How To Remove Light Brush-Roots and All

[HillStreet]

If you apply glyphosate, you can plant the new bushes as soon as you cut down the dead bushes.

Steve

Edit -- I would wait for cooler weather before transplanting. That would be late September/early October in SC, but earlier for you.

Good,

September here would work out just fine.

 

[/pine]

Although it can be time consuming...especially without helper (ground man) these products work very well

BrushGrubber | Brush Grubber Products

If you have a helper and using a long strap, chain or good rope...you can start at the top (with your tractor at the bottom) and pull the saplings etc. out all the way to the bottom...I have cleared a couple of (too steep) slopes of alders etc. this way...

Good Luck..

 

[kco]

I'd be inclined to clear it with the trimmer brush blade and keep retrimming as the shrubs try to come back. They will eventually die out if you keep cutting the tops. After the first cutting you should be able to cut the new growth with the string trimmer.

 

[jack707]

This is how I did it I mowed all the weeds down and sprayed crossbow since I had it on hand,or another way would be just use a weed burner to burn what you don't want.

 

[Gary Fowler]

If you want instant results, a helper and a long chain to hook around each bush and yank it out with your tractor. Helper at the top will keep you from walking up and down the hill till your tongue hangs out. A 60x60 wont take long at all to yank out by the roots all the shrubbery. Even if sprayed with roundup and 2-4D mixture, you will still need to uproot them so just save the time and uproot first. I always mix the two together to get grass and broadleaf plants as glyphosate only kills grass and other narrow leave plants. Any residual plants left could be put down with a weedeater and then sprayed with herbicide prior to planting your new plants.

 

[smstonypoint]

If you want instant results, a helper and a long chain to hook around each bush and yank it out with your tractor. Helper at the top will keep you from walking up and down the hill till your tongue hangs out. A 60x60 wont take long at all to yank out by the roots all the shrubbery. Even if sprayed with roundup and 2-4D mixture, you will still need to uproot them so just save the time and uproot first. I always mix the two together to get grass and broadleaf plants as glyphosate only kills grass and other narrow leave plants. Any residual plants left could be put down with a weedeater and then sprayed with herbicide prior to planting your new plants.

Correction. Glyphosate is non-selective -- it kills both grass and broadleaf plants.

It is debatable whether the OP needs to pull out the existing brush by the roots. In my mind, the answer would depend on the size and density of the existing brush population. With smaller and less dense brush, he could spray with glyphosate and then cut the brush at near ground level when the brush is dead. If the brush is neither too big nor too dense, he shouldn't have much interference from the dead roots when he digs holes for the plants that he transplants.

Steve

 

[TomSeller]

I use Crossbow on any woody type shrubs, It leaves the grass alone to keep the ground from being exposed to weeds. Roundup kills everything, then weeds move in.

 

[square1]

 

[Gary Fowler]

Correction. Glyphosate is non-selective -- it kills both grass and broadleaf plants.

It is debatable whether the OP needs to pull out the existing brush by the roots. In my mind, the answer would depend on the size and density of the existing brush population. With smaller and less dense brush, he could spray with glyphosate and then cut the brush at near ground level when the brush is dead. If the brush is neither too big nor too dense, he shouldn't have much interference from the dead roots when he digs holes for the plants that he transplants.

Steve

a
I haven't found that to be strictly true. Roundup will knock off the leaves from some of the heartier broadleaf plants like saw briars and nuisance trees like thorn, sweet gum and slick bark elm but it wont kill them to the roots. Adding 2-4D will give it the punch to kill everything DEAD.

 

[HillStreet]

UPDATE: I am the OP. Worked out there yesterday and cleared the general area leading to the slope. I drilled and split some boulders and pushed the halves down the slope with the tractor bucket. I cut some of the brush with pruners, and pulled some of the roots with a claw bar or shovel. Works OK but slow.

This project is to landscape this area that's an eyesore you can see coming up the hill. As part of that, I will plant a dogwood tree for my new grandson. I planted decorative trees on the property for each of my grand kids when they were born. The kids get to watch their own trees grow over the years.