Clearing back field edges

[cmhyland]

Happy Holidays to all,

I've been working the last couple of months to clear back the edges of my fields. The growth over time has encroached 20 to 30 feet into the field.

Lots of brush and trees. Lots of Multi Flora Rose and Privet and Blackberry ( Thorns).

I have been working with my brush cutter and chainsaw... Burning the small and bramble stuff... Fires are getting pretty big... I'm looking into buying a chipper.... Rather than burn so much...

Is there a better way?

 

[kwolfe]

If I had the land and the cash, I would get the chipper. Don't get me wrong, I love a good fire, however I could use the extra mulch.

 

[Highbeam]

Your profile lists an 8 acre lot which means only so much "edge". I take this to mean that once you clear out those field edges they will be easily maintained that way by simple mowing. So this is a one time project if you are able to keep the edges mowed. The stuff in that pile looks difficult to chip and of course extremely labor intensive. I see chipping as maybe fun if you are dealing with easily harvested and loaded material.

Spend the money that you would have spent on the chipper and have a dozer or some other machine blast through your edges and then burn/bury/haul away/grind his piles. You will save time, effort, pain, and maybe even money.

How about one of those cool mulching machines attached to bobcats?

 

[psuedofarmer]

The stuff in that pile looks difficult to chip and of course extremely labor intensive. I see chipping as maybe fun if you are dealing with easily harvested and loaded material.

Spend the money that you would have spent on the chipper and have a dozer or some other machine blast through your edges and then burn/bury/haul away/grind his piles. You will save time, effort, pain, and maybe even money.

How about one of those cool mulching machines attached to bobcats?

Ditto.. save the $ and get a dozer in there. Once cleared you'll never have to deal with it again - as Highbeam points out, chipping that stuff will not be easy; it's very labor intensive not to mention costly. A dozer would make easy work of it in short order..

pf

 

[cmhyland]

Guys the picture is the first burn pile and that was dozered stuff.... Lots of wet wood and dirt...

I have over 1000 feet of stonewalls ... Some need to be cleared on both sides.. This is an ongoing process... The dozer does way more damage than it's worth in my case...

Thanks,
Chris

 

[psuedofarmer]

Guys the picture is the first burn pile and that was dozered stuff.... Lots of wet wood and dirt...

I have over 1000 feet of stonewalls ... Some need to be cleared on both sides.. This is an ongoing process... The dozer does way more damage than it's worth in my case...

Thanks,
Chris[/QUOTE

i recently completed the restoration of large farm in s/w NH. one field (~20+ acres) was hayed the last 30 years, but the edges where exactly like yours; completely overgrown with small pin cherry and brambles. this growth extended 15-20+ feet beyond the walls (well over 1000' increments). on this stuff i used a root grapple (loflin). lowered it just below grade, put in 4 wheel drive, and drove forward (slowly). if i ran into a large stump i cut it with a chainsaw and used the BH to pop it out..

i was left with a rather large brush pile to burn. much better to burn it than spend DAYS chipping it; on the other fields (before i purchased the grapple) i used a dozer and an excavator (with thumb). big piles of mostly dirt - not much fun to burn.

a root grapple is expensive, but it definitely saves the soil (unlike a dozer).

pf

 

[cmhyland]

Thanks PF,

I'll go look at a root grapple. The combo of the dirt and wood and stuff makes more charcoal than anything elsewhen you burn it...

Regards,
Chris

 

[Highbeam]

You must just want a chipper. How about renting one for a day and seeing what it gets you? Your labor input will be much higher than simply piling the material for burning. By all means give it a try.

I started clearing areas into piles with tractor, loader, mower, chainsaw, and chain. Then I burned the piles. The burning part took at least as long as the clearing and the risk involved with burning slash without permits was high. The risk of fire getting away from me as well as legally.

My newest method is to create a mammoth pile of slash. The mammoth pile of slash is so large that even a professional wouldn't burn it all at once. When winter comes and the burn bans are lifted I hire a professional logging (he has insurance) company to bring an excavator onsite and conduct a permitted burn. This is very cost effective and saves an enormous amount of my time and labor. He grabs bites from my mammoth pile and burns/feeds that pile until he's done. Very fast and efficient.

I'm not sure if your problem is slash disposal or collecting the slash.

Even 2000 feet of fence row is no big deal for a one time clearing operation with the right machine. An excavator will do the least amount of damage to the terrain due to the low ground pressure and the ability to reach and grab the slash. My logger's excavator machine could easily walk right along the fencerow and grab and stack all slash into a windrow without ever reversing his machine or steering. The next day or two he would burn the slash. The following day restack the fires and then be done. 2-3k$. Then you could go in there and fine tune the grading, plant grass, and maintain the rows to prevent this in the future.

 

[cmhyland]

Highbeam,
Thanks for the reply. Part of the problem is I'm an army one. I do it all.
In CT you can't get anyone out to your property with an excavator for 2or 3K.

They're just not going to show up for two grand. I have no problem with cutting and collecting. The burning is becoming more of a problem. While it's OK to burn here you have to have the right conditions. I only have weekends in the fall and winter to do this work and there can be long gaps between the proper conditions.

If I chip the majority of the stuf it's done! Finished... No waiting for a "good day to burn"

Thanks,
Chris

P.S. and I do want a chipper..... I have rented and would rather own and work at this stuff on my schedule.

 

[wushaw]

Highbeam,
Thanks for the reply. Part of the problem is I'm an army one. I do it all.
In CT you can't get anyone out to your property with an excavator for 2or 3K.

They're just not going to show up for two grand. I have no problem with cutting and collecting. The burning is becoming more of a problem. While it's OK to burn here you have to have the right conditions. I only have weekends in the fall and winter to do this work and there can be long gaps between the proper conditions.

If I chip the majority of the stuf it's done! Finished... No waiting for a "good day to burn"

Thanks,
Chris

P.S. and I do want a chipper..... I have rented and would rather own and work at this stuff on my schedule.

I am also a one man band on my place so planning and patience is key to clearing, you have to do it in peacemeal, I have finally finished removing most of the nasty stuff on about 9 of my 12 acres in five years....trying to get it done quickly as you know cost $$$.
I had a pile sit for three years before burning mainly becaus I wasn't finished in the area.
Here in Texas I couldn't burn any of my other piles that were ready (properly seasoned) due to burn bans for almost a year.