CHAT Land Clearing Is Not For The Whimp At Heart

[Kathy in FL]

Hubby and I are up here at our BOL. If we can’t travel like we were doing, might as well spend the money on something that spits in the eye of certain people.

Essentially we are putting money that would have been spread outside our area into the much more localized economy around our BOL.

As soon as I can downsize the pics I will load a few.

 

[TxGal]

Oh wow, we feel your pain! When we bought our 30 acres, we came out on weekends (8 hr round trip) while we were still working. And on those weekends we were cutting brush by hand, thinning trees, re-fencing cross-fencing, etc. We finally figured out we'd really need to bring in someone to shred the open pastures and knock back the 'easy' weeds, and to re-do the perimeter fencing. We were also planting fruit trees, lots of them.

It's a good thing we did all that then, it's been about 15 yrs or so, we couldn't do that heavy physical work all packed into a weekend and then show up on time at work the next day (Monday) at our age now. I'll tell ya, though, it's a great way to 'learn your land'. We learned how to identify all the trees on our land, where the wet spots were, where the seep springs were, what fish were already in our ponds, where the deer liked to bed down, etc. That was a priceless education.

 

[moldy]

Brush hogs are your friend.

 

[West]

Definitely a young man's job. Have probably cleared over 50 acres as just a teenager working in the Sierras in Eldorado for average 5 acre homesteads. Just cleared about 2.5 acres for home and drive on each lot. Whole subdivisions. Most was steep terrain. People love the views above 3000 feet elevations. Dropped huge trees and cut up the good ones for firewood.

 

[Dozdoats]

The old folks used to talk about clearing "new ground." Everything done with hand tools and mules. I used to shudder at the thought.

My grandfather bought the place I grew up on because it had 80 acres of good bottomland. At some point when you couldn't pay people to row crop or maintain hay land or pasture, the family elected to have it planted in pine trees. I HATED the idea but there is only one of me, so pine trees it was. And is. And will likely be from now on.

Sad ...

 

[Kathy in FL]

Oh wow, we feel your pain! When we bought our 30 acres, we came out on weekends (8 hr round trip) while we were still working. And on those weekends we were cutting brush by hand, thinning trees, re-fencing cross-fencing, etc. We finally figured out we'd really need to bring in someone to shred the open pastures and knock back the 'easy' weeds, and to re-do the perimeter fencing. We were also planting fruit trees, lots of them.

It's a good thing we did all that then, it's been about 15 yrs or so, we couldn't do that heavy physical work all packed into a weekend and then show up on time at work the next day (Monday) at our age now. I'll tell ya, though, it's a great way to 'learn your land'. We learned how to identify all the trees on our land, where the wet spots were, where the seep springs were, what fish were already in our ponds, where the deer liked to bed down, etc. That was a priceless education.

We’ve owned the property abt 18 years now. The house has been built 17. After that big push it was maintenance and security. A couple years ago we had some clearing done to pull the trees back from the house and open the road a little wider.

This is a much bigger project. We are clearing for a 40x40 metal barn, a 48x31 metal carport, and a 10x18 screened gazebo.

These are projects we’ve been putting off. Time to stop putting stuff off. We aren’t getting any younger. Lol

 

[Satanta]

Wish I had a Mule.

Been clearing this property too for months. I am about to the point where I can chop the bigger stuff into pieces for composting, rake the matts of Pine Needles then burn. Afterwards got to drop a few fairly large Pines-big issue is the Wisteria [[some as thick as my wrist]] all up in there-that's going to be a hassle to figure how to clear so the trees drop and don't simply hand like in a spider web.

 

[mikeabn]

Neither is house cleaning. Helped the g/f out with a home today. If done right the first time, to make the next times easier, it is easily a four-five hour job. And somewhat physically intense.

 

[Kathy in FL]

Wish I had a Mule.

