Saplings and brush around pond banks. Suggestions?

   / Saplings and brush around pond banks. Suggestions? #71  
New tractor owner looking for some advice. I have an issue around my pond with some plant I can't recognize that likes to grow right on the water's edge. They can get quite large if left unchecked. I let them get a bit out of hand last summer and had to spend many hours with the chainsaw addressing the issue over the winter. Now there's small stumps and the freaking buggers are starting to come back again. I'd rather not have to back a bushhog up and down the bank over and over and larger the batwings seem like a bit much for my needs. Anyone have any suggestions? would a flail work well?

Note, my tractor doesn't have remotes or a 3rd function, but I've considered adding them, if needed.

Also, I'm aware of the laneshark, but I'm seriously wondering if it's worth the price. For most of my cutting needs, a bushhog would work very well. I only need something like this for the pond banks.

The pond is roughly 5 acres. Some of the bank edges have a ~1 - 2' drop to the water.
Large brush will be hard on flail mower. I am retired from state highway department and we used heavy commercial flail mowers and the large overgrowth caused constant maintenance problems. The flail mower is not really designed for that type of mowing, but DOT's use them because of safety--they throw debris vertically to the ground instead of horizontally (out into traffic). The best bet would be boom mower mounted to the side but they require large heavy tractors and are single use because of the offset weight opposite the mower--not practical for your application unless you found a unit at a government surplus sale. I have a similar application on my farm and I have used the Stihl Kombisystem to great advantage. You buy the power head and with that you can get brush cutter and various attachments that you can use for other things-like a pole pruner for tree trimming. For heavy brush around the water's edge, I have found the power scythe or ever hedge trimmers work well and you can get additional reach with shaft extensions. And you don't run the risk of getting too close to the edge with the tractor (and that offset weighted flail mower) and perhaps having a bad day. Echo and other vendors have similar systems and the cost is reasonable when you consider the additional stuff you can do with it. It is a little more labor intensive, but I have a smaller pond than you do. Good luck!
 
   / Saplings and brush around pond banks. Suggestions? #73  
New tractor owner looking for some advice. I have an issue around my pond with some plant I can't recognize that likes to grow right on the water's edge. They can get quite large if left unchecked. I let them get a bit out of hand last summer and had to spend many hours with the chainsaw addressing the issue over the winter. Now there's small stumps and the freaking buggers are starting to come back again. I'd rather not have to back a bushhog up and down the bank over and over and larger the batwings seem like a bit much for my needs. Anyone have any suggestions? would a flail work well?

Note, my tractor doesn't have remotes or a 3rd function, but I've considered adding them, if needed.

Also, I'm aware of the laneshark, but I'm seriously wondering if it's worth the price. For most of my cutting needs, a bushhog would work very well. I only need something like this for the pond banks.

The pond is roughly 5 acres. Some of the bank edges have a ~1 - 2' drop to the water.
I have a similar problem only smaller. I was looking for an articulated arm mower, but like all your options, the price was ridiculous. I need some other landscaping done so I called a guy I used before to put in some irrigation lines for my little pecan orchard. He recommended manual labor. For my small pond, it should only take one or two guys an hour or so. Do that 3-4 times a year and that trash weeds should be under control. I hope.
 
   / Saplings and brush around pond banks. Suggestions? #74  
If you don't want to fight them every year, put Tordon on the stumps
 
   / Saplings and brush around pond banks. Suggestions? #75  
Here's what I have today looking North, with a few gribbed olives on the lawn that didn't make it onto the last fire. Most all of the East shore is shown here where I grub, dig, or cut with tractors, grapples, and the Terramite. Not far from the near mallard tube is a bit of remaining phragmites. It once covered the entire West shore before I learned to manage it by spraying from the water. A different profusion and a different method than grappling. It would have shown at the left of the pic at one time.

