got used to that it shouldn't be too hard....
Usually you'd use too long canes or bamboos to drive them / move them.. (with your arms spread wide) but that'd be no good in forestry..
You could probably keep them in check with electric poultry netting when they're young... Keeps the fox out too... If it'd work it' d be a great idea...

waterfaerie

It looks like I'll have to rethink it. Between protecting the trees and protecting the geese from the foxes it sounds like more work than we're able to take on at the moment. It wouldn't be just at night I'd be worried. There's a fox I see around regularly during the day.

Fepper, you're right, the forester does have a responsibility to manage it properly but the fact is that they're not doing it. I don't know how to enforce it. We've had other problems with them, too. I've tried everything to get them to do things properly but it's been constant fobbing off. I don't know how they're in business to be honest because I've never seen such incompetence. Maybe they take their bigger jobs more seriously and just don't care about us because our site is so small from their perspective. If anyone has any advice about how to force them to do their job, I'd be grateful!

In the meantime, we need to do something ourselves because it's getting out of hand. A strimmer sounds like a crazy amount of work for that area and number of trees. Also, the trees are very close together so strimming would be difficult without damaging them. Is it wishful thinking that a low maintenance, chemical free solution exists?

Westernrock

Shropshire sheep are a good option for Christmas trees but I think it’s harder to manage them with young native trees, once the trees are mature they might be useful.

49801

U sure u need the further weed control?
Just cuz there is a lot of grass does not mean there is a problem. Young forestry can look a bit wild in first years I understand so it won’t look groomed

wrangler

waterfaerie wrote: »

It looks like I'll have to rethink it. Between protecting the trees and protecting the geese from the foxes it sounds like more work than we're able to take on at the moment. It wouldn't be just at night I'd be worried. There's a fox I see around regularly during the day.

Fepper, you're right, the forester does have a responsibility to manage it properly but the fact is that they're not doing it. I don't know how to enforce it. We've had other problems with them, too. I've tried everything to get them to do things properly but it's been constant fobbing off. I don't know how they're in business to be honest because I've never seen such incompetence. Maybe they take their bigger jobs more seriously and just don't care about us because our site is so small from their perspective. If anyone has any advice about how to force them to do their job, I'd be grateful!

In the meantime, we need to do something ourselves because it's getting out of hand. A strimmer sounds like a crazy amount of work for that area and number of trees. Also, the trees are very close together so strimming would be difficult without damaging them. Is it wishful thinking that a low maintenance, chemical free solution exists?

I've seen forestry workers using chemicals, weedkilleris the best as the resulting mat of dead vegetation will inhibit more weeds from growing for the rest of the year.
I don't know anything about forestry but I've sown a lot of hedging and roundup was a great product to keep the base clean in the early years until the whitethorns got established.
If the weeds are let kill the trees it won't able much good to any wildlife

august12

waterfaerie wrote:

Fepper, you're right, the forester does have a responsibility to manage it properly but the fact is that they're not doing it. I don't know how to enforce it. We've had other problems with them, too. I've tried everything to get them to do things properly but it's been constant fobbing off. I don't know how they're in business to be honest because I've never seen such incompetence. Maybe they take their bigger jobs more seriously and just don't care about us because our site is so small from their perspective. If anyone has any advice about how to force them to do their job, I'd be grateful!

Is the forestry company getting paid for maintaining this?, Are they due the grant after five years, if so, let them know you will not be authorising payment for this, they may not be too bothered if it's a small sum, we bought a forest which was very badly maintained by the forestry company, contacted the forestry department and requested an inspection, a letter listing all the problems was issued and the forestry company had to correct, we were also in contact with the forestry company to inform them we would not be authorising the five year maintenance grant unless they rectified, in our case, this grant was a sizeable amount, enough to warrant they replace all damaged trees and tube a significant number.

waterfaerie

The company were paid the initial instalment and they're supposed to get another one in 4 years. I think I signed something to authorise that already but there will surely be a way to stop them getting paid if they don't do the work.

Thanks for all of the replies everyone. I think I just need to get the forestry inspector involved and go from there. I'll get onto the department tomorrow.

fepper

waterfaerie wrote: »

The company were paid the initial instalment and they're supposed to get another one in 4 years. I think I signed something to authorise that already but there will surely be a way to stop them getting paid if they don't do the work.

Thanks for all of the replies everyone. I think I just need to get the forestry inspector involved and go from there. I'll get onto the department tomorrow.

The forest companies and the forest service lie in the same bed so don't expect any of the two to rock the boat for you,from once they have your land tied up in forestry forever,thats their job done

august12

We hounded the forest Dept. to inspect but then again we had just bought the forestry and refused to sign the change of ownership. This porbably was the reason they inspected and the fact the forestry company were owed their balance payment, just to confirm, we had to sign approval to release the second grant payment to the company, but maybe that happened as we were not the original applicants when first grant was paid out.

corco2000

Unfortunately chemicals is the quickest most economical solution. You'd spray whole lot in a day or two. Done.
If you balance out what you are doing for environment overall spraying a small circle around each sounds ok.
Versus responsibility of livestock.
Have you shaped your trees yet. This is also part of 2nd grant.
I'm in my 4th year of native woodland.

fergus1001

tell them you won't sign the form 3 when it comes around unless the work is done