Been clearing this property too for months. I am about to the point where I can chop the bigger stuff into pieces for composting, rake the matts of Pine Needles then burn. Afterwards got to drop a few fairly large Pines-big issue is the Wisteria [[some as thick as my wrist]] all up in there-that's going to be a hassle to figure how to clear so the trees drop and don't simply hand like in a spider web.

i found a wisteria I planted abt 15 years ago and never really took off. I cleared around it and will build an arch to grow on.

 

[Kathy in FL]

Definitely a young man's job. Have probably cleared over 50 acres as just a teenager working in the Sierras in Eldorado for average 5 acre homesteads. Just cleared about 2.5 acres for home and drive on each lot. Whole subdivisions. Most was steep terrain. People love the views above 3000 feet elevations. Dropped huge trees and cut up the good ones for firewood.

It is flat as a flitter at our BOL. Lol

 

[Firebird]

We had 20 acres and a lake, sold it 5 years ago. Lived on it for about a decade, it was beautiful, but became all consuming. I could no longer keep it up by myself, and work. I do miss it, but it is what it is

 

[Jackpine Savage]

The old folks used to talk about clearing "new ground." Everything done with hand tools and mules. I used to shudder at the thought.

They did have dynamite though

I've heard lots of tales about dynamite vs. rocks and tree stumps. When we moved onto this farm I found an old box of blasting caps in a back corner of the garage

 

[Dozdoats]

Just the phrase "grubbing hoe" makes me cringe.

 

[Old Gray Mare]

Just no.

Is the land fenced? Letting cattle or goats graze on it will knock down some of the brush, weeds, vines and low branches.

For the ware and tare on the body it seems a good idea to rent a backhoe or bulldozer and driver for a day or two. If I absolutely had to do it? I'd be checking area farm and equipment sales for an older small, cheap bulldozer to do it myself. Do I know how to drive one? Heck no, but I could learn.

For bigger trees, especially ones with damaged or broken tops, I'd be looking into a timber harvest. Then talking to firewood cutters about the lops if I couldn't manage them myself. BTDT.

 

[Jeff Allen]

If you owned a skid steer with grapple and brush hog...well, you wouldn't have posted this, lol

So, I'd highly recommend renting a large skid steer and a grapple as a minimum. I promise you I can do more in an hour with a skid steer and a grapple on reasonable terrain than any two adults could do in a day. No doubt whatsoever. Last weekend my SIL dropped a 65' silver maple, which had about 10 large tendrils snaking up, so a good sized tree. From the minute it hit the ground until it was gone was under 15 minutes. SIL sawed all 10 tendrils off and cut the 3.5' trunk once. Only transported it a couple hundred feet, but it was 100% gone. (left the stump)

If you don't have an experienced operator I'd guess you could accomplish in 2 hours what two adults could do in a 12hr day.

Best of luck! Clearing land these days borders on fun....

J

 

[Old Gray Mare]

Best of luck! Clearing land these days borders on fun....

J

Jeff you have a truly warped sense of humor.

 

[night driver]

Now he said BORDERS on fun. He never said it made the trip.

 

[Stanb999]

The folly of a bugout location. Your neighbors there dont know you well enough to share in times of real need.


That said,
Clear land with goats, then hogs, then a dozer. One in between year each. 20 goats can create 4 acres of the most tangled mess of brush and weeds to a park like setting cleared to 6ft. The hogs will root out all the tubers and roots. The dozer will remove the stumps.

 

[TxGal]

Wish I had a Mule.

Been clearing this property too for months. I am about to the point where I can chop the bigger stuff into pieces for composting, rake the matts of Pine Needles then burn. Afterwards got to drop a few fairly large Pines-big issue is the Wisteria [[some as thick as my wrist]] all up in there-that's going to be a hassle to figure how to clear so the trees drop and don't simply hand like in a spider web.

