I have a 5-hectare homestead in Argentina. The homestead doesn't have a perimeter fence, so I can't control the weeds with livestock (nor do I want to be tied down with having to take care of cattle), and due to natural succession, weeds quickly begin to form in spring, followed by saplings, and then small trees, which is undesirable because it becomes increasingly expensive to clear an area to prevent it from becoming a jungle. I've seen all kinds of solutions, such as a gas-powered weed whacker (I already have two, but it's a lot of effort), a zero-turn mower (too expensive), a tractor with hammer-type or machete-type brush cutter, an ATV with a pull-along mower, a wheel-mounted hammer or blade brush cutter... and finally, another idea is to plant corn or other annuals in big areas after weeding to combat the weeds by letting corn compete with them. I honestly like Mark Shepard's homestead system, but I don't have much energy. Perhaps I need testosterone injections, not ironically? What problems does TRT have? What general recommendations do you have? I love living in the countryside, but it's quickly becoming a jungle instead of a diverse prairie.
>>2844514How much did that cost? Is land cheap there?
>>2844514growing cover crops seems like an alright option imho, but the other option besides, cattle are chickensthey do a really good job of eating everything around, and you get "free" chicken & eggs as a resultand if you ever need to get rid of them, they're an easy profit
>>284451630k USD 10m from the town. Yes, for an US american its very cheapo here, look into provinces with lots of European immigrants like Misiones or Entre Rios.
>>2844517Do you mean chickens as in chicken tractors or like free range? Cuz I already have free range but they don't "mow" except maybe for tractors?
>>2844521chickens the animalhow many do you got? usually they eat anything sprouting up & scratch the ground all the time
>>2844522I have 20 free range that live near the house
>>2844527with that many, you'd probably have to keep them fenced in a circle, the move the fence around to slowly clear the area - not really optimalanother option, also using pumpkin as a cover crop, since it shades out everything
>>2844514What's your plan for the land? If this is supposed to be a homestead then shouldn't you be planting shit or otherwise making use of the land in a way that will stop weeds taking root?If you just want the land to look pretty then I guess you better plant some shit that'll outcompete the weeds. Plant some trees and ground cover you like, tend them carefully and watch them prosper.
>>2844528Add to that cowpeas and buckwheat>>28445145 hectares is a lot of land to manage by hand. I'd leave at least 3 to be some kind of forest (ideally grass -> trees in quick succession so vines and bramble doesn't get in the way). You could plant a few homestead-valuable trees and use clippers to remove competition/vines around them for a few years til they're self-sustainingNot sure about your exact climate, which matters a lot. If it's north Argentina you have a lot more possibilities but a lot more urgency since everything grows faster with more rain and sun.
