How would you clean this up..

[thatguy]

I have a fence row in front of our house that is pretty much paradise trees, briars, and locust trees that I would like to clean up.

You can see some pics of it here..

http://s49.photobucket.com/albums/f292/Tracy_Brian_House/Misc Pics/

One problem is that there is a major telephone line running on top of the bank just inside the fence, so pulling or pushing over the trees may not be an option..

I thought about just grubbing the small stuff, cutting the trees down, and using the FEL to pull up the fence and fence posts.. But I think everything will just come back next year.

What if I sprayed it with some sort of weed/grass killer after I cut everything back.. Would that keep it from growing back in the future?

Suggestions are welcome

Brian

 

[EddieWalker]

Have you contacted the phone company responsible for that line? In most places, they are responsible for keeping the trees trimed back fromt the wires. If you contact them and they don't seem interested, there are always regulatory agencies that oversee all utility companies. Calling the agency in charge will get results that you will find hard to believe!!!

If the trees are trimmed they don't have to do anything, (darn) then the fastes and easiest way I know of to take out smaller sized trees like that is with a dozer. Total control of where you push them and there's no worries of them going the wrong way. A decent sized dozer or track loader, or even a trackhoe should be able to lay them down in a few hours with the roots attached.

The fence will be ruined, unless you don't have a fence, but you'll be left with just dirt to grade and smooth out for a very nice, clean, open area.

Doing it by hand is too labor intesive to be practical or economical. For what you could hire it out in a day, would take you months or even years to do the same thing with a chainsaw and CUT.

Good luck,
Eddie

 

[thatguy]

The phone lines are buried about 2' back from the fence line and about 12" or so down (IIRC).. The builders had a little trouble cutting in our driveway because the lines arent that deep..

The trees arent really that near the lines, but if you started to pull/push them I think you may end up snagging the lines..

either the realtor or the developer of the land across the road from us just had someone clean out the entire fence row for a future development. They have lots that havent sold in almost 3 yrs, so they are trying to get them moving by cleaning up the appearance.. And I was thinking of getting that guy to do it for me.. he had a large ag tractor and was just pushing over 15' cedars with ease (we also had a couple inches of rain recently that helped im sure)..

What would a fair price to clean this up.. We are talking about 200', just right in front of the house.. I want to plant some sort of windbreak/screen evergreens to slightly shield the house.

thanks

Brian

 

[weldingisfun]

To add to what Eddie said about the phone company, here, in Texas, you can get the highway department to clear it out. A friend had nearly 1/2 mile along a Farm to Market road cleared of cedars/scrub brush and old fence line by the county. It didn't cost him a thing. Once cleared he put in new a fence line. The county did pile the debris on his property to dispose of.
It is worth checking into before you start laying out money to hire someone to do it and still run the risk of damaging telephone cable that you may end up being held responsible for damaging.

 

[MarkV]

Hard to believe that the phone company would bury a main line only a foot deep. Think I would call them to mark the line and tell you the depth. Then as long as your not clearing directly on the area they marked if the line is damaged it is their problem.

MarkV

 

[WayneB]

I am not sure where you are located, but here in New Hampshire all roads have a classification as to width. Most country roads are three-rod roads and looking at your road the brush might fall into the road right-of-way? If so you might want to contact the town and see if they will do something about the mess, worth a try.

In NH you can have a country lane with no width registered, country road East and West running with two rod road limitation and country road North and South with three rod road widths. State highways are four rod and larger.

As for the Telephone company around here they are really monitored for any underground line. Like public service the telephone company requires the lines to be a minimum of four feet down with 12 inches of sand beneath and the line must be incased in the proper tubing. Our problem around here is rocks and water table. I would think if the telephone company put that line in it is not properly installed.

Eddie has the right approach to this by using a dozer. I guess one could push down away from the telephone line and do minimum damage, then do a cleanup with either the dozer or a tractor. I think I would stay away from spraying the area as you will kill the growth, but not the roots and the brush will come back quickly maybe even faster with more open space to spread.

Just my thoughts.

Wayne

 

[dsb5610]

Brian,

I'm thinking a dozer would make quite a mess. Once it where pushed out you would need to bring dirt in and get that seeded to control erosion. That's after you cleaned up the debris. A track hoe with a thumb would make quick work of it but you still would need to fill it back in and get it seeded.

If it's only 200' with a single line of smalls trees I would pull what you can then cut the larger stuff flush to the ground. It looks to me like you could mow over it to control any regrowth. If you are worried about hitting a line with the taller stuff you can ask the utility company to come in. Around here that means they will top the tree but will not take the whole thing down. If you have a grapple the cleanup would not take long.

dsb

 

[LBrown59]

Have you contacted the phone company responsible for that line? In most places, they are responsible for keeping the trees trimed back fromt the wires. If you contact them and they don't seem interested, there are always regulatory agencies that oversee all utility companies.
Calling the agency in charge will get results that you will find hard to believe!!!

If the trees are trimmed they don't have to do anything, (darn) then the fastes and easiest way I know of to take out smaller sized trees like that is with a dozer. Total control of where you push them and there's no worries of them going the wrong way. A decent sized dozer or track loader, or even a trackhoe should be able to lay them down in a few hours with the roots attached.

