3 overgrowing acres- pigs? Goats? A mower?

poker--addict

3 acres near the house. Fencing (sheep wire) around 80% of it.

patches of briars and the odd infant tree appearing.

best way to keep order?

iniscealtra

Easiest option is to plant native trees if you have no deer. In ten years you’ll have a lovely woodland.

if you want meat - pigs or a few sheep. Pigs will dig up. Sheep will graze it like a lawn. Goats will eat everything too.

sydthebeat

What would eat back brambles?

iniscealtra

Goats eat briars

poker--addict

Are donkeys loud?

Day Lewin

Donkeys are loud, but lovable.

poker--addict

Field next to house, might drive herself bonkers if it's screaming in the window at 6am 😂

magicbastarder

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120513759#Comment_120513759

why plant? seems the trees are already arriving.

iniscealtra

It’ll get you a few years ahead. The trees will come if it’s not grazed. Also depends it you want certain species introduced. We planted two woodlands. There was no oak or hazel here. Now we have a 10 year old birch and oak wood and a hazel copse. Loads of mountain ash, ash, holly, white thorn, birch and sally. They all self planted but apart from the sally are well behind what we planted in size. Also introduced alder and a few Scot’s pine. There are big now too but not in a wood. We have aspen too which is nice. That spreads by suckers and was well established when we got here.

magicbastarder

if that's the way the OP wants to go - a woodland - i'd suggest start walking around the local area and collecting seed. you'll be getting trees suitable for the ground in question, locally provenanced. probably likely to do better in those conditions.

iniscealtra

That’s your best bet or if you know someone growing from local seed. ☺️ We were lucky to get those oaks as a present from a friend.

what_traffic

Donkeys are a good option, father has two of them on about 3 acres around house for 10years now, they are low maintenance; they are only noisy when seeing him approach with the bucket of feed nuts/barley but maybe they were noiser the first year or two when they were youngsters.

If I was in your position - would add that 20% of fencing, keep out grazers and let it become a woodland naturally without planting or else very minimal strategic tree planting.

JayBee66

My latest pet theory (so it's wrong) is that to get any work out of the English we had to be well-dressed, clean shaven and be able to mow their lawns from dawn until dusk.

100 years later, and the countryside is still littered with well-dressed, clean-shaven men, who can't leave nature do its own thing.

I've dug up all our grass. It's now about 80% wild flowers and a few trees. The rest is for vegetables. The neighbours think I'm mad. Maybe but I don't chase my own tail, sitting on a lawn tractor, all day, every day.