Land clearing, wood debri and leaves.

[Ooklaa]

Im trying to fix some wet spots in the back of my property.

Ok guys im halfway threw clearing out some of my property and made some nice branch and wood debri piles. I gotta clean up now a bunch densly packed leaves that have been sitting for probably 5 years plus that was under all the wood debri. Their is probably a good foot thick of leaves packed tight over a .3 acres.

Now when it rains a lot the water does not drain as fast and that part of the land gets a little muddy. Id say 3 months out of the year its real muddy back their. The rest is pretty good and you can walk around.

Ok so lest first start with the leaves since iM starting to pix them up. The ground is def wet under the leaves but the spots that i have cleaned the dirt has dried. Should i clean out all the leaves or can they be used as fill kinda, I will be adding dirt in the end to make the ground more level but im just wondering if the leaves are the culprit for the water not draining as fast?

Also all the piles of branches and rotted wood i got. If i rent a big boy chipper will putting the chips back into the property to level out some spots be a good idea or bad? Figure i can save some money on a dumpster and just use the chips as fill, i assume they will turn into compost right?

So the land im clearing im looking to put a nice new spot for my firewood storage and also make a 30x30 concrete pad for a future rhino shelter ill be getting or if i can beg the wife enough a shed.

I assume for the concrete slab tho that part of the lamd would need to dug out, item 4 packed then concerte etc. but i dont want to get ahead of myself.

 

[s219]

Any organic stuff -- leaves, mulch, chips -- won't work as a good fill or base if you need to support vehicles/weight/buildings because it is in the process of breaking down. In fact, when bringing in other load bearing base materials like gravel/etc, the first step is to scrape off the top layer of organic matter and topsoil and get down to undisturbed sub soil before spreading the base.

I think you can certainly fill low spots with any of your organic debris, but don't do it in areas where you plan to drive or put up a building or other structure.

As far as old branches and rotten wood, it may be tough or difficult to chip. Chippers work best with green material. Old dry material causes the knives to heat up and doesn't chip well. Rotten wood will be a challenge to feed and push through the chute and will want to clog the discharge.

Maybe if you can post some pics, people will have other suggestions. If it's an old pile of organic debris, the best bet might be to spread it and bury it with more organic debris.

 

[Ooklaa]

S219 thanks does kinda make total sense when i sit and read your post. so let say i get my dumpster and get ride of all the leaves and wood debri and all im left with is my dirt and somewhat unlevel property. Do buy more dirt and pack it down? I would like to be able to drive over any part of the land actually but only a section is gonna be for building or a rhino shelter.

Ill get some pictures in the afternoon when i get done with work. I can tell you that when i took my tractor back to some parts i got stuck temporarily cause the dirt was so muddy. I know pictures are in order so i will get a whole bunch.

 

[jeff9366]

I gotta clean up now a bunch densly packed leaves that have been sitting for probably 5 years plus that was under all the wood debri. Their is probably a good foot thick of leaves packed tight over a .3 acres. The ground is def wet under the leaves but the spots that i have cleaned the dirt has dried.

Should i clean out all the leaves or can they be used as fill? I will be adding dirt in the end to make the ground more level but im just wondering if the leaves are the culprit for the water not draining?

I concur with everything S219 has written in Post #2.


Is the damp area at the bottom of a slope? Is it wet because it is a natural sump?

You have not specified what kind of soil and subsoil you have, which is important. Use your Backhoe to dig a pit 3' to 4' deep to discover how deep your topsoil is and what is underneath.

Most topsoil is improved in nutrients and drainage by adding substantial amounts of organic material such as leaves. Leaves are an excellent amendment for poor draining clay soil. I would find a single bottom moldboard plow, either 12" or 14", and turn under those leaves. As they have been sitting for five years, they should decompose quickly when turned under.

Second hand garden plows should be available in your area. You need a Three Point Hitch mounted plow NOT a sleeve hitch plow.

A PTO powered roto-tiller might be an equally good solution but I have limited experience operating one and the large quantity of leaves you have specified may clog a roto-tiller.

Packed leaves can be impermeable. Decomposed and mostly decomposed leaves mixed in the soil leaves improve drainage. ~~~But your subsoil constituents and permeability are key.

Do you have any implements for your tractor at this moment?


VIDEO: SINGLE PLOW - YouTube

 

[s219]

S219 thanks does kinda make total sense when i sit and read your post. so let say i get my dumpster and get ride of all the leaves and wood debri and all im left with is my dirt and somewhat unlevel property. Do buy more dirt and pack it down? I would like to be able to drive over any part of the land actually but only a section is gonna be for building or a rhino shelter.

Ill get some pictures in the afternoon when i get done with work. I can tell you that when i took my tractor back to some parts i got stuck temporarily cause the dirt was so muddy. I know pictures are in order so i will get a whole bunch.

Is there anywhere you can just pile all that stuff and let it rot/compost? Hate to think about bringing in a dumpster for organic material.

On my land, the only places I have brought in dirt/gravel are where I need a road for vehicle traffic or to level for a building. Everything else is left alone. I have a couple trails through the woods that are undisturbed ground for the most part -- to make the trails I cut trees down and then ground the stumps, but have not done anything else. They support my tractor and truck OK except when really wet/muddy, in which case I don't really need to go back there anyhow.

 

[Carl_NH]

Any organic stuff -- leaves, mulch, chips -- won't work as a good fill or base if you need to support vehicles/weight/buildings because it is in the process of breaking down. In fact, when bringing in other load bearing base materials like gravel/etc, the first step is to scrape off the top layer of organic matter and topsoil and get down to undisturbed sub soil before spreading the base.

I think you can certainly fill low spots with any of your organic debris, but don't do it in areas where you plan to drive or put up a building or other structure.

As far as old branches and rotten wood, it may be tough or difficult to chip. Chippers work best with green material. Old dry material causes the knives to heat up and doesn't chip well. Rotten wood will be a challenge to feed and push through the chute and will want to clog the discharge.

Maybe if you can post some pics, people will have other suggestions. If it's an old pile of organic debris, the best bet might be to spread it and bury it with more organic debris.

I agree with this - mix the leaves with the soil and maybe bring in some sand too - I think you got a BH with your Massey - so use this to mix up all the organic matter then level out as best possible with the loader.

Also building in the area if its wet now, it probably won't change too much leaves or no leaves, so I would pick a dryer area to build once you have removed the top soil as S219 mentioned.

 

[Paystar]

That's what I love about my Wallenstein BXM chipper/shredder. It turns a dump truck load of leaves into non visible dust that I blow back over the lawn.

But before I had it, I just made a compost pile. It doesn't take long to break leaves down into a nice black loamy substance that I used for lawn patching.

 

[Ooklaa]

well here are the pictures sorry for the delay busy cooking for Easter sunday. Also happy easter everyone! I hope the pictures if not I will take more. I am not sure fo the dirt in deep as I have dug yet with my backhoe. but I does look like good soil for vegetation especially where all the leaves are.

well to my surprise their is a drainage pipe that is in my backyard from the town, so that might be why its stay wet. You can see it in one the pictures near all the rocks. the black rubber pipe was something a neighbor had put to years ago which is suppose to help with the drainage. its not coming from a basement water pump or from gutters. I don't believe them so I am getting ride of it after all its on my property.

so maybe the water problem can be fixed a lot easier. I am going to look at my deed and my land survey and see a little more in depth.

but to my original question is the leaves and debri, what should I do with it?

 

[Ooklaa]

also this is where I would want to put my concrete slab. also way in the back I was thinking of putting the wood chips since it would be way cheaper then a dumpster.

I mean I know I have a lot more to clear before I do anything..