Buying Advice 45 wooded acres and invasive grasses

[jgoehri1]

I've got 45 acres total, 30 of which is wooded with lots of honeysuckle. 10 acres are covered in invasive grasses that need eradicated. I'm seriously leaning towards a Massey Fergson 1643, loaded R4s, with 72" SSQA bucket with tooth bar, grapple, 1 rear remote and a medium duty bush hog (BH16) for $27,000.

I'm trying to rehabilitate the forest by eradicating the honeysuckle, clearing trails and cutting and removing firewood for a wood stove. The 10 acres of invasive grasses need cut and burned/sprayed so that the land is useful again. I've got a half acre pond (old gravel pit) buried in the woods that needs cleared that I'd like to return to a useful fishing pond.

I'm also considering an L4600. I'm open to other thoughts.

This forum has been a great help since my first thread and has convinced me to go much larger than I originally thought.

 

[murphy1244]

What Dealers do you have in about 50 miles from you?

 

[jgoehri1]

MF, JD, Kubota, Mahindra

 

[murphy1244]

That's where you need to test drive some machines

 

[jeff9366]

Ten acres are covered in invasive grasses that need eradicated.

The ten acres of invasive grasses need cut and burned/sprayed so that the land is useful again.

Burning will not help you much.

I suggest spraying the area with invasive species grass with Roundup/Glycophosphate. The Glycophosphate will kill unwanted grass above ground but NOT seeds in the soil.

Next, plant a cover crop/green manure crop for one or two seasons. A fast growing green manure crop will shade out germinating invasive grass. When you turn under the green manure it will kill any stunted invasive seedlings, which will NOT have seeds, and improve the soil. (Green manures are turned under well before they go to seed.)

You should ask around about good green manure crops for Indiana.

Here is a secondary recommendation:

Consider a Winter Deer Plot Seed Mix, followed by a Summer Deer Plot Seed Mix, if they are available cheaply. (50 pound bag is $18.50 at my Ace Hardware and Farm Supply, in Florida) Deer Food Plot mixes contain a variety of seeds also common in green manure crops.

After two green manure crops, TEST YOUR SOIL, AMEND, then plant the pasture grass or native prairie grass you want long term.

You will need to keep permanent grass growing rapidly for a couple of years to completely crowd out new germinating invasive grass, which may continue to sprout in decreasing amounts for three years.

This has worked pretty well for me in Florida.

 

[jgoehri1]

Thanks, Jeff. That's really good info as that reed canary grass is just wasting space. My state DNR guy was big on burning, but I figured spraying was the only way to fight it. I'm going to go with your suggestions as you definitely speak from experience. I have driven and like both tractors, but the MF seems to have more features and seems more refined. I know Kubota makes a he** of a tractor, but my MF dealer is a class act. Been doing it for over 50 years and "will be retiring this year" for over 15 years.

 

[jeff9366]

Research green manures for Indiana. Buckwheat may be a good Summer green manure for Indiana.

If you go with the deer plot Winter/Spring mix idea review the seed contents to be sure you do not introduce something new you do not want. What is fine in Florida may be a pest in Indiana.

I do not have Honeysuckle here but wild grape vines and multiflora rose run up the trees. I have found a Ratchet Rake on the bucket to be the best tool for tearing grape vines out and all be the deepest multiflora. If I have a good size area cleared of grape vines and multiflora still sprout I put a Bucket Spade on the FEL. It will dig up the deepest corms in just a minute.

Good luck.

 

[Mac2411]

Reed canary grass spreads not only by seeds but by underground rhizomes and can be difficult to eradicate. It can resprout from the rhizomes once they are cut or disced under. Do some research because glyphosate may not be the most effective control. In fact, your DNR guy's recommendation to burn might be the better option.

 

[jeff9366]

Here are articles on Canary Reed Grass control from Missouri Department of Conservation and Wisconsin:


Reed Canary Grass Control | Missouri Department of Conservation


ftp://ftp-fc.sc.egov.usda.gov/WA/Tech/RCG_management_0509.pdf

 

[jgoehri1]

Drove the 1643 again this weekend and loved it. Think I'm going to go with it. Probably will post this somewhere else, but does anyone have thoughts on toothbars, root grapples, root rakes, etc. for removing the honeysuckle?