Dirt Moving How should I clear this brush?

[Bdavide]

Hey guys, the back acre of my land is covered in thick brush rendering the whole area useless. Id like to clear it all out leaving just the trees. Not too concerned with leveling, it will house a few animal enclosures and fenced roaming areas. Ive tried maintaining it with a bladed brush cutter, but im left with a mess of tangled (mostly blackberry) roots. And it grows back incredibly fast! I think I need a more powerful approach, hoping to get some guidance onto which would work best. Mini excavator, skid steer or mulcher? Plan to rent one for a few days or week, not plan on pulling any stumps either, just work around them.

Here are a few pictures of the land. What it looks like unmaintained with and without summer growth, then after clearing with my brush cutter (and the useless mess it creates.) any advice would be awesome! Much appreciated, cheers!

-Brad

 

[Diggin It]

The only way I tamed my blackberries was to mow and keep mowing. Mine were close to 6 feet tall in many places. I couldn't even see over them let alone walk through them. Attacked them with the field and brush mower. Made several passes over and over again to mulch them to nothing. Had to burn some piles of the brush that was left. Once all that was done, I started mowing the area regularly and it's now more lawn that wild.

Once you get it cleared, you may have to spray a few times during the year to control their comeback.

 

[STERLING351]

With out berries here I usually spray them with generic roundup wait a few days for them to begin to change color and brush hog them and sometimes run a disc over them too. It has worked good for me.

 

[Thomas]

What would be cost differents between... Mini excavator, skid steer or mulcher? Plan to rent one for a few days or week... compare to having dozer do the work?

 

[msmith]

some 24D and brush hog

 

[Captain Dirty]

Hey guys, the back acre of my land is covered in thick brush rendering the whole area useless. . . . And it grows back incredibly fast! I think I need a more powerful approach, hoping to get some guidance onto which would work best.

Mow, Mow, Mow! The root systems of the saplings and brush store energy that goes into new shoots. Until or unless you deprive the roots of more energy (provided by the new shoots) they will grow back, and fast. The perpetual mowing argues against renting (unless you rent/contract a dozer to grub the roots). OTOH, 1 acre is not a lot of land to justify a full size brush hog. Google "Earth Tools" and explore two-wheeled tractors. These are small and maneuverable to work around the stumps you are willing to leave. If you do go that route spend the money to get AG quality not stamped steel "home-owner" quality.

Alternatively, you could bring in goats, but that brings a different set of problems.

 

[jaxs]

Alternatively, you could bring in goats, but that brings a different set of problems.

Goats would be my choice if you can afford goatproof fence. You mentioned animal shelters and roaming area,what kind of animals? If you don't want to own goats,a neighbor will likely jump at the opertunity to graze his on the lot until it's cleared.

 

[Diggin It]

I understand goats love blackberry vine salad. Honeysuckle too if you have that.

 

[Gordon Gould]

Mowing is the answer here too. For us mowing three or four times each summer turns the area into weedy grass in a couple years.

gg

 

[WranglerX]

Even though environmental people don't like it, spray with 2x mixture of 40% Glyphosate, if you don't kill it first it will always come back.... I cleared about 1/2 acre of poison oak with 40% Glyphosate, if it will kill poison oak it will probably kill the blackberry... Once dead, then brush it any way practical....

Dale