Clearing Old Cutover / 150 acres

[crossroadsd]

One thing I like about the mulching vs the dozer is that it should benefit the soil. Our land is not the best. Also once you start breaking the ground it is very rocky.

It was asked above if our land was flat. It is flat for the most part. Some hills but not enough to really be a bother working on. Only real obstacles would be a couple of creeks.

For those of you who have mulched what is required afterward to get the pasture going? Can you broadcast or notill directly into the mulch?

I wasn't familiar with the shear blade before either. Looks like that would be the way to go if I decide on the dozer.

If I were to go the mulcher route does anybody rent them in the Va area. I saw one dealer that was renting the larger machines but he was located in Wisconsin. ( I think)

 

[mjcountrybumpkin]

I personally would look at something like a John Deere 850 J, Cat D6 or a similar sized Dozer. Much cheaper on fuel than a larger D-8 sized machine per performance pushing 6 inch and smaller trees like you have.

Mulching is good but for a cow pasture it would be over doing it in my opinion. No need for a shear blade just get a six way (pat) blade machine with sweeps and push it into big windrows and burn. Simple is better sometimes.

 

[7879fordman]

What I have seen around here of the mulch that was done grass didn't grow well at all . Takes years from what I have seen .

The reason to use a shear blade on a dozer is to cut the trees right at the ground . So you don't pull the roots/ stump out with all the dirt .

Dozers shear it then put a rake blade on to rake every thing in a pile . It really is the best way to get cow pasture .
It's the way I'm doing 80 acres here this year for cow pasture . And I will hire it done . It's way cheaper that way . I will be hiring the best in the area . Here's been doing it all his life and he's in his 60's and still the best around . He has 3-4 D8's . I have used him before . So ain't worried of his skills .

And a little dirt in a pile is easily bladed back out as ya burn .

Sent from my iPhone 5 using TractorByNet

 

[ShearHeadMS]

They are right, I have ether bad habit of trying to deer hunt with a cannon, down here in MS the land is so dense with pines and oaks that you need a big dozer for it hahaha!

 

[Egon]

Mulching takes a lot of nitrogen for a proper breakdown.

 

[tonyoz]

Mulching takes a lot of nitrogen for a proper breakdown.

You guy's must have a whole lot of different trees than in Oz. Over here the nitrogen leaches out of the mulch into the topsoil promoting the grasses growth. Having topsoil in a burn heap is just real bad as the heat kills the enzymes in the soil making it useless for years

 

[mulchguy]

As far as I know we have the same nitrogen in the States, very good point CTC.

 

[yellowdogsvc]

One thing I like about the mulching vs the dozer is that it should benefit the soil. Our land is not the best. Also once you start breaking the ground it is very rocky.

It was asked above if our land was flat. It is flat for the most part. Some hills but not enough to really be a bother working on. Only real obstacles would be a couple of creeks.

For those of you who have mulched what is required afterward to get the pasture going? Can you broadcast or notill directly into the mulch?

I wasn't familiar with the shear blade before either. Looks like that would be the way to go if I decide on the dozer.

If I were to go the mulcher route does anybody rent them in the Va area. I saw one dealer that was renting the larger machines but he was located in Wisconsin. ( I think)

As long as you have moisture, and some grasses already established, nature will take its course. Even in semi-arid S. Central Texas where the drought is making grasses grow very slow and the cedar mulch naturally and because of a lack of moisture, takes a long time to break down, I'm seeing grasses re-establish in as little as 6 months to year. I'm seeing good coverage in 2 years with little rain and no overseeding. If you over seed and get enough rain, you can probably support grasses quickly. Once grass is established, it will speed up the breakdown of the mulch and the benefits of the mulch will be fully realized (better soil temps, organic matter added to the soil, etc.) Also, while the grasses are getting established whether it's natural or a re-seed effort, the mulch will help protect immature grasses from foragers and weather.

 

[Egon]

You guy's must have a whole lot of different trees than in Oz. Over here the nitrogen leaches out of the mulch into the topsoil promoting the grasses growth. Having topsoil in a burn heap is just real bad as the heat kills the enzymes in the soil making it useless for years

Are you sure on the nitrogen thing?

 

[tonyoz]

Are you sure on the nitrogen thing?

That's what I have been told by agriculture and forestry consultants, silviculturist's, and others more educated than me.