Best way to 'de-grass' in prep for trees..?

[KristyMum]

Looking to hear what other people have done please

Am looking to put in some fruit trees, but first want to clear the whole area (ie don't want to grow trees within the grass area) of greass first - was thinking of a dingo or similar, and of course there's the 'dig it out manually' but was wondering if there's another way, to get the lot roots and all, or at least make it harder for it to grow back and of course, minus the nasty stuff...
have a little bit of time as I prob won't put the fruit trees in until the weather cools and rain increases, so they have a better 'establishment' time...
anyhoo, thought I'd ask - quite a variety of knowledge in here

Thanks heaps
Kristy

[Ali]

ERm You got lots of time *grin* shouldn't really put fruit trees in until winter - just before they come out of dormancy. Buy them bare-rooted from a good nursery, don't get them from bunnings.
Best way to de-grass and get the soil turned over - fence you area and let a half a dozen chooks in there.
They will get all the grass out over a period of a month or so, and will turn whatever's left into lovely fertiliser.
Then, where each of your trees are going to be planted, make a mound of horse poo and let it sit there. The chickens will scratch it up a bit but that's ok.
The horse poo will attract loads of worms and other beneficial things in those spots and will pull the nutrients down into the soil where the trees will be going.

Digging out some types of grasses only makes it worse - things like couch and kikuyu can re-shoot from the tiniest little piece.

If you don't want to go down the chook option the other way is to solarise the grass - but use BLACK plastic not clear. Lay a sheet of black plastic covering the entire area, weight it down with heavy rocks etc, and then go around all the edges with a sharp spade and cut through all the grass roots - like, push the spade down to halfway or more - sever all the roots, then the grass under the plastic can't feed from the grass NOT under it - and the black prevents the grass from photosynthesising so it will die. Takes a good few months.

HTH
Ali

[Toria]

Originally Posted by Ali

ERm You got lots of time *grin* shouldn't really put fruit trees in until winter - just before they come out of dormancy. Buy them bare-rooted from a good nurseray, don't get them from bunnings.
Ali

These days they say to plant fruit trees whenever you feel like it, it's only the bare rooted ones you have to wait for winter for (read it on the Gardening Australia website just this weekend when researching what plum trees I should buy). And backing this up with our experience over the last few years, out of 8 fruit trees planted, only one was a bare root tree planted in winter and it's the only one that died! All the others got planted when we acquired them as leafy trees in pots. Two of them were planted in the middle of summer 2005 (they were given to us for christmas) without a problem.

We've always just used a spade to remove the grass, there are probably much more efficient ways. Chooks will do it for you, but the chook method takes time.

Edit: forgot to say, I agree about buying from a good fruit tree nursery, apart from quality issues, they will have a much better range to choose from. And the staff should be more knowledgable.

[KristyMum]

ok cool thankyou both

yes I do have time on my side anyway, coz I want to wait until it's cooler/poss rain anyway so it's easier on them and me and water.
Can't do chooks much as I would love to coz it's out the front
plus we live across from a HUGE park and it would be like a lollipop shop to all the dogs that go for walks there but it IS a great idea...

My next thought was I can get rid of the grass ok, but it's stopping coming back that's hard bc the park across the road is cooch, next door, next door on the other side etc etc.
Funny how when ppl want to grow grass it gets bare patches and dies off lol

Thanks heaps!

[~*Bron*~]

chook tractor!

[KristyMum]

Can't do chooks much as I would love to coz it's out the front
plus we live across from a HUGE park and it would be like a lollipop shop to all the dogs that go for walks there but it IS a great idea...

[Emma]

we used a dingo (our mate has one, if you're looking for someone to come and do it, lmk) and are hoping that by putting a really really thick layer of mulch over the top it will discourage the regrowth. i'm expecting to be weeding a fair bit, but the boys were talking about spraying - they told me it was "just salt" but i told them i'd rather weed. but yeah, tis only new, so i shouldn't talk about 'what works' because it's too early to tell

i like ali's idea though!

[KristyMum]

so you've done it at your place Emma... mmm...
I'll no doubt have a stickey-nose next time I'm over
and thanks for the heads up re the dingo - I'll def note that one down.

I like the black plastic idea - although the [neighbour] down the road will have a pink fit no doubt bc she dobs in if anyone leaves anything on the verge so it might have to be dingo-style... but I will def keep in mind for out the back where she can't see and thanks for the detail Ali
(lol Emma for a minute I was thinking you meant dingo like the dog and I was wondering what that would do to the grass I know I know)

righto... got a few ideas in mind now, thankyou