Best way to remove saplings

[AlbertC]

I have about an acre that has a lot of 2" oak and Sweetgum trees as well as a LOT of 1-2 inch wild pear trees. What is the best way to clean this up. I tried chemicals on the wild pear saplings but they always seem to come back. I would like to take care of this problem so that I don't have regrowth. I have a 3930 new holland and a Gannon blade. I seem to recall there is some type of grabber that you can get to pull up the saplings but this seem like it would take a long time. Thanks

 

[jeff9366]

Do you have an FEL on the New Holland, 52-hp, 5,200 pounds?

Your tractor is optimum size to operate a clamp-on Bucket Spade.

The 2" Sweet Gums and 2" Pears will be one stab and a lift. The Oaks might take a little more, depending on soil type and moisture.

LINK:

http://www.tractorbynet.com/forums/attachments/258433-florida-planting-sand-pears-kubota.html

http://www.bucketsolutions.com/Quick-Attach-Spade.html

 

[JPRambo]

how about this?
Brush Grubber Heavy-Duty Brush Grubber — Model# BG-08 | Weed Control Brush Removal| Northern Tool + Equipment

 

[/pine]

I have one of these grabbers and it works very well...but to use it efficiently you really need a "ground man" to keep from having to stop and get on and off the machine to grab the next sapling...

 

[tractorshopper]

I have found my FEL with toothbar to be very effective at this, even getting 4-5" stuff up pretty good with some work. Pines are by far the easiest. Sweet gum is more difficult. I just pull up and position a tooth at a 30-35 or so angle on the ground 6-8" from the trunk, push the loader down and drive forward (digging in a little), pushing the teeth under the soil to put that tooth under the truck, then I curl and while driving slowly forward and pop the tree out. The 2" stuff may even be easier than that where you can just drive up to it and put the bucket against the trunk a couple or few feet off the ground and push it over until it exposes the root system and then back up and push the root ball up and out. You will get the feel of the sweet spot in similar trees of similar sizes. Your tractor is bigger, stronger, and heavier than mine, so I'd imagine would be even easier for you and you could tackle larger trees than I have.

 

[Iowachild]

I have one of these grabbers and it works very well...but to use it efficiently you really need a "ground man" to keep from having to stop and get on and off the machine to grab the next sapling...

Yes I have effectively used just a 1/4" chain and the FEL, but you still spend a lot of time getting on and off when working alone.

 

[s219]

Brush grubber works great, but as noted you need a helper for the best productivity. I used one extensively to clear saplings. Either pull via wheel traction, or in some cases can lift up using the 3-pt hitch to pop saplings loose.

 

[SPYDERLK]

Bushog them at about 6" height with extremely dull blades at moderate rpm and lo travel speed. Then do it again at scalp height.
larry

 

[RalphVa]

I agree on the bush hog. Do it 2 or 3 times, and they won't be coming back.

Ralph

 

[dave1949]

I have found my FEL with toothbar to be very effective at this, even getting 4-5" stuff up pretty good with some work. Pines are by far the easiest. Sweet gum is more difficult. I just pull up and position a tooth at a 30-35 or so angle on the ground 6-8" from the trunk, push the loader down and drive forward (digging in a little), pushing the teeth under the soil to put that tooth under the truck, then I curl and while driving slowly forward and pop the tree out. The 2" stuff may even be easier than that where you can just drive up to it and put the bucket against the trunk a couple or few feet off the ground and push it over until it exposes the root system and then back up and push the root ball up and out. You will get the feel of the sweet spot in similar trees of similar sizes. Your tractor is bigger, stronger, and heavier than mine, so I'd imagine would be even easier for you and you could tackle larger trees than I have.

I have done a lot of this method. You will get 95% of the roots too. Works great on pine/fir/spruce, poplar, ash, maple, red oak a bit tougher. Works poorly with beech I've found. So, it is species dependent, and ground moisture makes a difference too.

I would certainly give it a try before spending money on additional tools.

 

[Xfaxman]

I have about an acre that has a lot of 2" oak and Sweetgum trees as well as a LOT of 1-2 inch wild pear trees. What is the best way to clean this up. I tried chemicals on the wild pear saplings but they always seem to come back. I would like to take care of this problem so that I don't have regrowth. I have a 3930 new holland and a Gannon blade. I seem to recall there is some type of grabber that you can get to pull up the saplings but this seem like it would take a long time. Thanks

Check this tree puller thread: http://www.tractorbynet.com/forums/attachments/277824-tree-puller.html

The advantage of pulling is, no stump, very small hole after you shake the dirt off of the roots.