We understand that a bit, our land had/still has a good number of wild grape vines winding up through some trees. We spent a huge amount of time clearing one section of woods at one end of our property in our first year of ownership. First time we walked in there and saw the vines, it honestly reminded us of Tarzan movies - many were easily 5" across. Big problem is they will bring down trees, especially in strong winds/snow/ice. We lost a few trees because of the vines in a different section of woods during the snow/ice storm we had this past winter.

I'd rather deal with the grape vines, though, than some of the really old, but still alive, poison ivy. I'm allergic and still manage to get it every year despite how careful I am. And cat's claw, another of my favorites.

 

[Shooter]

been here 35 years, borrowed a friends bulldozer, only took a little bit to clean it up.

 

[Kathy in FL]

If you owned a skid steer with grapple and brush hog...well, you wouldn't have posted this, lol

So, I'd highly recommend renting a large skid steer and a grapple as a minimum. I promise you I can do more in an hour with a skid steer and a grapple on reasonable terrain than any two adults could do in a day. No doubt whatsoever. Last weekend my SIL dropped a 65' silver maple, which had about 10 large tendrils snaking up, so a good sized tree. From the minute it hit the ground until it was gone was under 15 minutes. SIL sawed all 10 tendrils off and cut the 3.5' trunk once. Only transported it a couple hundred feet, but it was 100% gone. (left the stump)

If you don't have an experienced operator I'd guess you could accomplish in 2 hours what two adults could do in a 12hr day.

Best of luck! Clearing land these days borders on fun....

J

Skid steer is being run by someone we hired to go in behind us and flatten the ground back out where the trees are being pushed over and taken out. Same tractor is root raking the areas.

A couple of places are going to need dirt so we will be doing that as well then the concrete guy is going to pack and then form up for the three structures.

We also cleared an area we are going to put in a Barndominium/guest house. That may happen next year or the year after depending on us getting the remainder of our projects completed.

 

[moldy]

Cats claw you could make some money off of though.

 

[33dInd]

I finally got my wife convinced that a Sears garden tractor was not the same as a kubota 2501
Took my 20 years though

 

[Satanta]

We understand that a bit, our land had/still has a good number of wild grape vines winding up through some trees. We spent a huge amount of time clearing one section of woods at one end of our property in our first year of ownership. First time we walked in there and saw the vines, it honestly reminded us of Tarzan movies - many were easily 5" across. Big problem is they will bring down trees, especially in strong winds/snow/ice. We lost a few trees because of the vines in a different section of woods during the snow/ice storm we had this past winter.

I'd rather deal with the grape vines, though, than some of the really old, but still alive, poison ivy. I'm allergic and still manage to get it every year despite how careful I am. And cat's claw, another of my favorites.

Wisteria is softer than the Grape Vines. Never tried or had to cut them but I know them well. I can practically hack thru the thickest Wisteria with a dull pocket knofe in a few minutes but I use my Kukri or small Ax most times.

Problem with it is it is pretty high up-not goin to reach it with the extension ladder

Bush Hog and Skid Steer not really feasible here and there are only going to be maybe five Pines removed-maybe three of them over 30'.

Ever see a 8" tree that looks like a wide-toothed Bold because the Witheria was choking it out? If I could find somehing straight and thinner I'd make a hijing staff.

 

[Satanta]

i found a wisteria I planted abt 15 years ago and never really took off. I cleared around it and will build an arch to grow on.

And then it will spread out underground in random directions and pop up in random places and smother everything. It is considered Invasive almost along the lines of Kudzu,

 

[Millwright]

I've got over a half mile of fence line to clear for firestop.

20+ years of growth.

Some of the accursed elm trees are 5" or so. I hate them worse than #*$&(# cedars.

We back burned that fence line in March...by hand...with rakes.

Never again.


Once I clear it, there will be some spraying every year.

Remedy* herbicide is recommended for the control of listed susceptible woody plants and annual and perennial broadleaf weeds on rangelands, permanent grass pastures, and conservation reserve program (CRP) acres (including fence rows and non-irrigation ditch banks within these areas).

