Post your Branson at work. Picture thread

[LS Tractor Owner]

Too late!

I'd not heard that about the smoke nor did it occur to me that might be the case. The hedge has really taken off just in the last week and adds so much to the landscape that I'm good with the possible tradeoff.

Eric, I drove up to Mount Umunhum this spring and saw tons of this beautiful yellow shrub everywhere. I later identified it as Spanish Broom. Though invasive (and really that's an interesting discussion when you think of honey bees and the thousands of other non-native species in North America), it's drought tolerant and quite lovely. It also has a lovely scent.

Are you familiar with the Spanish Broom and do you have any thoughts on it? I'm thinking of planting some of that around the property here.

I had 3 spanish brooms at our old property and 2 at our new property. They were at the older property for 15 years and NEVER saw one spread anywhere but where they were planted. The 2 at the new house have doubled if not tripled in size in the last 2 years, but have not spread.

They have the most sweetest fragrance from any flower I have ever smelled! We were just thinking of getting a few more!

Here's a pic of the 2 now in bloom:

These will come out of the containers and get planted this fall.

 

[ning]

I had 3 spanish brooms at our old property and 2 at our new property. They were at the older property for 15 years and NEVER saw one spread anywhere but where they were planted. The 2 at the new house have doubled if not tripled in size in the last 2 years, but have not spread.

They have the most sweetest fragrance from any flower I have ever smelled! We were just thinking of getting a few more!

Here's a pic of the 2 now in bloom:View attachment 750704

These will come out of the containers and get planted this fall.

Could be a regional environment thing; not all invasives are invasive everywhere (I'd think kudzu wouldn't get very far in NM either!).

In the CA Sierra foothills, brooms are definitely considered invasive and they do live up to that reputation (and don't go thinking that mowing them is enough to eliminate them!)

 

[ericm979]

I talked about this today with my wife the expert gardener. We do have a little Spanish broom. At least on our property, Spanish broom is not as aggressively reproductive as French broom. It might not be too bad but I still wouldn't plant it myself. Having dealt with so much as brush I'm kinda prejudiced against it.

Mowing broom can keep it from seeding or at least make the seed load smaller but yep, it does not kill it. Spraying and pulling are the guaranteed ways to kill it. There's a couple companies that make tools for pulling broom.

 

[ning]

I talked about this today with my wife the expert gardener. We do have a little Spanish broom. At least on our property, Spanish broom is not as aggressively reproductive as French broom. It might not be too bad but I still wouldn't plant it myself. Having dealt with so much as brush I'm kinda prejudiced against it.

Mowing broom can keep it from seeding or at least make the seed load smaller but yep, it does not kill it. Spraying and pulling are the guaranteed ways to kill it. There's a couple companies that make tools for pulling broom.

I've used the root jack and I've got to say, I prefer chancing my back pulling manually over hefting that thing very far except for really thick broom - and then my tractor + a chain wrapped around it is better, unless it's inaccessible to the tractor.

Then again, I rarely face heavy brooms because we've been clearing it in the spring for the last 20 years; I guess if you have a virgin plot full of older broom you'd probably do well with the root jack because you don't have to move it far to get to the next plant.

(I've found if you have a tough pull, squat down and wrap the plant around your waist or thigh and then stand up for a low-strain pull.)

Broom pulls quite easily when the ground is moist is the saving grace.

 

[Deezil]

Bringing tables to the neighbors

 

[Branson Bob]

Too late!

I'd not heard that about the smoke nor did it occur to me that might be the case. The Oleander has really taken off just in the last week and adds so much to the landscape that I'm good with the possible tradeoff.

Eric, I drove up to Mount Umunhum this spring and saw tons of this beautiful yellow shrub everywhere. I later identified it as Spanish Broom. Though invasive (and really that's an interesting discussion when you think of honey bees and the thousands of other non-native species in North America), it's drought tolerant and quite lovely. It also has a lovely scent.

Are you familiar with the Spanish Broom and do you have any thoughts on it? I'm thinking of planting some of that around the property here.

We have its relatives, Scotch and French broom. Both are hugely invasive and a big problem. One plant can produce thousands of seeds. Left alone for a few years it'll make a thicket that's 10' high and totally impassible. A lot of the brush I have been cutting and chipping is broom.

Places I have cleared of broom or had a broom plant seed out anywhere near by (the pods shoot the seeds quite a ways) have to be patrolled and all the seedlings pulled up for a number of years. I wouldn't plant it. Maybe the planted cultivars are less aggressive but I would not bet on it.

A native plant that I encourage on my land is sticky monkeyflower.

It's not as aggressive as broom and probably a bit harder to grow but it's got pretty flowers. You can see many small stands of it on the roadsides of highway 17.

I'd stay away from brooms.

Like @ericm979 I pull broom whenever I see it, but unfortunately my neighbors all have heavy coverings of it.

Not only is it invasive, though - it's really flammable, even green. Would not advise.

Re oleander - I pity any fire crews that come to help with a future fire on your property. I tore out what was here when we moved here.View attachment 750692

I had 3 spanish brooms at our old property and 2 at our new property. They were at the older property for 15 years and NEVER saw one spread anywhere but where they were planted. The 2 at the new house have doubled if not tripled in size in the last 2 years, but have not spread.

They have the most sweetest fragrance from any flower I have ever smelled! We were just thinking of getting a few more!

Here's a pic of the 2 now in bloom:View attachment 750704

These will come out of the containers and get planted this fall.

Could be a regional environment thing; not all invasives are invasive everywhere (I'd think kudzu wouldn't get very far in NM either!).

In the CA Sierra foothills, brooms are definitely considered invasive and they do live up to that reputation (and don't go thinking that mowing them is enough to eliminate them!)

I talked about this today with my wife the expert gardener. We do have a little Spanish broom. At least on our property, Spanish broom is not as aggressively reproductive as French broom. It might not be too bad but I still wouldn't plant it myself. Having dealt with so much as brush I'm kinda prejudiced against it.

Mowing broom can keep it from seeding or at least make the seed load smaller but yep, it does not kill it. Spraying and pulling are the guaranteed ways to kill it. There's a couple companies that make tools for pulling broom.

Thanks for all the feedback guys. It's much appreciated.

 

[Hendey T&G]

Using my new to me 4720 and backhoe for the first time digging out a stump. I'm going to build a tractor/wood shed. The hoe is an Amerequip.
I did have to cheat and put my beater chain and bar on my chain saw and cut some roots.

 

[LS Tractor Owner]

Using my new to me 4720 and backhoe for the first time digging out a stump. I'm going to build a tractor/wood shed. The hoe is an Amerequip.
I did have to cheat and put my beater chain and bar on my chain saw and cut some roots.


View attachment 751143View attachment 751145View attachment 751144

Looks like you're gettin 'er done! Beats a shovel and pick for sure!

 

[Number15]

Still chipping. Hours and hours of chipping Hours and hours to go

 

[Slowpoke Slim]

Still chipping. Hours and hours of chipping Hours and hours to go

View attachment 751163

Wish you were closer. I just cut off a bunch of low hanging branches from my tree row so I can mow. I could use a chipper for a weekend.