Distance Learning Series: Clearing Mesquites Trees

These reasons why we grub mesquite trees.

[@johnkemp4370]

You are right that driving cattle brought it all North but, like a bison, a cow has multiple stomachs . A horse has one. Horses were reintroduced to North America by the Spaniards , first in Mexico. When a horse eats the beans, every bean survives when passing thru it’s system . It is almost impossible for them to survive thru a cow. That is why the Bison did not bring mesquites North for centuries until the Indians found horses with the Spaniards.

[@Davidalan9518]

I wish this were true. I’ve plucked freshly sprouted mesquite saplings straight from a dried pile of cow manure. We also have a field in our rotation that has mature mesquites producing beans that get passed on through cows to other fields without mature bean producing mesquites when cattle are rotated.

[@jannieanderson112]

Awesome video! Thank you for the info. God bless

[@sinfuldebauchery]

Some of the mesquite trees look healthy. I live near near kingsville and all the trees are sick. Wilting since middle of march.

[@denise2882]

Mesquite don’t use a lot of water. Mesquites are eatable, and all round good trees. This guy is full of it!!

[@robertvillarreal6150]

In Texas we have them all over and they don’t even need water to grow so I don’t see how they cut be water hocks, i can’t say the same thing for cedar, they do need allot of water

[@baddog9320]

Thats true about the cedar.
And mesquite are far from water stealers.
Hill country gets lots of water. 25 to 45 inches per year
Where I live only gets FOUR inches per year. And mesquite grows here.
I can't get any to grow over 4 foot tall.
But less then 2 miles away there are trees between 10 to 20 feet tall.
None are watered
And where the big ones grow. More grass grows.
So he has it backwards.
And in my property. The grass only grows where there are clusters of mesquite.
I say clusters because the grow over 10 feet wide of shoots off one main root.
And in the clusters us the only place grass grows.
Now is the creosote plants. No grass grows.
in the cacti a little grass grow.
He is also missing out on harvesting the mesquite pods and using as a feed.
Just one of those trees would give him 500 lbs of feed. If he harvested the seeds.

[@scoria1755]

Bad advice. Mesquite is better fodder for cattle than grass and greens are better food for humans than steak.

[@thebarredrock9012]

Great video! It is true that mesquites have invaded grasslands.

[@nokiot9]

Do you think the encroachment of these trees contributed to the dust bowl?

[@ThePmloc]

No

[@baddog9320]

No.
The mesquite has nothing to do with his problem..His problem is bad management of his cattle.
Mesquite is not stopping the grass growth.
Too many cattle on too little of land.
Add to this maybe using the wrong grass.
If he planted Teff grass. He would have no problems with grass.
But. if you are growing too many cattle now. Then changing grass is just a band-aid. And later he will be growing too many cattle again.
However. If he just changed to Teff grass.
cut his herd in half.
left the Mesquite.
rotated pastures so cattle where only in a pastures less then one month twice a year.
Things would greatly improve.

[@nokiot9]

@@baddog9320 his cows were alive in 1920? 🤯

[@CrossTimbersSon]

A great book to read about the causes of the dust bowl is “The worst hard time” by Timothy Egan

[@MagaRickn]

Lots of 'arm chair ranchers " commenting. ;) Wonder how many of them actually own land and cattle??

[@nursenic03]

Anyone have an idea of what this would cost per acre?

[@nxfedlt1]

2-5k

[@baddog9320]

Lol. You are complaining about mesquite trees.
While I want them to grow but can't get them past 4 foot tall.
You claim the grass isn't growing because of the mesquite trees.
While I don't have grass because there isn't any trees.
Oh and because cattle have over grazed the area.
Its funny that for years the ground was bare.
Now 3 years after cattle stopped being grazed. Grass is starting to grow.
Yet the mesquite hasn't changed.
They haven't got bigger.
I believe you are mistaken about mesquite stealing the water.
The real problem is cattle management.
Put way too many cattle on the land and you lose your grass.
However. Too little can do this also.
livestock should never spend years in the same pastures.
I'm smack in the middle of a 7500 acre pasture. Which for years was over grazed.
If mesquite really was a problem for you.
Then you need to remove all the trees.
And then brush hog a couple times a year.
You are in the hill country. So you get plenty of water.
Now if you really want to improve. Sink some wells. Afterall water is less then 100 foot down there. And water your pastures.
100 foot or less is nothing. I have to drill 1500 foot just for bad water.
I always find it very funny that hill country complains of water.
And worse is swampy pinecone country complaining of water.
Until your average precipitation is 4 inches or less. You have lots of water.
And hill country get between five to ten times that.

[@lustysteve1420]

If u have to drill 1500 ft to get to water u ain’t running no cattle

[@noborderssports5434]

Maybe you should fix the nitrogen problem in the soil, then they wouldn't grow so much. Nitrogen fixers don't grow well in high nitrogen soil.

[@ADVNevada]

LoL

[@elivalentine452]

liar! they do not take up much water in fact they help keep the soil moist by shading it. not only that but they are edible and supper healthy to eat!

[@michaelcohen9363]

they're an invasive nuisance.

[@ThePmloc]

@@michaelcohen9363 They might have come from somewhere else, but the idea that they steal the water is not true

[@nomaderic]

@@michaelcohen9363 they are only invasive to people who want to clear the land to graze cattle. Mesquite trees are great nitrogen fixers

[@XaViEr3520]

@@michaelcohen9363 they are a native, not invasive. Nuisance is an opinion

[@robertvillarreal6150]

In Texas we have them all over and they don’t even need water to grow so I don’t see how they cut be water hocks, i can’t say the same thing for cedar, they do need allot of water

[@lustysteve1420]

If your a farmer you I can see why you’d take mesquites out . No need to have all them trees in the way

[@lilckobra]

Where are you located?

[@coltonmccormick8835]

@@kassiemontford9222 doing the same thing in Paradise today!

[@matthewcain2880]

Fool

[@Rancho5]

Your killing animals by destroying their habitat