How to cleanup sticks in newly cleared fields?

[VTHartford]

My land clearer is done with his part and I have tons of sticks scattered everywhere across the 9 acres. I have a tractor, landscape rake, chain harrow, boxblade. What is the best way to clean up all these sticks? Any help will be greatly appreciated.

Bill in Jax

 

[myyaz33]

I found using the landscape rake to drag them to some sort of organized pile or wind row works well. Then use a grapple or load them by hand or whatever it takes. The method kinda depends on the size of the sticks too.

 

[greg_g]

Well, unless you're looking at putting in 9 acres of lawn - perhaps they'd be of value as compost. It only takes about a year for small stuff to decompose - especially if you help it in the warm season with a rotary cutter.

But if it's absolutely necessary, drag out the big stuff with the chain harrow. It will catch heavier pieces that might go through the landscape rake tines. That's easy for me to say though, because I can pick mine up with the TPH to clean it out. Naturally, follow next with the landscape rake to windrow the smaller stuff. Then scrape up the windrows with the boxblade.

When you're finished, throw out your lime/seed/fertilizer/whatever - then go back over the whole plot with the chain harrow to scratch it in. When the green stuff starts to come up, it will almost look like a row crop

//greg//

 

[MFL]

Went through the same process 3 years ago on my 10 ac. Cleaned up best I could with a borrowed landscape rake, pushed it together with the FEL, burned it, spent many hours gathering and piling by hand, and it continues. Every spring, along with the rye grass, theres another crop of sticks and stones to gather, pile, burn, etc. From what my real farmer buddies tell me, I should have it under control in about another 15-20 years!

 

[jbrumberg]

VTHartford:

Welcome to TBN ! All of the suggestions are good, but I agree with MFL in that there will be some degree of manual labor involved and it will take some time. I have been known to till in and/or rotary cut a lot of the smaller branches on my property once gathered. This methodology can be a little loud . Jay

 

[IslandTractor]

I've done the same thing. Bigger stuff can be grappled or raked to piles for burning or disposal. The thousands of little bits I think are best left for the rotary or flail mower to chew up little by little. So long as you are not trying to grow a suburban lawn, a few chopped up sticks are not so noticiable in a field and will decompose over a few years.

 

[SLOBuds]

We're missing what the end game is here. That would help to know.

In the meantime, I'll 2nd or 3rd the 'leave it there' opinion. For the small sticks and maybe even some of the larger ones. Assuming they aren't green, or that you will leave them through winter to break down a bit, your brush hog or flail will turn all of that into basis for some nice organic material that your soil will be happy to incorporate.

I am definitely biased about this. My own soil can use any and all organic material it can get.

If you are ready to lay down your sod this afternoon - then just use one of the other techniques for gathering what you want to get rid of.

 

[VTHartford]

The land is surrounding my house in an equestrian type neighborhood. Most of it will be horse pasture. The landscape rake seems to just grab dirt. The chain drag plugs up b/c I I dont have a lift for it yet.

Bill

 

[teg]

Shorten the top link on the landscaping rake. It will change the angle of the tines. You need to play with it to get it to work. Have you tried that?

 

[ChuckinNH]

Some members have taken every other tine out of their landscape rakes for picking up bigger materials, and that might help.