How best to clear shallow roots and vines and fern

Smf834 · Jul 10, 2022

I have a compact tractor that i am still getting familiar with. I have couple acres of an area filled by a dozen or so holly trees that i'm trying to clear. The trees will be chop down and worked on, but what i'm trying to also accomplish is to make the area more walkable. Right now, after years of neglect, it is filled with gopher holes, uneven ground, seasonal blackberry ground vines, small holly brush and old shallow roots, and lots of ferns spread throughout. What is the best way to tackle this? Would a landscape rake be able to rip shallow roots and a create a rough grade that i can then use a box blade later? The area is also on a gentle downslope as well.

Thanks for the advice.

ruffdog · Jul 10, 2022

Maybe a Ratchet rake too.

jeff9366 · Jul 10, 2022

The ground is uneven and loaded with gopher holes, seasonal blackberry ground vines, small holly brush, old shallow roots, and lots of ferns

Dirt Dog - All Purpose Plow / Field Cultivator REVIEW + PICTURES

Dirt Dog All Purpose Plow / Field Cultivator Dirt Dog Model APP 66-5 Total Width 66", Working Width 62", Five Tines, Weight 284 Pounds, Paid $835.00 (2010) Field Cultivator: A Three Point Hitch mounted, secondary tillage implement, used to perform operations such as soil aeration...

www.tractorbynet.com

A 4-WD Kubota L2501 can pull a four (4) tine APP through moist soil.

The APP can be considered a rake with widely spaced tines.

Plan on killing the Blackberries with Crossbow herbicide before working the ground or they may (?) be spread.

2manyrocks · Jul 10, 2022

Picture would help to offer suggestions specific to your situation...

I suspect the first problem would be that if the area is really overgrown, you might need to clear off the vegetation with a rotary cutter. If it's really, really overgrown, you might even need to hire someone with a compact track loader/mulcher. You want to reduce the amount of material as much as you can.

I tend to think that once the vegetation is knocked down, perhaps try a box blade with root rippers taking shallow passes.

A landscape rake is more suited to an area that is already cleared. You can break the tines on a landscape rake if you try to remove vines and roots that are too big. If there is a lot of material to be removed, it's going to tangle in the tines and you'll likely find it frustrating having to stop and untangle the tines.

setxjeff · Jul 10, 2022

The ratchet rake actually works good clearing vines and shallow rooted brush. I also mount mine on a non FEL tractor on the 3 point straight blade it works great there also and leaves the other tractor for the grapple. I did change the mounting system to use 5/16 chain and turn buckles.

bcp · Jul 10, 2022

Smf834 said:
I have a compact tractor that i am still getting familiar with. I have couple acres of an area filled by a dozen or so holly trees that i'm trying to clear. The trees will be chop down and worked on, but what i'm trying to also accomplish is to make the area more walkable. Right now, after years of neglect, it is filled with gopher holes, uneven ground, seasonal blackberry ground vines, small holly brush and old shallow roots, and lots of ferns spread throughout. What is the best way to tackle this? Would a landscape rake be able to rip shallow roots and a create a rough grade that i can then use a box blade later? The area is also on a gentle downslope as well.

Thanks for the advice.

I'm also in SW WA, so probably have the same vegetation.

I would use my rotary cutter, then the box blade rippers with as many passes as needed. Clean up with the landscape rake.

What implements do you have?

Bruce

Smf834 · Jul 10, 2022

i have a toothbar on my bucket, stump bucket. I have attached a few pic. Most volunteers are from holly, hazelnut and poplar variety. The numerous ferns are everywhere

2manyrocks · Jul 11, 2022

That's not as grown up as I imagined. My concern with the toothbar on the FEL is potentially getting hung on a stump or rock.

What about a pull behind spike drag harrow?

Smf834 · Jul 11, 2022

i tried using the toothbar, but with the uneven ground, i kept digging into the ground instead of an even scrape over the surface. Maybe i just need more practice

jyoutz · Jul 11, 2022

Rotary cutter, then Fred Cain plow.

mikester · Jul 11, 2022

rent

2manyrocks · Jul 11, 2022

Smf834 said:
i tried using the toothbar, but with the uneven ground, i kept digging into the ground instead of an even scrape over the surface. Maybe i just need more practice

I'm afraid you'll either bend something on your FEL or damage your hydraulics because that's what can happen due to the uneven ground, stumps, roots and rocks. This is why some have suggested using a rear field cultivator with spring teeth that have some flex to bend and are spring mounted when you hit something in the ground. Even if you break a tooth, that's less expensive to repair than tearing up your FEL or hydraulic system. You can also lift it up with your rear 3pt hitch to clean the vines off if they don't slide off on their own.

I was starting to think about a rear spike harrow pulled behind the tractor. It's own weight holds it to the ground and it is free to move up and down on its own because it's pulled with a chain. It's going to follow the ground contour of its own accord, but the spikes should tear into the vines. The difficulty would be that the spikes will load up with vines and would be a pain to clean out.

FastEddieR · Jul 11, 2022

hire a local farmer with a disc to turn the top layer of soil a couple of times.

ROUSTABOUT · Jul 11, 2022

I can tackle all that with a riding mower and a two bit axe.

Smf834 · Jul 12, 2022

is there an attachment similar to the box blade’s scarifier that i can pull to rip shallow brush out? I noticed box blade usually has 3-4 tines. I am hoping for more closely spaced heavier duty tines than on the landscape rake.

jyoutz · Jul 12, 2022

Smf834 said:
is there an attachment similar to the box blade’s scarifier that i can pull to rip shallow brush out? I noticed box blade usually has 3-4 tines. I am hoping for more closely spaced heavier duty tines than on the landscape rake.

Fred Cain cultivator

2manyrocks · Jul 12, 2022

Smf834 said:
i have a toothbar on my bucket, stump bucket. I have attached a few pic. Most volunteers are from holly, hazelnut and poplar variety. The numerous ferns are everywhere

I have been fighting kudzu vine for years. There was a point where I tried one of the walk behind string trimmers that uses the very heavy duty line. I was surprised at how effective it was at shredding kudzu vine because it's a pretty tough vine and because it runs low to the ground beneath where most mower blades can reach.

Since the kudzu was on a steep bank and the walk behind trimmer wasn't self propelled, I sold it because it was tiring to use. It was effective on kudzu vines, however. The vines were rough on the trimmer line and they had to be changed frequently.

Having said that, I suspect you could use a walk behind string trimmer or at least try a very heavy duty string in your gas trimmer to see how effective it might be.

If the area is just too big to use a trimmer, are their any used rear mount field cultivators for sale in your area?

jeff9366 · Jul 12, 2022

Smf834 said:
is there an attachment similar to the box blade’s scarifier that i can pull to rip shallow brush out?

Read Post #3.

Smf834 · Jul 12, 2022

Thanks, I will look for those type of plows, hopefully some rental yard has something similar. It is a bit spendy to purchase right now.

nyone · Jul 14, 2022

Smf834 said:
Would a landscape rake be able to rip shallow roots

It may but it will only rip up one end of the root. You will still need to go back through with a set of loppers to trim. Removing every other tine helps too.