4 ms·

Or not weed at all and change how we think gardens should be planted in the first place. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/No-till_farming https://en.wikipedia.org

Or not weed at all and change how we think gardens should be planted in the first place. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/No-till_farming https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/No-till_farming https://www.permaculture.co.uk/articles/permaculture-gardening-creating-our-own-eco-systems https://www.permaculture.co.uk/articles/permaculture-gardeni... The robot seems practical enough though. At least it has solar panels built in!

andbberger 7y ago
Thanks for this saying this. It's time to move beyond Haber-Bosch. It's been a tremendous force for good, but in the quote un quote developed world it is time employ farming practices that don't definitionally exceed the carrying capacity of the land.
icebraining 7y ago
Cutting the weeds doesn't seem anything like tilling; in fact, cutting them and leaving the rest there as mulch seems fairly close to no-till.
- 24gttghh 7y ago
  The little robot still drives around and compacts the soil a little. I'm not saying it's not progress, but is it actually necessary?
grawprog 7y ago
Many weeds are invasive species that are damaging to local ecosystems if they spread. https://www.invasive.org/weeds.cfm https://www.invasive.org/weeds.cfm
- jefflombardjr 7y ago
  Many invasive species thrive because we've disrupted the local ecosystem. The invasives are often a symptom, not the cause of ecosystem damage. This book does a great job examining invasives and their supposed effects on ecosystems: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/25782048-beyond-the-war-on-invasive-species https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/25782048-beyond-the-war-...
  - grawprog 7y ago
    It's true. But once they've established themselves they're a pain to get out. I've been on a bunch of ivy pulls, done a bunch of blackberry and japanese knotweed removal. Once they're in, they're incredibly hard to remove and outcompete everything else. Blackberries do not replace salmon berries and huckleberries as cover for birds, nothing uses japanese knotweed and ivy pulls trees down.
    - staticautomatic 7y ago
      I recall reading some years ago the NC State horticulture school had determined that the only two effective methods for eliminating kudzu were agent orange and goats.
      - grawprog 7y ago
        I could see that. Goats'll eat anything and they dig out the roots.
    - 24gttghh 7y ago
      Sure, nothing against trying to fight invasive species. But with certain techniques, plants grown in a cooperative state will work together to out-compete the unwanted weeds in the first place. What I am talking about is preventative action.

andbberger 7y ago

Thanks for this saying this. It's time to move beyond Haber-Bosch. It's been a tremendous force for good, but in the quote un quote developed world it is time employ farming practices that don't definitionally exceed the carrying capacity of the land.

icebraining 7y ago

Cutting the weeds doesn't seem anything like tilling; in fact, cutting them and leaving the rest there as mulch seems fairly close to no-till.

24gttghh 7y ago
The little robot still drives around and compacts the soil a little. I'm not saying it's not progress, but is it actually necessary?

grawprog 7y ago

Many weeds are invasive species that are damaging to local ecosystems if they spread. https://www.invasive.org/weeds.cfm https://www.invasive.org/weeds.cfm

jefflombardjr 7y ago
Many invasive species thrive because we've disrupted the local ecosystem. The invasives are often a symptom, not the cause of ecosystem damage. This book does a great job examining invasives and their supposed effects on ecosystems: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/25782048-beyond-the-war-on-invasive-species https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/25782048-beyond-the-war-...
- grawprog 7y ago
  It's true. But once they've established themselves they're a pain to get out. I've been on a bunch of ivy pulls, done a bunch of blackberry and japanese knotweed removal. Once they're in, they're incredibly hard to remove and outcompete everything else. Blackberries do not replace salmon berries and huckleberries as cover for birds, nothing uses japanese knotweed and ivy pulls trees down.
  - staticautomatic 7y ago
    I recall reading some years ago the NC State horticulture school had determined that the only two effective methods for eliminating kudzu were agent orange and goats.
    - grawprog 7y ago
      I could see that. Goats'll eat anything and they dig out the roots.
  - 24gttghh 7y ago
    Sure, nothing against trying to fight invasive species. But with certain techniques, plants grown in a cooperative state will work together to out-compete the unwanted weeds in the first place. What I am talking about is preventative action.