New land

[Boog337]

We are currently looking into clearing off a piece of property we have a few miles away from the farm. Wanting to fence it in at some point.
I was wondering if anyone has used the skid steer mulching head and just mulched a lot and turn it into pasture or field? How long before it rots down enough to plant ryegrass or fescue? Or would it be better to clear lanes and broadcast seed before mulching?

 

[tater74]

Would depend on the type of tree.
If you are renting a skid steer, spring for a dozer instead and really clean it up.

 

[Brute 23]

I love using mulchers/ hydro ax. Not sure I would want to rent that machine though. They work really well for light scrub, underbrush, type stuff. They are too slow on actual trees though.

How dense the brush is will determine how much mulch you will be left with. Also, the bigger the trees, the bigger the pieces, the slower it breaks down. Like any mulch, wet conditions will help break it down faster.

 

[Boog337]

It's just mostly thick brush and small trees. It used to get Bushhog every year but hasn't had anything in 4-5 years and been 6-7 years since bushoging everything.
No whatever gets done will be hired out. We have friends in the business.

 

[Boog337]

I love using mulchers/ hydro ax. Not sure I would want to rent that machine though. They work really well for light scrub, underbrush, type stuff. They are too slow on actual trees though.

How dense the brush is will determine how much mulch you will be left with. Also, the bigger the trees, the bigger the pieces, the slower it breaks down. Like any mulch, wet conditions will help break it down faster.

Thanks yea it's pretty think but the big trees will be left standing. Wont be many. It has a low spot or it will stay wet but the rest is flat as can be so depending on rain there

 

[Brute 23]

Thanks yea it's pretty think but the big trees will be left standing. Wont be many. It has a low spot or it will stay wet but the rest is flat as can be so depending on rain there

For getting in a cleaning around trees they are great. A good operator can even clean the trees up.

You can burn the mulch off also. We use the big hydro axes to clear perimeters for controlled burns. They can mulch back 100' or 300' or what ever footage you want for a buffer. Once it dries a little you can actually light off it with a torch. It's a little slow but makes about 1' flame and it will leave the gprund pretty as can be. If you mulch a decent and then take a blade and create some bare dirt around the perimeter. You can burn it off and have some very pretty land pretty quick.

 

[greybeard]

A neighbor at my old place in East Texas had about 35 acres mulched on bottomland. Mostly small sweetgum, lots of yaupon, holly, thick stands of greenbrier head high, white oak saplings and a little bit of pine. (pine doesn't grow well in bottomland, hardwood choked it out)) Left the big oak trees and it looking like a carpet but sure held moisture and got boggy underneath. Really Really stunk like the dickens until 1st time the river got up and washed it all downstream somewhere. That sour smell you get from wet woodchips sometimes...
He told me what it cost per acre but I don't remember now.
I know he said he timed it to avoid sweetgum balls and yaupon balls (seed) being everywhere. Didn't seem to matter, the gum came up all over in a couple of years.

 

[Twisted]

A neighbor at my old place in East Texas had about 35 acres mulched on bottomland. Mostly small sweetgum, lots of yaupon, holly, thick stands of greenbrier head high, white oak saplings and a little bit of pine. (pine doesn't grow well in bottomland, hardwood choked it out)) Left the big oak trees and it looking like a carpet but sure held moisture and got boggy underneath. Really Really stunk like the dickens until 1st time the river got up and washed it all downstream somewhere. That sour smell you get from wet woodchips sometimes...
He told me what it cost per acre but I don't remember now.
I know he said he timed it to avoid sweetgum balls and yaupon balls (seed) being everywhere. Didn't seem to matter, the gum came up all over in a couple of years.

Sweetgum is hard to kill and will come back from roots. Regular clipping is about the only way I know to get rid of it. It will eventually die from starvation if it can't produce leaves. some oaks are the same way.

 

[Ebenezer]

Sweetgum is hard to kill and will come back from roots. Regular clipping is about the only way I know to get rid of it. It will eventually die from starvation if it can't produce leaves. some oaks are the same way.

Remedy or a generic makes it a dead enemy.

 

[Brute 23]

A mulcher is not a silver bullet. Its not any different than a bulldozer or shredder or any other piece of equipment. It is just taking out the bulk so you can manage it from there with chemical or more shredding or what ever. No matter what you do, you will get regrowth of the existing brush and from the seedbed.

... and No... you can not just let grass force it out... and No, you cant train cattle to eat it out.

 

[Travlr]

The wife and I went for a drive today and found this chain which is used for clearing sage and pinion pine for grazing. The first one has my foot for scale. I can't even imagine what a chain like this would cost.

 

[cowman82]

The wife and I went for a drive today and found this chain which is used for clearing sage and pinion pine for grazing. The first one has my foot for scale. I can't even imagine what a chain like this would cost.

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I saw a video of them doing that with 2 dozers. really cool.



here i'm battling honey locusts 5 - 15' tall. i have a tree saw with a sprayer on my SS. they are all usually around 5 - 10' away from each other so it works well. Some areas where they are a lot closer I won't even mess with and just doze it out.