How best to clear shallow roots and vines and fern

mikester · Jul 11, 2022

rent

2manyrocks · Jul 11, 2022

Smf834 said:
i tried using the toothbar, but with the uneven ground, i kept digging into the ground instead of an even scrape over the surface. Maybe i just need more practice

I'm afraid you'll either bend something on your FEL or damage your hydraulics because that's what can happen due to the uneven ground, stumps, roots and rocks. This is why some have suggested using a rear field cultivator with spring teeth that have some flex to bend and are spring mounted when you hit something in the ground. Even if you break a tooth, that's less expensive to repair than tearing up your FEL or hydraulic system. You can also lift it up with your rear 3pt hitch to clean the vines off if they don't slide off on their own.

I was starting to think about a rear spike harrow pulled behind the tractor. It's own weight holds it to the ground and it is free to move up and down on its own because it's pulled with a chain. It's going to follow the ground contour of its own accord, but the spikes should tear into the vines. The difficulty would be that the spikes will load up with vines and would be a pain to clean out.

FastEddieR · Jul 11, 2022

hire a local farmer with a disc to turn the top layer of soil a couple of times.

ROUSTABOUT · Jul 11, 2022

I can tackle all that with a riding mower and a two bit axe.

Smf834 · Jul 12, 2022

is there an attachment similar to the box blade’s scarifier that i can pull to rip shallow brush out? I noticed box blade usually has 3-4 tines. I am hoping for more closely spaced heavier duty tines than on the landscape rake.

jyoutz · Jul 12, 2022

Smf834 said:
is there an attachment similar to the box blade’s scarifier that i can pull to rip shallow brush out? I noticed box blade usually has 3-4 tines. I am hoping for more closely spaced heavier duty tines than on the landscape rake.

Fred Cain cultivator

2manyrocks · Jul 12, 2022

Smf834 said:
i have a toothbar on my bucket, stump bucket. I have attached a few pic. Most volunteers are from holly, hazelnut and poplar variety. The numerous ferns are everywhere

I have been fighting kudzu vine for years. There was a point where I tried one of the walk behind string trimmers that uses the very heavy duty line. I was surprised at how effective it was at shredding kudzu vine because it's a pretty tough vine and because it runs low to the ground beneath where most mower blades can reach.

Since the kudzu was on a steep bank and the walk behind trimmer wasn't self propelled, I sold it because it was tiring to use. It was effective on kudzu vines, however. The vines were rough on the trimmer line and they had to be changed frequently.

Having said that, I suspect you could use a walk behind string trimmer or at least try a very heavy duty string in your gas trimmer to see how effective it might be.

If the area is just too big to use a trimmer, are their any used rear mount field cultivators for sale in your area?

jeff9366 · Jul 12, 2022

Smf834 said:
is there an attachment similar to the box blade’s scarifier that i can pull to rip shallow brush out?

Read Post #3.

Smf834 · Jul 12, 2022

Thanks, I will look for those type of plows, hopefully some rental yard has something similar. It is a bit spendy to purchase right now.

nyone · Jul 14, 2022

Smf834 said:
Would a landscape rake be able to rip shallow roots

It may but it will only rip up one end of the root. You will still need to go back through with a set of loppers to trim. Removing every other tine helps too.