Shropshire sheep which do not like the taste of Nordmann firs and Norway spruces have been drafted in to keep the weeds down at the Welford Christmas Tree Farm. The 12,000 firs currently growing at the site are breathing easier this year thanks to the efforts of the new flock, brought in by farm manager William Miles as an alternative to powerful chemical weedkiller.
Mr Miles said: “We are used to looking after sheep on the farm anyway, so we decided to bring in six Shropshire sheep to try to keep the grass and weeds down. “All other breeds seem to love the trees and are happy to eat them so we have to keep them away, but somehow someone discovered that Shropshire sheep don’t like them. They chomp all the grass and weeds down and eat right up to the base of the trees, but leave the trees alone.
“Usually we have to spray chemicals around the firs so they can grow properly but the sheep are doing a brilliant job instead. I heard about some farms doing this on the continent and thought we might as well give it a go, and it’s going really well. It’s a lot more environmentally friendly than weedkillers.” The farm, set up by Mr Miles about 13 years ago, provides seven different varieties of Christmas trees