When I moved in ('01) there was just a patch of phragmites by the wood duck box way in the back. By the time I retired ('06) I had to learn what is is and how to deal with it. Were I not pulling willow and poplars there would be no view of the water from the house by now. btw, I do mow down to the water in a few places, one flail-width for fishing access where we seniors with bionic joints can walk down to the water and set up a folding chair. Anything >1" diameter or so is grubbed out first.

IMG_1920.JPG
 
   / Saplings and brush around pond banks. Suggestions? #76  
Beaver will definitely eat riparian saplings for free with no cost of kibble issues. Even the beaver are free - just post a request and you will have dozens live trapped and delivered to your door like magic. As a matter of fact you can have the ones in my creek. Please. Take them before they cave in the entire bank with den burrows. On second thought count your lucky stars you have no beaver issues, get rid of anything resembling a water feature, and reinvest in upland ground?
 
   / Saplings and brush around pond banks. Suggestions? #77  
The offset flail mower is a better choice than the sickle mower for small trees. It will shred them where they will often stop a sickle. With the sickle you will find yourself tripping the release way to often on trees. I got one for cattails and it does them but the flail does them better.
 
   / Saplings and brush around pond banks. Suggestions? #78  
New tractor owner looking for some advice. I have an issue around my pond with some plant I can't recognize that likes to grow right on the water's edge. They can get quite large if left unchecked. I let them get a bit out of hand last summer and had to spend many hours with the chainsaw addressing the issue over the winter. Now there's small stumps and the freaking buggers are starting to come back again. I'd rather not have to back a bushhog up and down the bank over and over and larger the batwings seem like a bit much for my needs. Anyone have any suggestions? would a flail work well?

Note, my tractor doesn't have remotes or a 3rd function, but I've considered adding them, if needed.

Also, I'm aware of the laneshark, but I'm seriously wondering if it's worth the price. For most of my cutting needs, a bushhog would work very well. I only need something like this for the pond banks.

The pond is roughly 5 acres. Some of the bank edges have a ~1 - 2' drop to the water.
I have the same problem, but a much smaller pond. I think you need a guy with a backhoe to pull out the rootballs of that brush or it will keep coming back forever. I use a brush cutter with a three point blade that you strap on with a harness,...to yourself, to keep the edges of the pond clear. Stihl or Husqvarna make good ones for about $500, and you can use them for all sorts of things. Whatever you do, don't get that nice tractor close to the edge. Pond edges can sometimes get soft and if that diesel engine goes under water it's a disaster!
 
   / Saplings and brush around pond banks. Suggestions? #79  
New tractor owner looking for some advice. I have an issue around my pond with some plant I can't recognize that likes to grow right on the water's edge. They can get quite large if left unchecked. I let them get a bit out of hand last summer and had to spend many hours with the chainsaw addressing the issue over the winter. Now there's small stumps and the freaking buggers are starting to come back again. I'd rather not have to back a bushhog up and down the bank over and over and larger the batwings seem like a bit much for my needs. Anyone have any suggestions? would a flail work well?

Note, my tractor doesn't have remotes or a 3rd function, but I've considered adding them, if needed.

Also, I'm aware of the laneshark, but I'm seriously wondering if it's worth the price. For most of my cutting needs, a bushhog would work very well. I only need something like this for the pond banks.

The pond is roughly 5 acres. Some of the bank edges have a ~1 - 2' drop to the water.

sprayer and Glyphosate​

 
   / Saplings and brush around pond banks. Suggestions? #80  
Woody brush can be hard to control with 2,4-D and round-up can kill everything and leave the banks to erode into the pond. Garlon is what the road crews use around here. You can paint it on the stumps or spray it on. It won't kill grass but it will stay in the ground and can be taken up by the roots of other trees and kill them too. So if you have desirable trees nearby bee careful about spraying it. Painting the cut stump is safest. Read the label closely to avoid problems. It is triclopyr and there are generics available. Always read the label thoroughly. The advantage is that it will kill the shrub or tree and you won't have to worry about cutting it down next year.
 
 
 
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