Grapple, fire and food plot ?

[Shirleyshusband]

So my new Precision 327 grapple is on it's way to me. I anticipate pulling out lots of Honeysuckle, Multiflora and years of accumulated downed trees. I don't have many flat safe places to burn stuff.

One spot would be on a food plot.

My question is if I have a brush/wood pile fire, what will happen to the soil below? I've had a few campfires here and there and it took a long time for grass to grow there again.

I know a simple grass fire can actually be beneficial, but a brush pile is going to be hotter.

If it's not too harmful I could plow, till and plant a couple different crops up to mid August in Southern Wisconsin...

Thoughts?

 

[oosik]

I can throw out an assumption here. I've had wood pile fires. Native grasses DO take a very long time to reestablish. My soil is quite acidic. The wood ash changes the pH of the soil. Native grasses - apparently - do not favor this change of soil pH. Plus the heat of the fire will surely neutralize the organics in the soil.

You could dig a fire pit. Stockpile the soil. Burn whatever in the pit. Fill the pit with the stockpiled soil. In my case - I did just that. Still a problem. Native grasses did not like the soil from deeper in the pit. They are finally filling back into the area. But not all of the varieties. Some simply can not tolerate the new surface soils.

 

[Jrasband]

just spread the ash out it is good for the grass if not to thick. And seed your bare spots after burning.

 

[Lineman North Florida]

Usually within 2 years it will make a comeback and grass will fill in and you will never know there was a burn pile there, but nothing will want to grow there to begin with. I planted a field in bahai grass last year and the owner told me that they had a big brush pile burnt when his land was cleared about a year and a half prior to me harrowing it and seeding it, I was there the other day and the grass has overtaken the burn pile area.

 

[jaxs]

Mentioning food plot and hilly terain that can't be farmed makes me think wildlife is you priority. I doubt what you want to do will improve the land for wildlife and could possibly harm it. It's my understanding Wi is home to deer,moose and elk which are browse animals. Any time you consult a game bioligist in Texas about deer food plots they include Honeysuckle for land that supports it. I suggest parking new grapple until you consult local game experts. There might be things you can do but I'll bet they require far less diesel for clearing and pouring on fires.

 

[Shirleyshusband]

Thanks for the input. I did have a biologist out. Honeysuckle and multiflora aren't native here in Wisconsin and it tends to take over some natives, and it's getting pretty thick. The couple food plots I have are the only flat spots on 70 acres, well, that aren't river bottom. I do have a chipper, but that's more labor....still, may be the best route to go.

 

[D&D]

Guess I’m the oddball, again. Haven’t had any issues with burning and replanting. Fire pits are a good idea, strip the top couple inches and pile separate from the secondaries. Refill with secondary and top with first layer. Work the ground, fertilize and seed. If left to its own devices, it would take considerable time to regrow.

 

[bearthebruce]

@D&D - that is our method also... We had new grasses growing within a week of putting the soil back on the spot.

We did spread the ash evenly before putting the stripped soil back in place.

Then we seeded...