Making pasture from forest - leaving stumps

[Carl_NH]

RJJR,

I would probably rent a bobcat or similar with a tree snipping head and vertical grapple. You can probably cut and clamp 10 at a time and they cut at the base maybe leaving a 1-2" stump. And since they are pines they dont reshoot from the stump (at least the pines here dont).

Otherwise use your grapple and lift them stump and all - would make for a long day I think.

 

[rtd]

I agree with cowski - since this is only to be pasture, cut the stumps off as close to the ground as you can. You will dull a chain or two but you should have no trouble brush-hogging over the area.

 

[slowzuki]

They will clean it with rotational grazing. If you don't have grazing and browsing species to rotate in an area, you will need to do other work. It how all the land around here was cleared until dynamite got cheap.

Mulchers cost 1200$ an acre and up here. The up part is for rocks and big stumps. 2500$/acre is not unheard off. Cleared farm land is worth less than 1000$/acre here. Do the math for the area and see if that option makes sense I guess.

Another problem with leaving the stumps is that grass and weeds will grow, hiding the stumps. You can't depend on livestock to mow your grass in a newly cleared field. They will eat the good stuff and leave the noxious weeds to spread rapidly. Colliding with a large hidden stump can do serious damage to your tractor and/or bush hog.

 

[farmboyhull]

Wow!

Love coming back to a thread to find so much info. I haven't looked at David's info (mossflower stuff) but look forward to it. Also got a few PMs with some good links. Really appreciate it.

I look ahead when I'm planning projects. I'd like to get this one down before snow, but with the other projects on the list (you guys ever have a thread where you compare the number of projects on your lists? I bet we all think we have the most...) it's hard to say.

It really seems like I'll be burning over chipping as I can use the ash over the organic material. I'll spread the ash and cinders around and probably end up getting some lime up there.

I'll probably leave the stumps and see how much trouble it is with them. Cheaper that way, but may be an issue later if I get a grinder up there. Be a drag to get a grinder up when the new pasture roots aren't holding the soil very well.

I'll see if I can get a rake, discs or chain harrow up there, depending on the stump issue. I'll be using the animals to put some seed down (I'll seed and scatter hay, and let them stamp it in) throughout the seasons, and we'll see what kind of forage I can get. I'll never be able to get any "fancy" seeding done with all the rocks, I can't even do it with my other pasture.

This will be a good start, feel free to keep info coming if you've got it.

Thanks.

David (the handsomest of the other names out there)

 

[horse7]

It also depends on how fast you want to clear the land. Lots of people seem in a blazing rush to burn up their cash.

I have been gradually removing brush and trees mixed-- usually removing the trees too large to bush hog then bush hogging what is left. In those cases, typically now marginal slopes, the trees are cut off flush with the ground (also reduces erosion vs. pushing out the trees).

Trees on flatter areas are pushed over one by one if possible, or cut off with 3-4 feet left sticking up if they are resistant to pushing. When I have a mini-ex with thumb on the site the cutoffs are dug out, dirt shaken off, and the hole backfilled.

Spend 1-3hr a day, couple of times a week usually early AM on clearing, not a whole lot.

I am not too successful at cutting larger trees (over 10" or so) flush with the ground-- they always seem to stick up just enough to catch the bush hog blades (it is too much trouble to rent a grinder, which is the real solution short of digging them up or waiting).

What is amazing is that after removing a couple of trees, you don't even notice that anything changed. Even removing dozens over months, people rarely notice anything.

 

[MossflowerWoods]

Wow!

Love coming back to a thread to find so much info. I haven't looked at David's info (mossflower stuff) but look forward to it. Also got a few PMs with some good links. Really appreciate it.

Thanks.

David (the handsomest of the other names out there)

David,

I'm in the same boat, too many projects, not enough $$ or time...

Seriously, I've been asking all the exact same questions. Just like the X-Files, "the answers are out there" in my threads on land clearing...

Also, where are you located?

