[Lapg] Lapg Digest, Vol 47, Issue 8

[ROBERT HARTMAN]

Hmmm ...
 
Well, I'm of two minds about this: 1) There are only so many hours in a day. If I can clear an area without breaking the backs of my team and we can focus on planting and mulching, a one-time-only use of a rapidly degrading chemical herbicide can be a responsible way to go--especially if there has been previous human disturbance. I might not want to mess with an area that is still pristine of chemicals though. 2) Chemical intervention goes against my nature and preferences and I just don't want to do it, period. If someone is going to grow food crops on the land, there's no way I'd use chemicals--extra work or not.
 
I guess I'd probably go along with what the team wants if food production wasn't involved, but that's just me.
 
It is really too bad that the invasives we spread tend to be useless, or are they? For example, all this mustard that is so wonderfully in bloom right now. Yep, it's sure spicy and harsh, but I do believe it's edible--if not very palatable.
 
Hey, has anyone tried key-line plowing to see if it changes the plant-succession mix in a restoration project?
 
On another note, I'm getting more and more impatient with ornamental plantings that don't produce anything useful. Yes, some things are beautiful, but a lot of landscape plants are really just placeholders. Every useless little shrub in this entire region could be a coppiced citrus or avocado. Can you imagine how nice it would be to have little mandarins available for the taking, or lemons, or key limes? Not to mention avos! We could be growing agaves, aloes, bamboos (clumpers to play it safe), bananas, carob, curry trees, and so on, right on up the alphabet!
 
Well, OK. So there I go again! Anway, you get the idea.All the best, Robert rhartman2003 at msn.com --- Managers trust systems. Leaders trust people.
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