My very own swampland
September 24, 2009 7:00 AM   Subscribe

What do I do with the lower meadow that is currently overgrown with goldenrod?

This field is at the bottom of a hill and is relatively flat and fills with water in the spring. I would like to plant a large garden in this area and I've covered the golden rod with a blue tarp and plywood to try to kill and compost that veggie matter. I have enough fencing to cover a good size area and I'm looking for a crop to put in this coming spring. I think I can fence a 1000 sq ft. Grain? Potatoes? Something relatively simple please.

What would be a good crop here in Zone 5? How should I prepare the soil? Should I scrap that idea and get sheep instead? I have more time than money if that helps.
posted by mearls to Home & Garden (9 answers total) 1 user marked this as a favorite
 
It'd be helpful to know what it is about the goldenrod that you don't like--is it just aesthetics or because you want the land to be actually useful?
posted by A Terrible Llama at 7:04 AM on September 24, 2009


if it gets swampy, you probably don't want sheep, it is very likely they'd turn the wet ground into horrible mud and possibly get foot rot.

crazy idea that i have no idea if it's feasible: rice paddy?
posted by jrishel at 7:26 AM on September 24, 2009 [1 favorite]


Best answer: Not nearly enough information for useful answers here. What kind of garden? Vegetable? Flower? Both? One kind of plant, or lots of different things?

This sounds like a job for your local Extension office* (you're in the US, right?). A 1000 sq ft plot is large for a garden, but small for a field. You need to answer these questions (for yourself, if nothing else), which will affect what will grow:
  • What kind of soil is it (sand, clay, loam);
  • how much rain;
  • how fast does the ground dry out in the spring;
  • what kind of sun exposure does it get;
and these, which affect what you plant:
  • what's wrong with the goldenrod;
  • do you want to make money with the field, or just play with it?
and probably more that I haven't thought of.

Whatever you plant, you'll want to make sure that it's not invasive.

FWIW, I don't think that potates would work -- if it's underwater in the spring, you'll be planting late, and you'd have to find out if there are any short season potatoes that wil grow where you are (that's the kind of stuff you can find out from the extension office....)

[*Extension Offices are part of the charter for the Agricultural state universities -- Google "extension office <your state's name>" and you'll get information on how to contact the office in your state/county-- many of them have strong web presences. They will have a better handle on what will do well in your area (Z5 is pretty big, and there are a *LOT* of microclimates within it), and what kind of questions you need to ask yourself and others before you plant anything.]
posted by jlkr at 7:55 AM on September 24, 2009 [2 favorites]


Wildflowers and native grasses. Ask a local nursery what plants would be suitable. You could plant wildflower varieties that would bloom throughout the spring, summer, and fall. The grasses would help birds. The wildflowers would attract butterflies. And your meadow would be maintenance free as the idea of wildflowers and native grasses is, well, to be wild.
posted by Jenna Brown at 8:03 AM on September 24, 2009 [2 favorites]


It'd be helpful to know what it is about the goldenrod that you don't like--is it just aesthetics or because you want the land to be actually useful?

Allergies? That stuff is pure evil.
posted by The Light Fantastic at 8:12 AM on September 24, 2009 [1 favorite]


LightFantastic-- Goldenrod gets a bad rap for allergies because it's so obvious. Very few people are actually allergic to goldenrod, according to my dad's allergist. There are a couple of other plants that flower about the same time that *are* full of allergens (ragweed, for one), but they have little green flowers that don't stand out like goldenrod.
posted by jlkr at 8:28 AM on September 24, 2009 [1 favorite]


Best answer: If it develops a vernal pool every spring, there may be restrictions on what you can do with it, as vernal pools are habitat for many species, some endangered. Different areas handle this issue differently, and your local extension office will probably be able to help you figure out if there's anything you're not allowed to do (e.g., a garden might be fine, but use of certain pesticides or herbicides might not be).
posted by rtha at 9:04 AM on September 24, 2009


LightFantastic-- Goldenrod gets a bad rap for allergies because it's so obvious. Very few people are actually allergic to goldenrod, according to my dad's allergist. There are a couple of other plants that flower about the same time that *are* full of allergens (ragweed, for one), but they have little green flowers that don't stand out like goldenrod.

Good to know, but I am allergic to it (based on allergy test) - so I come by antipathy honestly.
posted by The Light Fantastic at 12:06 PM on September 24, 2009



Good to know, but I am allergic to it (based on allergy test) - so I come by antipathy honestly.


Contact allergy to the plant, or nasal allergy? They're different beasts. Goldenrod is pollinated by bees, and the pollen is sticky, and the amount of goldenrod pollen in the air is quite low -- it's too heavy to float.
posted by jlkr at 1:31 PM on September 24, 2009


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