David

 

[IronHog]

It also depends on how fast you want to clear the land. Lots of people seem in a blazing rush to burn up their cash.

I have been gradually removing brush and trees mixed-- usually removing the trees too large to bush hog then bush hogging what is left. In those cases, typically now marginal slopes, the trees are cut off flush with the ground (also reduces erosion vs. pushing out the trees).

Trees on flatter areas are pushed over one by one if possible, or cut off with 3-4 feet left sticking up if they are resistant to pushing. When I have a mini-ex with thumb on the site the cutoffs are dug out, dirt shaken off, and the hole backfilled.

Spend 1-3hr a day, couple of times a week usually early AM on clearing, not a whole lot.

I am not too successful at cutting larger trees (over 10" or so) flush with the ground-- they always seem to stick up just enough to catch the bush hog blades (it is too much trouble to rent a grinder, which is the real solution short of digging them up or waiting).

What is amazing is that after removing a couple of trees, you don't even notice that anything changed. Even removing dozens over months, people rarely notice anything.

I'm kinda knocking around the idea of clearing up 40 acres of pine plantation I currently own for pasture.


If I do it I'll have the logger clearcut the area making sure he cuts most of the stuff there low with his cutter and drag the rest down with his skidder.... then pile the slash. If needed I'll rent a dozer to hit the rough spots.

Then I'm gonna nail fence to line trees and sew clover/bahia grass.... then add cattle.


It'll look a little rough for the first few years, but trust me the cows won't mind a stump. Pasture does not =/= hay meadow.


I've helped turn overgrown land into hay meadows with tifton 44........ it is a big project.

 

[slowzuki]

Was going to mention, I property I look after was overgrown field cleared by chainsaw 5 years ago. I bushhog over the stumps. Last year put on the pallet forks and popped/broke apart a few stumps easily so I set the bushhog down to an inch high or so. The softened/rotted stumps are still too much to mulch with the hog, need another 5 years or so.

 

[farmboyhull]

David, I'm in Newfane, Vermont. I started looking at some of your threads, hope to get to others tonight.

Love this quote, "Pasture does not =/= hay meadow." So true, although I keep looking at my pastures and wanting them to be a hayfield in looks. Good thing to remember.

Thanks again, fellas. This is great stuff.

David

 

[MossflowerWoods]

David, I'm in Newfane, Vermont. I started looking at some of your threads, hope to get to others tonight.

Love this quote, "Pasture does not =/= hay meadow." So true, although I keep looking at my pastures and wanting them to be a hayfield in looks. Good thing to remember.

Thanks again, fellas. This is great stuff.

David

David,

I've been pondering on that quote lately as well. As I keep falling behind and need to getmore pasture on-line sooner, it sounds better and better...

Vermont... Nice. :thumbsup: We shall come an visit some time...

David

 

[MossflowerWoods]

Was going to mention, I property I look after was overgrown field cleared by chainsaw 5 years ago. I bushhog over the stumps. Last year put on the pallet forks and popped/broke apart a few stumps easily so I set the bushhog down to an inch high or so. The softened/rotted stumps are still too much to mulch with the hog, need another 5 years or so.

Did you get a Ratchet Rake? I suspect it will accellerate this process...

Just a thought...

David

 

[slowzuki]

Its not my property, I'm only paid to mow it. The owner has written off an atv towed lawn mower hitting the stumps and a ride on mower but he doesn't want to spend any on removing them.

 

[bcp]

Stumps can be useful:

 

[creekbend]

Stumps can be useful:

Could you possibly post a link relating to those photos. I am interested in researching the material? Sincere thanks.

