buckthorn!!!!

[proudestmonkey]

Okay, not necessarily a tractor question, but here goes. I bought this property 1 year ago. Prior to that, I always lived in the city. I wondered why we had these beautiful huge old Oaks, Cottonwoods, Cedars and a few elms and maples, and few younger seedlings. As I became familiar with the property, clearing paths through the woods, I kept chopping down all these 8 to 15 foot trees. I did a little research and discovered they were all buckthorn. They've nearly choked out the entire wooded part of my property. I had thought of buying a 25 gallon sprayer to put on top of my ballast box, and running the tractor through the woods with it. The terrain is too steep in many areas, and my BX doesn't have the ground clearance. So, I bought a backpack sprayer (holds three gallons) and learned what kind of herbicide works best for these things from the State DNR site. My question is, assuming I can kill off most of these trees soon, what is the best way to "harvest" all the dead ones? 90% of them will have "trunks" with diameters of less than 1/2 inch, and probably 50% are "seedlings" with stems 1/4 inch or less, but there are thousands of them. Thinning them out a bit here and there will not do, because their root structure will have them growing right back.

Suggestions?

Oh, one last thing, forest fire is out of the question. /forums/images/graemlins/smirk.gif

 

[Sully2]

Once their dead...shove them OVER with the FEL..and if/when the root balls doesnt come out with the "trunk"...get the bucket down and roll it and POP the root ball out.

Same thing Im doing here with "shrub honeysuckle" and "locust" trees up to about 3 inch diameter...with my B3030.

 

[beenthere]

This buckthorn is the scourge of the forest here as well. What herbicide are you using? And when do you spray?

I've killed it with roundup and can slow it down with Amine 400 sprayed on the leaves, but a neighbor who managed to get a grant to treat his woods uses 'Tahoe', and can spray the bark of the buckthorn any time of the year.

Once it is dead, don't know as I want to try to harvest it, as the thorns are something else to contend with. Long, sharp, and very strong. Unfortunately, it is one of these things introduced as an ornamental, that has gone wild. And it will grow well under a dense stand of timber, and is spread with long roots (runners) as well as berries that the birds carry off and 'dump'.

 

[beenthere]

This buckthorn is the scourge of the forest here as well. What herbicide are you using? And when do you spray?

I've killed it with roundup and can slow it down with Amine 400 sprayed on the leaves, but a neighbor who managed to get a grant to treat his woods uses 'Tahoe', and can spray the bark of the buckthorn any time of the year.

Once it is dead, don't know as I want to try to harvest it, as the thorns are something else to contend with. Long, sharp, and very strong. Unfortunately, it is one of these things introduced as an ornamental, that has gone wild. And it will grow well under a dense stand of timber, and is spread with long roots (runners) as well as berries that the birds carry off and 'dump'.

 

[proudestmonkey]

I haven't started spraying yet, but the chemical I am using is going to be Ortho "Brush-B-Gone." It has the chemical in it that the DNR here in Minnesota said was one of the two most effective. I think it can be used any time of year, but they recommend the fall for easy identification. I plan to start using it once the rain quits here. The bottle (and DNR) suggest using it in diluted form on the leaves for smaller trees (e.g. seedlings), and for larger ones, to spray the cut stump on top and on the sides to the ground within two hours of cutting it. My plan is to spray the seedlings, wait until they die (bottle says 4 to 6 weeks until dead), and then see how easy they are to pull up. As to the ones that leave a stump, I plan to leave a good 6" to a foot of stump and then come back in the fall and use my FEL to turn them out, or if there in the middle of the woods, I may cut them down to the ground and then just leave them there. My main concern is the foliage and roots choking out other more desirable species.

I was hoping someone had an assembly line approach for getting rid of the thousands of seedlings after they die.

 

[proudestmonkey]

I haven't started spraying yet, but the chemical I am using is going to be Ortho "Brush-B-Gone." It has the chemical in it that the DNR here in Minnesota said was one of the two most effective. I think it can be used any time of year, but they recommend the fall for easy identification. I plan to start using it once the rain quits here. The bottle (and DNR) suggest using it in diluted form on the leaves for smaller trees (e.g. seedlings), and for larger ones, to spray the cut stump on top and on the sides to the ground within two hours of cutting it. My plan is to spray the seedlings, wait until they die (bottle says 4 to 6 weeks until dead), and then see how easy they are to pull up. As to the ones that leave a stump, I plan to leave a good 6" to a foot of stump and then come back in the fall and use my FEL to turn them out, or if there in the middle of the woods, I may cut them down to the ground and then just leave them there. My main concern is the foliage and roots choking out other more desirable species.

I was hoping someone had an assembly line approach for getting rid of the thousands of seedlings after they die.

 

[proudestmonkey]

As to the thorns, I am used to them. A good pair of sturdy leather gloves seems to protect me from nearly all thorny issues.

 

[proudestmonkey]

As to the thorns, I am used to them. A good pair of sturdy leather gloves seems to protect me from nearly all thorny issues.

 

[beenthere]

assembly line /forums/images/graemlins/confused.gif

/forums/images/graemlins/wink.gif I figure when they are dead, they are no longer a threat. Maybe you are thinking of a chipper to chip them and spread them out.

Good luck with them. /forums/images/graemlins/wink.gif

 

[beenthere]

assembly line /forums/images/graemlins/confused.gif

/forums/images/graemlins/wink.gif I figure when they are dead, they are no longer a threat. Maybe you are thinking of a chipper to chip them and spread them out.

Good luck with them. /forums/images/graemlins/wink.gif