What a difference some Forest Mulching makes!

[NewGuy]

Good morning everyone! But the bullet and had a guy come in with a forest mulcher to clear some area in my thick overgrown woods (at the direction of a local forester).

Removed the scrubby undergrowth and smaller diameter trees that were fighting with the mature existing ones.

The property sits on the backside of a hill so I want to possibly sow some seed to get something in to help retain the dirt. I'll also need recommendations on something to plant on my shaded tractor trails that are in place as they are muddy and holding water.

 

[Ski]

Short term I'd say winter wheat wouldn't be a bad way to get something coming quick to hold the soil together. I think if it were me I'd be looking into shade tolerant perennial clovers for the long term. There are far more qualified/experienced members that would probably have a better answer, though. Man those mulchers are amazing!

 

[BSK]

My local parks in Nashville (Percy and Edwin Warner) are starting to do this. Both parks have been over-run by understory honeysuckle bush (bush, not vine). Honeysuckle bush will completely dominate an understory leaving no chance of sunlight reaching the ground for other species. At first they had crews hand-cutting the bushes. But wherever possible they are now forestry mulching. In the areas where this has been completed a couple of years ago, the amount of wildlife-friendly regrowth is amazing.

 

[Omega]

What does something like that run? By the acre, hour or job?

 

[Boll Weevil]

There's a trend of having a herd of goats mobilized to do this job. Chicago O'Hare airport has done this to great effect.

Goats at O'Hare Airport wrap up summer job of clearing airfield vegetation

This was the 9th year that goats and other grazing animals have helped clear away scrub vegetation around O'Hare.

www.cbsnews.com

 

[BSK]

There's a trend of having a herd of goats mobilized to do this job. Chicago O'Hare airport has done this to great effect.

Goats at O'Hare Airport wrap up summer job of clearing airfield vegetation

This was the 9th year that goats and other grazing animals have helped clear away scrub vegetation around O'Hare.

www.cbsnews.com

There's a guy who hires out his goats in Nashville. The city has been using his goats to clear brush along the Cumberland River Greenways and flood dikes. I ran into him while running the Greenway. Should have asked what he gets paid. He just puts up temporary fencing until the goats have eaten that section down. Then he moves the fence to the next section. But interestingly, for when he's not there, he keeps a sheep-dog in the fence with the goats. He said the dog kept to goats safe from coyotes.

 

[NewGuy]

What does something like that run? By the acre, hour or job?

This one went by the hour. Made a small dent in my 28 acres, but I was planning on attacking this in "phases". $200/hour was the going rate.

 

[Omega]

This one went by the hour. Made a small dent in my 28 acres, but I was planning on attacking this in "phases". $200/hour was the going rate.

Thanks, I have a parcel about the same size, it is planted in mostly willow oak in what was supposed to be a 12x12 grid. I cut a portion large enough to park and setup camp but want to cut some lanes through it. About how much work got done per hour?

 

[megalomaniac]

I paid $175 per hour for one of the largest mulchers and skid steers available 4 years ago... wouldn't be surprised if they were $200 per hour now. I reclaimed 4.5 ac of a field that had overgrown for 12 years... so there were multiple 5 to 6 in diameter trees. I got around 1.25ac reclaimed each 12h day. So was around $1500 per acre. But this also included very agressive back mulching... so after he was done we just raked up the wood chips, burned them, and we were able to plant a fall crop immediately. You could have someone zip thru a place without back mulching MUCH faster. Now mulching in roads and small food plots that had smaller growth (3in trees) FLEW BY...

 

[Huntaholic]

Thanks, I have a parcel about the same size, it is planted in mostly willow oak in what was supposed to be a 12x12 grid. I cut a portion large enough to park and setup camp but want to cut some lanes through it. About how much work got done per hour?

Thats a question nobody can answer really, its akin to asking how much wood could a woodchuck chuck if if a woodchuck could chuck wood. Its all depends on how thick the brush is, the size equipment he has and even how good he can operate said equipment.

 

[348Winchester]

I paid $175 per hour for one of the largest mulchers and skid steers available 4 years ago... wouldn't be surprised if they were $200 per hour now. I reclaimed 4.5 ac of a field that had overgrown for 12 years... so there were multiple 5 to 6 in diameter trees. I got around 1.25ac reclaimed each 12h day. So was around $1500 per acre. But this also included very agressive back mulching... so after he was done we just raked up the wood chips, burned them, and we were able to plant a fall crop immediately. You could have someone zip thru a place without back mulching MUCH faster. Now mulching in roads and small food plots that had smaller growth (3in trees) FLEW BY...

How have your plots done on the areas that were mulched?

 

[ImThere]

I paid $150 an hour 4 hour minimum. On my 6 acres I ran out of things for him to mulch before the 4 hours was up. He was driving around and just mulching things for the last half hour.

 

[megalomaniac]

How have your plots done on the areas that were mulched?

Better than the ground that was open and heavily eroded. This was 8 weeks after mulching.

 

[megalomaniac]

And this was 2y after mulching. (Summer crop of beans, millet, sorgham

 

[megalomaniac]

3rd year after mulching didn't do well... 13in rain put most of the field under water.

Last year was 4th year. Should have taken a pic, but the winter wheat from last fall was 5 ft tall we just bushhogged yesterday. Going back with beans, sorgham, millet again this summer

 

[348Winchester]

The acre I just had done in January is in the woods with no danger of flooding. Yesterday, I raked the debris off of it. Planning on liming and seeding it with buckwheat soon. Thanks for the pictures!

 

[Gravey]

There's a trend of having a herd of goats mobilized to do this job. Chicago O'Hare airport has done this to great effect.

Goats at O'Hare Airport wrap up summer job of clearing airfield vegetation

This was the 9th year that goats and other grazing animals have helped clear away scrub vegetation around O'Hare.

www.cbsnews.com

I remember in the 80's my grandmother had a ditch that ran up behind her house and her husband would put a couple of goats in there and let them take care of it. Worked like a charm.

 

[4scout]

Any recommendations for a forestry mulcher in West TN around Dyersburg area?

 

[TX300mag]

Any recommendations for a forestry mulcher in West TN around Dyersburg area?

I'll pm you a great contact

 

[Bushape]

3rd year after mulching didn't do well... 13in rain put most of the field under water.

Last year was 4th year. Should have taken a pic, but the winter wheat from last fall was 5 ft tall we just bushhogged yesterday. Going back with beans, sorgham, millet again this summer

Curious how that summer blend works for you and what/when do you come back with for fall/winter??