 

[bcp]

::: Darius Kinsey Photographs :::

More:
Pete Beletsky, Sedro-Woolley's Stumphouse Man, Part One

Stump house known as the One-log House, Hoquiam, Washington | Houses Images

Fine Hydrocal Castings by C. C. Crow - Postcard Collection - ODDITIES - Model Railroad Craftsman Structure Kits and Masonry Castings

DZONOQUA'S WHISTLE: Stump Homes

 

[dougg]

You can burn stumps: make a hole at an angle in the stump with a 1" or larger auger bit as deep as you can go. Stuff the hole full with potassium nitrate. Come back in a few weeks, throw a bit of diesel on the stump and light it. It should burn into the ground because the potassium nitrate, being water soluble saturates the wood.

 

[IslandTractor]

One technique that has not been mentioned in this thread is to use a ripper on a CUT BH. Because there is just one 25 inch long tooth, the ripping does not disturb the ground any more than a subsoiler. If you rip about three or four feet out from the tree or stump you cut the sizable roots and the stump can the be pushed or lifted out. Most stumps are really not very deep, especially when dealing with up to 15 inch diameter rapid growing trash trees. That means there is only a shallow depression rather than a big hole.

I cleared a hundred or more trees using a ripper on a Woods 90x combined with a grapple and strong loader. Took about 15-20 minutes per tree . Stumps take longer as you don't have the weight and leverage of the tree to pop them out.

Advantage of using a ripper on a CUT is that you don't need to rent equipment, you don't have rotting subsurface stump and root remains and it causes not much more damage to the land than grinding. No need to worry about rocks meeting grinders either. Another advantage of using your own equipment is that you can easily stage the work as there is no pressure to get the most out of a rental period.

Disadvantages. Obviously you need a backhoe. I have a nine foot BH, and would not want to do it with anything smaller. A ripper replaces the bucket and costs $500. You still need to move and deal with the unearthed stumps (grapple makes the moving part trivial for stumps up to 15-20 inch trunk. Bigger ones might need to be dragged on a car hood skid.

I tried stump grinding and digging out stumps with a bucket before having a ripper fabricated by Michigan Iron. I'll never grind another stump and will never drop a tree with a chainsaw if I can use the ripper and pushing instead. it is a very nice and easy method if you have a BH and 40+ HP CUT.

 

[foggy1111]

I tried stump grinding and digging out stumps with a bucket before having a ripper fabricated by Michigan Iron. I'll never grind another stump and will never drop a tree with a chainsaw if I can use the ripper and pushing instead. it is a very nice and easy method if you have a BH and 40+ HP CUT.

Funny how it goes.....I would not attempt to dig stumps out or use a ripper to get at 'em. I can grind a pine stump to smithereens in a few minutes....and have nothing left but chips. No stumps to burn, bury or haul. With grinding.....now you see it, now you don't. Poof....it's gone!

Prolly varies allot with different areas of the country and tree species. Different strokes for different folks. :thumbsup:

Over 1550 stumps ground.....and more to come.

 

[IslandTractor]

Funny how it goes.....I would not attempt to dig stumps out or use a ripper to get at 'em. I can grind a pine stump to smithereens in a few minutes....and have nothing left but chips. No stumps to burn, bury or haul. With grinding.....now you see it, now you don't. Poof....it's gone!

Prolly varies allot with different areas of the country and tree species. Different strokes for different folks. :thumbsup:

Over 1550 stumps ground.....and more to come.

I don't doubt grinding is faster. Concerns about heavy livestock being hurt when stepping into voids a few years down the road is a problem though.

In my case the issue was not livestock. It was just faster to rip, push over, grapple the whole tree and move it rather than chainsaw and grind.

 

[foggy1111]

I don't doubt grinding is faster. Concerns about heavy livestock being hurt when stepping into voids a few years down the road is a problem though.

In my case the issue was not livestock. It was just faster to rip, push over, grapple the whole tree and move it rather than chainsaw and grind.

OK....I can see tipping the whole tree after ripping could go pretty good. Most of the stumps I grind have been sheared off by the loggers. No leverage to be had.

I'm pretty shy on pushing trees these days tho....too many close calls with flying branches or barber chairs....even on trees that lean and appear safe to push....I usually resist.