The fence will be ruined, unless you don't have a fence, but you'll be left with just dirt to grade and smooth out for a very nice, clean, open area.

Doing it by hand is too labor intesive to be practical or economical. For what you could hire it out in a day, would take you months or even years to do the same thing with a chainsaw and CUT.

Good luck,
Eddie

Who regulates cable compaines?
They arent covered by The P U C O here.

 

[LBrown59]

http://s49.photobucket.com/albums/f292/Tracy_Brian_House/Misc%20Pics/?action=view&current=DSC00673.jpg
This is nothing compared to the .6 acre I cleared up here last winter with just my little old BX23.
This looks like it would be a gravey job after the grubbing job I did.
This also looks like it may be on the highway right a way so may be their responsibility.If it's on their right of way you may not be allowed to touch it.

 

[BTDT]

Look for posts by Robbie Hedgewood. He has a mulching unit attatched to the front of a skidsteer type tractor that would eat right through that (less fence wire). Your profile is blank so I don't know where you are located (Robbie is in Georgia), but may be one of these units for rent in your area. I think his latest post was in the Safety section where he turned his unit over. Maybe he will chime in and give you some direction.

 

[Robbie Hegwood]

Thanks for the honorable mention there BTDT

Hey thatguy BTDT is correct. I am currently on a job of doing just what you need. I take my grapple and pull all the fence post up first, just enough fot the post to clear the hole. Once there all pulled up push the post and wire aside. Can burn later and just pick up the barb wire. With the fence out of the way I straddle the row and mulch away. Most units like mine can handle 6-8" trees, if it's soft wood maybe 10". Very minimal debri to haul off. The project i did went so well along the road they want me to go ahead and pull up 300' more. Look around I'm sure there are units like mine in your area and most guy's like myself have grapples and buckets to complete the job. Should be reasonable, I could do it in my 4 hour min. charge time. Also clearing it with a unit like mine we have fairly good control of the tree and there are several techniques to add tree control.

Good luck Robbie Trinity Mulching - Atlanta Georgia Mulching Company

 

[LBrown59]

Thanks for the honorable mention there BTDT

Hey thatguy BTDT is correct. I am currently on a job of doing just what you need. I take my grapple and pull all the fence post up first, just enough fot the post to clear the hole. Once there all pulled up push the post and wire aside. Can burn later and just pick up the barb wire. With the fence out of the way I straddle the row and mulch away. Most units like mine can handle 6-8" trees, if it's soft wood maybe 10". Very minimal debri to haul off. The project i did went so well along the road they want me to go ahead and pull up 300' more. Look around I'm sure there are units like mine in your area and most guy's like myself have grapples and buckets to complete the job. Should be reasonable, I could do it in my 4 hour min. charge time. Also clearing it with a unit like mine we have fairly good control of the tree and there are several techniques to add tree control.

Good luck Robbie Trinity Mulching - Atlanta Georgia Mulching Company

It looks like this area is on a highway right of way and would be their responsibility.
He may not be allowed to touch it and at the very least would be required to get written permission from the highway department to do anything with it.
____`~*______________

 

[thatguy]

Thanks for all the suggestions.. I will have to do some checking to find out exactly what I can do or maybe have someone else do for me..

thanks for all the great information/ideas...

Brian

 

[LBrown59]

Thanks for all the suggestions.. I will have to do some checking to find out exactly what I can do or maybe have someone else do for me..

thanks for all the great information/ideas...

Brian

What did you find out?
Is this a state, county, or township road?
Looking at the picture it looks like you can't push the trees over from the top of the bank because they would fall over into the road & you can't take them out from the road side as that would put you in the road.

 

[thatguy]

What did you find out?
Is this a state, county, or township road?
Looking at the picture it looks like you can't push the trees over from the top of the bank because they would fall over into the road & you can't take them out from the road side as that would put you in the road.

You correct about accessing the trees - either way something would be blocking at least part of the road.. It is a state maintained road, and i am going to stop by the local VA DOT office and ask about them mowing it.. Last year the mowed partly up the bank but not all the way to the fence..

We just got a puppy at T-giving and since he is showing increased interest in the passing cars / road, my wife is rethinking the idea of removing the fence/trees for his safety until he gets a little older..

thanks for all the excellent feedback/ideas.

Brian

 

[LBrown59]

You correct about accessing the trees - either way something would be blocking at least part of the road..
1*It is a state maintained road, and i am going to stop by the local VA DOT office and ask about them mowing it..
2*Last year they mowed partly up the bank but not all the way to the fence..

3*We just got a puppy at T-giving and since he is showing increased interest in the passing cars / road,
my wife is rethinking the idea of removing the fence/trees for his safety until he gets a little older..

thanks for all the excellent feedback/ideas.

Brian

1*
2*That's sorta what The Ohio Odot does here. They get the side of the road ditch along the road but miss about 18'' of their right away on the other side of the ditch.
Since I can only get so close mowing along the ditch from my side this 18'' strip never gets mowed.
The ditch really needs filled in and re dug in the proper location to the correct width and depth.
3*The longer you delay this the more difficult removing it becomes.
I would suggest cleaning it up now and a fence for the dog some where else on the property.

I assume your driveway exits onto this state highway in which case that pups going to find his way out into the road with or with out the fence/trees.

Now as for that puppy - got any pictures of the little dickens.