guildfordcycads

Hey Guys! I’m looking for someone to help me out with designing my backyard. I want to plant a bunch of native fruits and plants while still making my small (6,700 sq ft) backyard inviting for entertainment and guests. Do you guys know of anyone? I have practiced a bit with permaculture at my current home but I haven’t put in enough hours to achieve what I’m trying to at the new place. Please don’t bash me! Maybe this would be considered native edible landscaping? But I trust you guys over here.

Long time lurker, first time poster.

I was able to get a few plants of comfrey from one of my coworkers a few months ago, after hearing so many great things about that plant on this sub. I put them in the ground and they have been growing since. I want to be able to chop this for a variety of things (great mulch, fertilizer juice, etc.) , but I’m not sure when to do it. I have a bunch of pictures of my seven or eight plants at various stages here.

Would someone be willing to give me some advice about when to chop them, and how far down, so I can chop them properly without harming them? Thank you!

Pardon the weeds, it’s been almost 100° most days lately, lol.

Hey there! I’m Liena, 27, artist, martial artist, and mom of two in my second year of land stewardship. I’m pretty open minded and laid back. I’m looking for motivation, and I’m really interested in finding a fellow permaculture practitioner who is also an artist to chat with and draw with over dms or to write back and forth with. I’d like to share permaculture related art, art references, and to nerd out about our gardens/homesteads! I love idea sharing and chatting about projects. You dont have to be good at art, I’m happy to share my knowledge if you’re looking to learn. Artwork of mine for tax.

I’m reaching out for help and advice regarding a concerning change in our pasture this summer. In past years, the field has supported healthy grass growth, but this year, nearly all of the grass appears to have died off and the ground is extremely dry and cracked, despite having a healthy amount of rain fall this year. In its place, we’ve seen a sudden and significant increase in weeds, including groundsel, sheep sorrel, hairy cat’s ear, and bracken fern. The grass appears to all be dead which is a first for us in the 5 years we’ve been living here. For more context we are about 15 miles inland from the central Oregon coast.

We don’t mow the field, but we have been manually cutting down the bracken fern every few weeks to try to keep it under control (started with weedwhacker now using scythe since it is so dry) We also don’t irrigate the pasture or use herbicides or pesticides. Nor is the field currently grazed by livestock, but many wild animals use it like deer, bears etc. the last time it was grazed was 2022 by 20 goats rotating through the pasture.

We’re trying to understand what might have caused such a dramatic shift in just a year’s time, particularly the loss of grass and the sudden dominance of these weed species. Any insight into possible causes (ex, soil issues ?) and suggestions for how to restore a healthier pasture would be greatly appreciated. I’ve attached a few before and after photos for reference.

Thanks for any ideas / suggestions for restoring this pasture! I’m super confused as to what happened that would cause all the grass to suddenly die. And where did the groundsel come from? Ps I tried contacting our local extension but have not heard back yet