I think I traumatized an impressionable young man.
We were cutting multiflora rose. Some of the colonies were probably a decade old.
Our plan was to use about 50' of 2", yellow tow-strap to lasso the top of the bush and have the young fellow pull it toward him. Then I would cut the base of the plant.
We opted for that division of labor because the young nipper outweighs me by about 100 pounds and can really lean into the tow strap.
I used a bill-hook and was whaling away at the stems. Fear not, the rose bushes were getting their revenge on my back-stroke. The backs of my hands were getting perforated.
Some of my readers may take a low-dose aspirin a day. Those of you who do, realize that when you get a hole poked in your skin you leak for a longer period of time before it stops of its own accord.
So, there I was, huffing-and-puffing like a steam engine. I was wearing my winter work-parka for protection and that was making me run-hot as we worked in the sun. We were making pretty good progress considering our 1880 technology when....the impressionable young fellow caught sight of my hands.
Game over! He was all done. "I ain't callin' yer wife and telling her that I killed ya"
I tried to tell him that teenage girls cry easy and old men have leaky skin but it was a hard no-go.
We will hit it again tomorrow. I plan to take loppers and a tree-trimmer on a pole. Maybe I can reach into the tangle and cut the canes. I CAN use herbicide and probably will to control resprouting.
This is one time when a tractor would be a Godsent. I heard that multiflora rose isn't too hard to yank-out using logging chain wrapped around the base of the colony.
You weren't wearing gloves?!? I bought some "florist's gloves" that look like lightweight welding gloves, with gauntlets that run up to my elbows. Makes it MUCH less bloody when I'm whacking things back, splitting wood, and doing other yard work.
ReplyDeleteYep, gloves!!!
ReplyDeleteI don't like to work with gloves, but sometimes you just do.
ReplyDeletePole saw chainsaw.
ReplyDeleteLazy, but mostly bloodless.
+1 on electric pole saw. They can reach in and safely cut where just reaching in will get you scratched. Where we live (south Texas), everything has spines or stickers in the rurals. An electric pole, a pitchfork for carrying branches away and you are good to go. Gloves - yes.
DeleteKnow anybody with a pair of Belgium draft horses. Just need that chain and geeup its done.
ReplyDeleteOle Grump
Dealing with the multiflora infestation back in the old days in Western Pennsylvania was a constant stuggle. Frequent brush-hogging took care of the open areas, but it was a painful/bloody struggle to clear fencelines. Neighboring farmers had goats that seemed to enjoy munching the invasive plants, but that approach had its own set of challenges. Regardless of the approach, it felt like we never got ahead, just stayed even if we worked at it.
ReplyDeleteI have had my B7800 for 1.5 years now. Bought with 140 hrs on it, has 340 now. Brother... you need a tractor.
ReplyDelete- it doubles as a snowplow in the winter!
- All the cool old guys in my neighborhood have one.
- PTO, PTO, PTO!!!!
The mountains here are infested with it, and native flora desimated because of it. I hate it.
ReplyDeleteMy Uncle and his son pulled out a fence post (NOT a corner post!) by lifting his pick-up rear wheels and wrapping one end of a tow strap around a wheel, the other end to the post base. He took up the slack, then very gently goosed the peddle. The post pulled out fine. He made no mention of how deep the hole was.
ReplyDeleteGiven that, a rose bush root clump I would guess would pull out just fine.
Just wondering if you have a weedwacker? A metal blade will 'chew' through most of it, or at least the smaller shoots, leaving you to pole-saw the larger to gain access to the base.
ReplyDeleteThe suggestions of gloves or pole saws and other accoutrements are ignoring the point.
ReplyDeleteA strapping buck nearly faints at the sight of blood letting work; I of mixed emotions am undecided whether to scornfully laugh or woefully bid farewell to manly manhood.
Anon
ReplyDeleteTell ya what. 'You' start working with an "older gentleman" who starts wearing red gloves and dripping all over the scenery and ... you're just gonna carry on regardless?
If you do, 'you' are the one lacking in manhood.
Old men might have "leaky skin" but old men have also been known to claim they're fine right up until the moment they keel over and kick the proverbial bucket. Acting like it ain't nothin shows 'you're' lack of judgement (although you don't seem to be lacking in how judgemental you are).