 

[TxGal]

Wisteria is softer than the Grape Vines. Never tried or had to cut them but I know them well. I can practically hack thru the thickest Wisteria with a dull pocket knofe in a few minutes but I use my Kukri or small Ax most times.

Problem with it is it is pretty high up-not goin to reach it with the extension ladder

Bush Hog and Skid Steer not really feasible here and there are only going to be maybe five Pines removed-maybe three of them over 30'.

Ever see a 8" tree that looks like a wide-toothed Bold because the Witheria was choking it out? If I could find somehing straight and thinner I'd make a hijing staff.

Understand that! Many of our trees are 30+ feet tall, easily. We've pretty much realized that all we can do it to cut the vines at the base, pull as much as we can from the tree (which often isn't much), and let the rest just hang. As they dry out over time, they will break and fall to the ground. Not the neatest way, that's for sure, but we don't want to damage the trees and to have a tree guy come in just to clear vines would cost us a fortune. Mother Nature will take care of it....eventually.

 

[Blacknarwhal]

Acres of poison sumac. I spent a good part of a month with my dad and his old Boy Scout hatchet, chopping down poison sumac. Thought it was a lot of fun at the time. I was maybe eight.

 

[Micro]

Forest mulching services are your friend.

 

[Millwright]

Forest mulching services are your friend.

So is a dozer.

 

[Kathy in FL]

And then it will spread out underground in random directions and pop up in random places and smother everything. It is considered Invasive almost along the lines of Kudzu,

Around here wisteria is not an invasive, it is a natural wild flowering vine. That said, we had some gorgeous vines that grew along the railroad tracks along US90 until the RR decided to spray them and everything else with it dead as a freaking door nob. They were so beautiful when they bloomed each year and then they just were disappeared. Sigh.

They much preferred planting non-native wildflowers in the right of ways and saying, "Look. We made it beautiful." Idiots. The wisteria wasn't hurting anyone and smelled divine when in bloom. I got one year of jelly out of them and then the bastards stole my source of blooms for the most gorgeous jelly I've ever made. Damn them.

Of course so many people do that to all the native plants, never thinking they are destroying food sources for local animals. We have a ton of animals on our acreage simply because we've been careful of that. We have a 40 acre square that is mostly tree'd over in native oaks, pines, and palmettos (although I will admit I hate some of the palmetto because they are essentially snake farms), sparkleberries, wild blueberries, etc. We also have another 5 acres that is our private road back from the county road. Not even many locals knows we are back here. We are surrounded by three or four 80 acre squares that are left fallow, or only seasonally have cows grazing on the palmettos on their side of the fence. On our acreage are a large number of deer, dozens of turkeys at various times of year, lots of gopher tortoises, owls like nobody's business that will swoop a snake or lizard up like the gawd of death and it is spooky as heck if you catch a glimpse of it happening, and any number of other critters.

 

[dstraito]

i found a wisteria I planted abt 15 years ago and never really took off. I cleared around it and will build an arch to grow on.

I have built two arches for a wisteria. The first was out of 5/8 rebar. Cool ar h but the wisteria grew so heavy it deformed the structure.

The second was a.wooden arbor with 2x6 boards. It held up real nice with a large and ever growing plant. Pretty flowers and nice smell.

 

[Kathy in FL]

Understand that! Many of our trees are 30+ feet tall, easily. We've pretty much realized that all we can do it to cut the vines at the base, pull as much as we can from the tree (which often isn't much), and let the rest just hang. As they dry out over time, they will break and fall to the ground. Not the neatest way, that's for sure, but we don't want to damage the trees and to have a tree guy come in just to clear vines would cost us a fortune. Mother Nature will take care of it....eventually.

We have been trying to pull wild potatoes vines out of the tops of trees where we've been clearing. The blasted things are so strong and thick our kids used to play tarzan on them. I've fallen on my butt three times today alone. I'm getting too old for that crap. It is not as funny as when I was in my 30s and 40s.

