Calling in the professionals

 I come from a long line of guys that call in professionals.  

 Part of that reason is my own lazy nature, part of that reason is that I would rather have it down right the first time.  Everyone has their own skills and abilities, so why not call in an expert to have it done right the first time?

In this case; why not seek advice in the battles against the invasives that have not only invaded my yard, but also a nearby piece of property that my neighbor simply refuses to take care of?  I find myself in a bind of my own design.

I let part of my property "go wild" in the first place because that area had a lot of exposed roots, stumps and rocks.  At the time, I was not expecting a bunch of invasives, of which Mulitfora Rosa is the worse of the bunch, to be a problem.  Yet, here we are.

I decided to let parts of my yard "go wild" back in July of 2021.  It has proven to be a mistake, and in order for me to ensure that the invasive plants stay "dead," that area will require constant mowing and maintenance; it will also require a replanting of native species.  I already have a few beneficial native plants growing in that area such as a Red Maple and Tulip tree.

Exactly where the Red Maple came from, I've not a clue as non of my neighbors have that particular tree nor have I seen it in the surrounding area, but, I will take it.  The Tulip tree I've seen on my property but this particular seedling is actually to close to the house and I'll have to replant to an area further away, Such as in the new "cleared" land.

I've considered renting goats, which would be a natural and preferred solution.   The goats eat the invasive's, as well as everything else, as well as provide fertilizer to the ground.  Leaving only rocks, sticks and some trunks.

Another option would be the rental of a "Brush Hog."  Generally speaking this is the cheaper solution but would require gas, much more effort on my part and the clearing of the ground physically once everything was "cut."

Basically I think I would need this type of machine for at least a week.  

My wife suggested cows, but after a bit of research they simply would not be as effective as goats, and sheep would basically produce the same results as cows.   The only other truly effective option would be chemical means however that would also mean more work on my part.  

Interestingly enough, I don't feel overwhelmed by this project, I feel reinvigorated.  I ended up taking a little more than a year off, because I had no choice in the matter,  Now...now I feel good and strong and happy about the future.  These are problems to solve, and solve them we will.  It's wonderful to see butterfly's, bees and lighting bugs in our yard.  It's nice to close my eyes and hear the birds sing.  

The only issue is that I've no clue where to rent goats or sheep.  A chance encounter lead to the opportunity to buy some Norwegian Dwarf goats, but again, I'm not interested in the raising of any type of livestock.  

So I started calling around, spoke to some neighbors and am right now waiting for them to get back to me with some better information.   What happens next?   Well that depends on the price.  

I'm hopefully going to have a much better idea by the end of the week as to what path I will end up taken.  So, as the old saying goes, stay tuned!

UPDATE:  I'm still trying to get at least two other quotes but the first one came from a company about an hour south of me, they quoted me that the project would take roughly 7 to 10 days (acceptable) and would run between $2200 to 2800 dollars.  I'll admit that is more than expected but transportation is high (I'm an hour north of Pittsburgh) and they would want to make daily health checks over the phone or in person, which is another cost that I didn't consider.

Luckily we are still waiting on two different quotes to determine what I am going to do.