This is probably actually a joint effort at play between plants, soil microbes, and insect life as fungi moves in and nature changes the dynamics of the plant community away from the original pioneers that grew in the bacterially dominated soil. The tables have turned now and set things in favor of other plant species. While there may be a few stray sicklepods survive in this area I disturbed last year…..I believe the other plants will out compete most of it. Notice in the one pic above that none of the other plants have insect damage……I think they are targeting the weak……The sicklepod is probably sending out some kind of chemical signal that it is stressed while the other plants are healthy and vibrant. I’m guessing that as sicklepod plants weaken then they will be eaten and taken out of the plant community or just get outcompeted for resources (sun, water, nutrients).

Started my latest round of setting back old growth.......already found 3 nuttal oaks and a county champion beautyberry bush........ .........The majority of it was blackberry which had grown too large to really be useful so I turned it into mulch. Now a new flush of young growth will come up after it recovers........

Next spot.............

Even though what I am doing is small scale experiments……that is how almost any experimenting is done……These ideas and concepts can easily be scaled up.



This is the only spot that has been mowed twice……I did it to see what effect it would have on the species composition.

Diverse biomass..........

More like biohazard

Looks like you started to bushhog and your tractor broke down........ Twice

Blackberry makes for some of the richest soil of anything I've seen.

Getting some of my fall plots "carved out" in the process of managing summer veg....... Got to leave some of it for structure......The great thing too is that I'm in no hurry about it. The best thing I could do would be a little today.......a little more in a few days to a week, and so on.....

I’ve never seen a good crop made in a blackberry patch. 🤦🏿

I guess that just depends on what you consider a "crop".......I'm not a farmer and constrained by what I can consider to be a "crop".......Blackberry, beautyberry, and pokeweed are my summer cover "crop" in this little field and they're accomplishing their role outstandingly.

Nice sweetgums.

Quick Question though -

When you say "scale up".... do you mean like this:

Yeah, that'll work.......

Here you go Goatkilluh……..Name that tree on the left (any of the smaller trees)



If you're allergic to poison oak you might not even want to look at this pic........

Other side of the field......

Got several of these guys flying around.....

So earlier in the thread I mentioned about putting a canopy of vegetation over surface biomass…..and it being one of the major factors in efficient decomposition……Choose whatever plant community you want to use but the concept is the same. My #1 goal is to have the best fall/winter plots around……Everything being done now is just “prepping” for them. These plants are starting to “prep” my soil surface for seed in about 3 months by turning the straw into a nice soft fluff for my seed to land in. Again, use and plant what you want to but don’t lose sight of the concepts.

I would think that a baby quail or turkey would like this type of structure…….