Brush pile near pond

[SouthernSooner]

Hi folks, the previous owner of my property created a pretty large brush pile in a ditch that feeds my pond. If I burn the brush, will the ash have adverse effects on my pond and fish?

 

[davesl708]

It will add a lot of nitrogen to the water as it runs off. This will feed the algae.

 

[smstonypoint]

It will add a lot of nitrogen to the water as it runs off. This will feed the algae.

Source?


Steve

 

[bikerdib]

Test the PH of the water. Wood ash can quickly raise the PH. If the PH changes too quickly you could have a fish kill. Low acidity can also allow alge growth as has been pointed out. Don't confuse alge with phytoplankton which is something you want in your pond as it is the base of the food chain. A reading of 7 is neutral and what you want. If your pond is acidic then the ash could have a benefit if there isn't too much of it.

 

[Sodo]

If you aren't sure about it, you could burn the pile then move the ash out of the ditch. How big is the pile, and what eqpt do you have was not specified. Sometimes where a brushpile is, I've decided I don't want to kill the ground there so I move it. I've been surprised sometimes when they push easily. Maybe you can wrap a chain around it and roll it out of the ditch.

 

[davesl708]

Source?


Steve

When you burn plant matter the nitrogen stored in the plant is released quickly back into the soil. This is the reason prairie grass is burned. To release the nitrogen to promote faster grass growth. Fast cheap fertilizer.
When plants decay naturally the release is gradual.

 

[SouthernSooner]

As of now, moving it is not an option. I have a tractor with FEL, but no grapple. The ditch is about 40 feet long, six feet wide and about 2-5 feet deep. It's a major eye sore and I've been trying to clean up this property. It may have wait until I get a grapple.

 

[EverythingAttachments]

I have a tractor with FEL, but no grapple. It may have wait until I get a grapple. View attachment 442125View attachment 442126View attachment 442127

We can help you with that!

Single Lid Wicked Grapple
or
Dual Lid Wicked Grapple
Travis

 

[SouthernSooner]

Oh trust me - I've seen your vids and want one really bad! I'm a pay as you go guy, so right now, Momma has other priorities. Lol.

 

[Sodo]

Well I can see that my suggestion may or may not apply to this. Pics usually generate better responses.

Nice place. That trash would bug me too. I have found that burning SMALL brush piles, the grass can grow back greener than surrounding area (Dave's Nitrogen note). Big brush piles (where I kept piling on more as it burned down) are still barren spots after 3-4 years. Your piles look big but I can't guess if they'd burn hot enough to kill the ground. If I had your ditch I would not want to kill the ground.

I bet you could pull those out with a strong rope or chain and burn it in one spot out of the ditch. Not much fun though, but an hour a day for a week and you'd be pretty far along if not done.

I'd try dragging clumps out and see how it goes. I have this brushfork, thus can deal with brush OK. I would love a grapple and may build one (not a real grapple just a hand on top for brush carrying).

 

[txdon]

Good or bad for the pond I would burn it. It's easier to move some ash if it is determined to be detrimental to the pond.

 

[cartod]

Id burn it too. Then scrape the ash out with a box blade. You didn't say how big your pond was but I would not think you will effect it much.

 

[airbiscuit]

I agree with Sodo. If you take a rope/chain/cable, and strategically thread it through the brush pile and give it a pull, 90% will come out in one gob. Then burn it safely on high ground.

 

[Dr_Zinj]

One thing that nobody has mentioned yet is that the original owner may have put the brush in the ditch as a form of erosion control.

 

[Sodo]

Could be but doesn't look like a lot of water flows there.

As you pull a gob out, you can toss the stuff that remains - ontop of the gob that separates (if it does separate). And burn small piles in the ditch (that don't burn so hot for so long). I've moved & burned so much brush in the past few years it boggles my mind - easily 50 times that. I have a pile half that big right now. I'd just start into it and see how it goes. If you have a tractor with FEL and cable/rope/chains I'd certainly recommend using what you have. You could be a 1/4 done in the time it takes to plan another method.

If you must use hydraulics consider to rent a mini-excavator with a thumb. Probably $250/day + delivery charge. You can set it up on the bank, then build a smaller fire. Sometimes I make several piles but burn just one, and shove successive piles into the (hot) ashes with my FEL. They burn quickly ontop of hot ashes (in stages) and makes only one dead spot.

 

[smstonypoint]

When you burn plant matter the nitrogen stored in the plant is released quickly back into the soil. This is the reason prairie grass is burned. To release the nitrogen to promote faster grass growth. Fast cheap fertilizer.
When plants decay naturally the release is gradual.

Not to be argumentative, but it seems to me that this does not apply to the OP's situation. If he burns the brush pile, he is going to end up with ashes that then may wash into the pond. It seems to me that the critical question is the chemistry of the wood ashes.

Much wood ash contains calcium carbonate as its major component, representing 25or even 45 percent. Less than 10 percent is potash, and less than 1 percent phosphate; there are trace elements of iron, manganese, zinc, copper and some heavy metals.However, these numbers vary, as combustion temperature is an important variable in determining wood ash composition. All of these are, primarily, in the form of oxides.



For a long time, wood ash has been used in agricultural soil applications, as it recycles nutrients back to the land. Wood ash has some value as a fertilizer, but does not contain nitrogen. Because of the presence of calcium carbonate, it acts as a liming agent and will deacidify the soil by increasing its pH.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wood_ash

Steve

 

[turnkey4099]

Not to be argumentative, but it seems to me that this does not apply to the OP's situation. If he burns the brush pile, he is going to end up with ashes that then may wash into the pond. It seems to me that the critical question is the chemistry of the wood ashes.



Steve

Thanks, I was fairly sure tht was the case. As for nitrogen, any of that would be released in the smoke or to the air.

I heat witih wood, 6-7 cord/yr. Spread the ashes in fairly small areas of the yard and for sure after 30+ years haven't seen any show of excess nitrogen.

Harry K

Harry K

 

[Mace Canute]

As of now, moving it is not an option. I have a tractor with FEL, but no grapple. The ditch is about 40 feet long, six feet wide and about 2-5 feet deep. It's a major eye sore and I've been trying to clean up this property. It may have wait until I get a grapple.

That's a very small brush pile. I'd just burn it.

 

[SouthernSooner]

I thought He may have done it for erosion at first but actually he was just kind of lazy. I have found sheets of barn tin, rebar, pipe, 2x4s, romex, chicken wire, barbed wire and tons of other crap just strewn all over the place (which most of it was found while trying to mow). The ditch was just convenient I believe.

Thanks for all of the replies, guys. As for now I think I will try to remove the brush. There are a lot of pretty big logs from dead hickory in there as well. Too many weeds have grown over it, so hard to see in the pics.

 

[foreman Etexas]

I would burn it where it sets,we actually burn in the draw heading towards the pond every year. We take all the dead trees/limbs from the pasture all year,safest place for us to burn. Hasn't harmed fishing never any kills,the big burnt trees will end up under water if get a lot of rain and will wait until it goes down and stack more on top try get burned down.
looks like will have to pull this one back floated down from all the rain had in june