 

[adventure bob]

Used my Grubber on a 3/8 chain hung from bucket hooks tonight to see how hard it would be to use. It pops them out of the ground fairly easy, but need two people to be effective. Realizing I need a box blade or weight box on the back. Got a rear wheel in the air a couple of times. At that point I just put the bucket really low and drove forward and they popped out. I would recommend going forward versus back cuase when the tap root lets go it does so with a POP. Going backwards may put the thing through your grill.
Pulling 6-10in ponderosa stumps cut at 12-15in tall.

 

[LD1]

I'd choose the method based on what I planned on doing with the field afterword.

If you just want to clear it to be pasture or whatever, bushhog it.

IF you want to farm it, the roots may be an issue.

But sounds like alot of oak trees that are the perfect size for transplanting. I hate wasting good oaks. In my area, 2" oaks bring 60-70 bucks at greenhouses. Why not put an ad up on c-list or something and let people dig them out for like 10/ea or something??

 

[94BULLITT]

I agree it all depends what you are planning on doing with the field.

You could use a trimmer with a brush cutting blade. You could probably almost cut them off flush.

 

[Egon]

I have done a lot of this method. You will get 95% of the roots too. Works great on pine/fir/spruce, poplar, ash, maple, red oak a bit tougher. Works poorly with beech I've found. So, it is species dependent, and ground moisture makes a difference too.

I would certainly give it a try before spending money on additional tools.

I'm for the tooth bar too.:thumbsup:

One acre will not take that long.

 

[dave1949]

I'm for the tooth bar too.:thumbsup:

One acre will not take that long.

A tooth bar would be nice, but I don't have one. My bucket has a removable cutting edge that stays very sharp from back dragging though. The cutting edge bites into the trunks enough to get a grip.

 

[Gary Fowler]

Unless you have a backhoe or a FEL shovel attachment, hooking a chain around them and pulling them up by the roots is the best way to go especially with the sweet gum trees. ANY amount of root left is going to sprout out a tree, but these can be dealt with via chemical spraying (2-4D) or just mowing them down each year. Thorn trees are the worst for sprouting and also have the most tenacious root system. I found a couple of them growing outside my fence line in the road ditch right of way so rather than cut them with my weedeater with Gator head attachment, I took my B26 out and dug them up with the back hoe. They were about 20 feet apart and all on a connected root about 4" in diameter with all kinds of root spurs coming off. Nasty rascals to control.

I had a section by my creek that was about 60 feet wide by 800 feet long that was very thick with sweet gum trees that I used my tractor and bush hog to push over and shred up as much as I could get into the thicket which worked fairly well till I got too many large trees in the way but it did thin out along the edge. After about 3 years of mowing most of the stubs had died and rotted out. I also used my RTV 900 and a chain to yank out a bunch of the smaller ones which got a lot of them thinned out. This was a lot of work, hooking, pulling unhooking etc but it was still faster than digging them out with the FEL and it left much smaller holes.
After I got my B26 TLB, I made a half day clearing out and thinning enough that I could get my tractor around thru them. I didn't want to take all, just enough to allow some light to get to the bottom so some grass could grow. I just backed up into the thicket, popping them out left, center and right, then used the backhoe thumb to drag them to the side and stack them, then backed in for another round. About 6 hours of this and I had almost all of what I wanted to remove on the ground, then it was just a matter of pushing everything into a pile for burning later. A backhoe is an expensive attachment, but I wouldn't be without mine. I just wish I had bought one 4 years ago rather than last year. I have not only cleared sapling growth, but dug up dead and live pines trees from sapling size to greater than 20" diameter at the butt end, dug up rocks both large and small, dug pits for burying dead animals, mucked out ponds and creeks to remove trash and make deep holes in my creek so they stay wet year round, hauled dirt to fill in holes, etc. Just tons of uses for a TLB but only if you can justify the upfront costs with a substantial amount of work.

 

[Egon]

A tooth bar would be nice, but I don't have one. My bucket has a removable cutting edge that stays very sharp from back dragging though. The cutting edge bites into the trunks enough to get a grip.

The cutting edge does work. I've cleaned out quite bushes/trees with a Kubota B7100 and smooth edge bucket. Actually wore out the cutting edge and had to replace it.

 

[foreman Etexas]

I have shredded a place where had a bunch of little sweetgums,then went in with boxblade, set the rippers out and ripped the little stobs up,smoothed back out with drag harrow. Then went in and sprayed with 2-4d/remedy mix,when a few showed back up.

 

[Tractor Seabee]

I push over up to 4" alders by setting my BX25 FEL about 4' high and push as far as I can, that gets the roots loose on that side then either push the other side the same way or get the FEL blade under the exposed roots and curl up. Works every time. I then drag them to the wood lot in 4-6 bundle wrapped with chain hooked to the top of the QH and lifted off the ground.

Ron