Blossom is a great dog. She learns fast. Her first day around the tractor I nipped her with the BH slightly and now she does not get near it when it is running. Turn it off and she wants in the seat.
This area goes back to when it was heavily forested (still is) so the black loam is prevalent and heavy in decomposed organics. It has never been plowed under as that would have diluted it with sand and rock. There are areas like along the creek (right behind that maple) that are 2-3' deep.
We make 2-3 YDS of compost every year that we mix with other top soil and use for filling and top dressing over the Acre around the house. Oh yeah, we have 20 AC of newly growing forest.
The 2 cherry trees had stopped producing, had some rot started, and they were just in the wrong place so time to go. The maple was on the creek bank where the water was undercutting the roots, there are 4 other larger maples, 3 big firs and a large sequoia that it was competing with also. Time for it to go also.
When we bought this place 6 years ago the landscaping was a veritable jungle, trees never trimmed, rhodies a tall as the house, blackberry thickets all over. We are finally getting it to look like something. We like openness.
I made an agressive tooth bar for the FEL and the BX is now my excavator with a 4' bucket. Once I raggled the roots off the FEL just lifted them right out.
I have taken down 12" Alder weeds a few times and numerous smaller ones. Push the little ones over and chew up with the bush hog. All organics around here go back into the soil either as chips or ash.
Bought the BX new in 2011 and now have 1200 hours on it.
