One homesteader on Reddit showed the internet their fast, eco-friendly way to clear out an overgrown garden.
"A few weeks ago I posted pictures of an overgrown garden I fenced in so the goats could clear it out," said the Redditor. "I had a few requests for before and after pictures. Here they are."
Their post on r/homestead included six pictures. In the "before" images, a thick blanket of weeds covers the ground, hiding the garden rows and even popping through landscape fabric meant to block plant growth. In one photo, the original poster has circled a large stand of bushes in the background.
In an "after" photo, it turns out that those bushes were actually a pair of chairs so overgrown with vines that they were completely hidden from view.
The "after" images also reveal bare ground that was hidden before, with every plant trimmed down to a few inches in height.
"So it's like starting with a piece of land in early spring so you don't get overwhelmed," said a commenter.
Goats are one of the best options for clearing away unwanted plants. The goats get fed, which is great for them and their owner. Meanwhile, they clear land thoroughly without disturbing the earth or contaminating the soil with chemicals. They don't even produce planet-warming exhaust fumes like a gas-powered lawn mower!
Goats can be used to clear away invasive species or even get rid of dangerous plants like thorns and poison ivy. It doesn't take any labor from the landowner, and the animals work shockingly fast, too.
"How many acres did you clear and how goats did you have there?" asked a commenter.
"I put up about 350 feet of temporary fence, so I'm guessing a little over 1/3 acre," replied the original poster. "It took six Nubian goats about 10 days to two weeks to do this. For the first few days we took them back to their regular pen at night. After we were comfortable that they weren't going to escape we just left them there and put a guardian dog (Great Pyrenees) in with them at night.
Join our free newsletter for easy tips to save more, waste less, and help yourself while helping the planet.
Cool Picks
