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Property owner bewildered by acre-wide nightmare found on land: 'How do I get rid of this?'

"You can't mow plastic away."

"You can't mow plastic away."

Photo Credit: Reddit

This farmer has a lot of work to do.

This Redditor took to r/farming after discovering an acre of their new land was riddled with a ton of garbage. 

"You can't mow plastic away."
Photo Credit: Reddit
"You can't mow plastic away."
Photo Credit: Reddit

"1 of my 50 acres is covered by plastic trash with plants growing through and around it. … Throughout the rest of the acre, there is trash scattered about, with growth all around it and through it. … How do I get rid of this? I'm trying to make it pasture," they asked.

The pictures show tons of pot-bound trees, pots, and tires littered about and a shed flowing with various garbage.

The Redditor plans to turn the land into pasture — native grasses like clover and fescue would be good grazing options.

For the farmer, there are tons of benefits to planting native grasses, flowers, and plants. According to Hamilton Native Outpost, "diverse native grasslands can produce twice as much forage. … It can also offer high-quality forage that is free of toxic endophytes, put good gains on grazing animals, and offer flexibility in grazing dates."

Introducing native plants will also bring in beneficial pollinators and promote healthy soil. 

It's not just for farmers — you can enjoy the same benefits in your own yard. Native plant lawns and gardens will save you time and money on maintenance like mowing, watering, and fertilizing. Your lawn will look stunning, too.

Interested in incorporating native plants into your yard? Find out which plants will thrive in your area by searching the National Wildlife Federation's native plant finder and exploring our guide to rewilding your yard.

Fellow farmers gave some interesting advice in the comments.

"Rent or buy goats to eat all the vegetation," one user suggested. "Do it in sections so that once they have a section cleared, you can come back and pick up all of the trash while they're cutting down the next section."

"Clean it up. Trash bags and pick it up. You can't mow plastic away. … Looks like you got a nice shed once it's cleaned out. And the soil under places that have all that brushy vegetation will be nice and fertile once you work the weeds out," another user said.

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