 

[Satanta]

Anyone know how tolerant of Fire Pines are?

I know some need fire to propagate but not these in-particular. I am wanting to burn everything unrakable [[therefore uncompostable]] to ash them mulch it under.

 

[dstraito]

I bought an acre of land that was covered in trees and brush.

It was in a gated community with a lot of promise We spent many weekends clearing hundreds of cedar scrub trees and brush. We made it look really nice over the course of many weekends. Once we had a fire that almost got away from us. I was running around knocking out flames with a shovel when the wind kicked up.

The developer went bankrupt and we ended up selling the property for a lot less than we paid for it.

 

[Kathy in FL]

I have built two arches for a wisteria. The first was out of 5/8 rebar. Cool ar h but the wisteria grew so heavy it deformed the structure.

The second was a.wooden arbor with 2x6 boards. It held up real nice with a large and ever growing plant. Pretty flowers and nice smell.

We are going to recycle the 4x4 posts that used to be the upright supports to our youngest son's "fort" that was near the house. My husband knows where he can get some old, metal cable back in Tampa. A little time, a little ingenuity and hopefully the vine will like it enough it won't "eat it" for breakfast. LOL

 

[Kathy in FL]

I've got over a half mile of fence line to clear for firestop.

20+ years of growth.

Some of the accursed elm trees are 5" or so. I hate them worse than #*$&(# cedars.

We back burned that fence line in March...by hand...with rakes.

Never again.


Once I clear it, there will be some spraying every year.

Remedy* herbicide is recommended for the control of listed susceptible woody plants and annual and perennial broadleaf weeds on rangelands, permanent grass pastures, and conservation reserve program (CRP) acres (including fence rows and non-irrigation ditch banks within these areas).

Check your local co-op. They know all the sprays that work best in their area. The problem is you have to spray every year. When we clean our fences we usually get two or three years between the work. Most of our fences are forested on the side opposite ours so even keeping our side and the fence clean the forest encroaches. You do what you can and just deal with it.

 

[West]

Check your local co-op. They know all the sprays that work best in their area. The problem is you have to spray every year. When we clean our fences we usually get two or three years between the work. Most of our fences are forested on the side opposite ours so even keeping our side and the fence clean the forest encroaches. You do what you can and just deal with it.

I did that. Spent a few hundred on their recommendations. As you said you gotta do it every year.

What Millright needs is a breeding pair of my goats. Cost about the same in feed and provide some entertainment!

Worked for us. They completely eradicated the poison sumac, poison oak, and poison ivy. And completely eradicate the new small trees that sprout up. Especially Elm trees. They love eating new growth. But not all. Still need to mow or brush hog, but I've gone years not doing areas that need mowing. Only reason I need to brush hog now is to knock down the giant rag weeds, Johnson grasses and other weeds the goats don't frigging eat! But they do like young seedling trees, so even the seedling Eastern Cedars fall victim to the goats.

 

[Satanta]

Friend has some goats. They are Goody in a nice way. Smallest one comes to me and rubs her head against my hand furiously-I don't even have to do anything.

I need some of that RR spray. Had forgotten but back around '85 one of their spray trucks stayed at the HoJo's my Dad ran. Apparently blew out a tank on the grass and I had to dig a 4'x6' by 24" hole and refill and Sod it.

 

[Old Gray Mare]

We understand that a bit, our land had/still has a good number of wild grape vines winding up through some trees.

I'd rather deal with the grape vines, though, than some of the really old, but still alive, poison ivy. I'm allergic and still manage to get it every year despite how careful I am. And cat's claw, another of my favorites.

There's an old story about a guy who bought an old vineyard planted in mission grapes that hadn't been tended in years. He let loose a bunch of burros in the grapes. They ate the leaves and pruned the vines. The next year the old vines produced enough grapes to sell to local wineries at a profit. Proving you don't need a lot of knowledge or experiences to make a profit in the wine industry just a bunch of jackasses.