Since our brush cutter broke, I’ve just been doing all the trimming by hand. So I can’t get it as short, or do it as often, and some other grass is up over a foot.
I have a lot of insect/fungus pressures, and recently discovered the place is riddled with my moles.
Did these things drastically reduce if you can regularly cut the grass right to the ground?
Since looks are not a concern, I’m wondering if it’s worth the expense and work of keeping the grass really short.
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Unlike many I consider moles a very good thing. They eat Japanese beetle larvae and others. They loosen the soil and more water can reach plants. The higher the grass the more disease, pests eg.voles etc. , and insects you get. Tall grass gives varmints a place to hide. My grass gets tall at times and thats been my experience.
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I have never considered the values of moles in an orchard but it seems logical to me. They just do what worms do but on a bigger scale. I don’t have them at my orchard but my daughter in Georgia has them in the yard and the are tough on a lawn. I think if my orchard wasn’t so near my yard I would like having them.
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If I didn’t have any plants in the orchard I would like the moles too. The ground feels like I’m walking on a sponge mattress, which is a nice change in some of the harder packed areas. There’s an incredible amount of grubs in the ground as well, so I imagine they’re having a field day, literally. However, I’ve noticing some mysterious stunting on some of my trees, and they often dig a hole directly next to the trunk, and I can see where they’ve chewed through a lot of the roots to do that, let alone all the chewing I can’t see underground.
Having said that, insects are hands-down the biggest problem for me, so if I could reduce them by ground-cutting the grass, it’s maybe worth the investment.
Glysophate would be a lot easier and cheaper, but I’m still uneasy about dumping that much all over the orchard. I really don’t know if that’s an unfounded superstition, or a healthy skepticism.
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They are eating the roots of your trees.
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Yup…no problem with moles either…other then they make mowing a pita… if they are eating grubs, etc…go right for it. Voles=bad. They like long grass. I try to keep my lawn short at all times and try to keep it open as much as possible…give them less places to hide.
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Many people forget or are unaware that roundup was first used as a wipe on a rope wick applicator. I don’t remember it even being on the label anymore. There is a tool called a red weeder to wipe on roundup and you use very little produce w/o ant spray drift.
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Thanks. I’m just debating about using ground covers or investing in an expensive grass cutter.
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I know the taller grass around the garden, the more grasshoppers and things that show up in the garden itself. I think otherwise cowbirds lay waste to them in short lawns at least our short lawn… less cover for them to hide in
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Most of my orchards are former brome fields and have high populations of voles and rabbits. Mowing every week or two keeps their populations in check. It is most useful in the fall preventing grass from going to seed thus limiting their food supply and cover.
Roundup alone only allows nasty resistant weeds a foothold. A regular spraying program rotating different pre and post emergents must be incorporated if you want bare ground under trees and have an significant annual rainfall. I have limited time and tolerate some grass under the trees, I try to spread wood chips in the off season.
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Moles are insectivores and do not eat roots.
Voles do eat tree roots when other food is not available.
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It makes the grass angry.
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Hello 39th,
Do you (or anyone else) have any suggestions for a pre-emergent?
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I have been using Prowl H2O. Pre-emergent suggestions? A couple well timed applications at the highest application rate every year helps a lot. I still have to manually remove a few weeds.
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You are so right! I have voles not moles.
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Yes they are but I lost 2 apple trees that had mole runs going right under. They did not eat the roots but they sure removed them to make the run.
Normally I wouldn’t have a problem with moles when they do not harm the trees. It is not so much the moles, as the dog that digs a hole you could bury a small car in trying to get to the mole.
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When I started fruits and veggies years ago, Treflan (Preen), Amiben (almost gone now) and Surflan all had extensive labels. Treflan, Prowl, and Surflan, are all related chemistry and still available. If you can find old labels, you can still use them. Amiben has been of the market for 40+ yrs now but has an amazing F&V over the top label. I have about 20# left and hoard it like an old miser. Works for about a month on tomato and pepper transplants.
Roundup resistance is made worse by farmers using half rates of product and filling it out with AMS to save a little money. It would kill the most susceptible weeds and leave the resistant weeds, damaged, but still reproducing, soon to produce resistant, full sized, undamaged weeds which we selected for. Beekeepers did the same with Varroa mites by not following application instructions and selecting the mites for resistance to certain chemicals
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I’m not sure what insects are deterred from keeping the grass cut other than ticks which like to crawl up taller sections and then attach to your leg as you brush up against them.
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Grasshoppers hate mowed grass because the birds can get them easier.
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Thanks guys, a lot of good comments here.
That’s especially interesting about the round up resistant weeds, I didn’t know such a thing happened.
I just ordered a half decent cordless brush cutter, and I’ll buy an aftermarket weedeater attachment. I believe I can drop it on the ground and run it along the dirt that way, getting a clean shave without dangerously hitting the chipsaw on rocks. Hopefully it works out well.
Do you guys rake up all of the cut grass to get rid of more pests? I imagine they could hide under it. I suppose the grass clippings could be used as mulch around the trees?
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