Briar patch clearing help.

[Highbeam]

Mow, mow, and mow. I've turned 8' tall briar patches into brown dust and then so long as you mow to prevent regrowth, the grass will eventually crowd out the briar.

It is quite satisfying to convert a briar patch into brown dust. Look out for bee hives.

 

[greenmule]

You don't have much to worry about as far as tire puntures with multi flower and blackberries,I don't think anyways,thorns to short.

 

[IslandTractor]

Look out for bee hives.

Unfortunately you cannot generally see them before you whack them with the mower. I have developed a well honed "abandon ship" reflex triggered by first sighting (or sting) followed by a "haul butt" 50 yard sprint and 15 minute cooling off period as the only reasonable response short of buying a cab tractor. A tractor cannot out run angry bees. Luckily the bees tend to focus on the tractor rather than following the operator most of the time.

 

[Altex]

IslandTractor, I've been reading some of your other posts regarding your Flail Mower. Great info! I'm starting to consider one of these now. And from one of your pics, you're next to the Ocean? Love it.

http://www.tractorbynet.com/forums/attachments/98326-caroni-flail-mower-hydraulic-shift-3.html

Looks like you have the "B" type Rotor with Shackles. What do you think is the application difference between "B" and "A" type Rotors? They have the same number of blades. Are the Shackles for heavier brush? I'm guessing the "F" type would be for finer cut mowing.

 

[IslandTractor]

Yes, I have the B type knives. The F type are for finish mowing. I don't know what use the A type have as they are very similar to the B except for the shackle. The shackle provides more flexibility when hitting rocks etc. and moves the knife a little further from the drum so increases knife speed somewhat too.

I'm very happy with my Caroni TM1900. If it disappeared tomorrow I would order another the next day.

 

[Dawgfan3]

Remedy mixed with Grazon or 2-4D works well on blackberry. Follow the directions, which can be looked up online. Add a surfactant to any mix of these. I have cleared several acres grown up in blackbery and tree sprouts by mowing and then spraying new growth at the right time.

 

[randy1687]

Not to be funny but if your place is fenced, a herd of goats (BOER) will do the trick. My farm here in texas had a ton of those green briars and my boer goats LOVE them. They will eat the leaves first then actaully eat the thorny vine especially if it green almost down to the ground. Everywhere my goats stay I have no brairs coming back.

 

[chh]

If you want to bale it for hay and the chem route is too expensive, just brushhog it down and when you are ready to mow the hay mow it with a rotary hay mower(not a sickle bar)set to cut low to the ground. There will be a LOT of trash in the first years cut, but it will do a real number on the blackberry, briar and rose. If you skip mowing a year or two it will start coming back.
I did this with a field we had brushhogged for years(my father didn't use chemicals at all) and each year the briars would come back about 3' high. The bales had about 2' of trash left in the bottom of the rings after feeding the "hay"(well it did have quite a bit of grass in the mix). I fed it early before the weather got bad and put out a lot of it. Since then it has been one of my best fields and you can not currently find the old "briar patch" in the field at all any more.

 

[greggh]

What about disking after mowing? Wouldn't that tear up the roots and let them dry out? I don't have any briars on my place, but I thought that might work.

 

[Altex]

Mow, mow, and mow. I've turned 8' tall briar patches into brown dust and then so long as you mow to prevent regrowth, the grass will eventually crowd out the briar...

I thinkin' this is better, wether it's with a Flail or Brush Hog. And discing would help too. I'd rather be on the tractor mowing (or disc) than mixing chemicals and spraying while driving a tractor.