What to use to keep wooded acreage "plantation cut"? Undergrowth mowing?

[GirlWhoWantsTractor]

Re: What to use to keep wooded acreage "plantation cut"? Undergrowth mowing?

Why not just cut a nice walking path through it, and maybe one groomed area for a picnic table or tree swing or whatever, and let the rest do its natural thing. The wildlife will appreciate it, and it'll be much less work for you.

 

[smstonypoint]

Re: What to use to keep wooded acreage "plantation cut"? Undergrowth mowing?

The location is practically useless for this question. We do need pictures and approximate acreage. His post included the tractor model.

Location may be useful to the extent that it may indicate the potential presence of specific invasive species. The OP says in the Southeast. He may have Chinese privet. I would make an effort to eradicate it, as it can take over the understory of a wooded area in short order.

I think the term came from pine plantations down here in southeast.

Steve

 

[Luke'sScreenName]

Re: What to use to keep wooded acreage "plantation cut"? Undergrowth mowing?

Part of the solution might be a brush cutter/string trimmer with bicycle handlebars and a harness. I really like my Honda 4stroke.

 

[newbury]

Re: What to use to keep wooded acreage "plantation cut"? Undergrowth mowing?

Why not burn again?

 

[joecoin]

Re: What to use to keep wooded acreage "plantation cut"? Undergrowth mowing?

A field cultivator is the 2nd to last thing you need, the last thing you need is a bulldozer.

Buy a two wheel tractor with a brush mower.

Great exercise and will cut anything it can push over.

Do not buy a DR Mower, get a BCS or Grillo.

 

[Jchonline]

Re: What to use to keep wooded acreage "plantation cut"? Undergrowth mowing?

Fence it off and buy some goats.

Dont forget the killer attack llama to fend off goat predators.

They use goats for invasive weeds around marsh and watershed areas in CO. Always fenced in with a Llama or two.

 

[atsah]

Re: What to use to keep wooded acreage "plantation cut"? Undergrowth mowing?

I would make it so that you could go in there with your tractor and a Bush Hog a couple times a year. Maybe buy a cheap 20HP 4x4 tractor with a bush hog dedicated for the task and maybe use it for other small jobs.

 

[Nilesw]

Re: What to use to keep wooded acreage "plantation cut"? Undergrowth mowing?

This is 3-5 acres of a large parcel of land. The crittters have plenty of room in other spots on the parcel, no worries there. We are talking about a spot in the woods around our build site.

 

[atsah]

Re: What to use to keep wooded acreage "plantation cut"? Undergrowth mowing?

It's hard to picture what exactly you are trying to accomplish without seeing pictures of what your looking to maintain.

 

[Gary Fowler]

Re: What to use to keep wooded acreage "plantation cut"? Undergrowth mowing?

I would think that if large trees are so thick that you cant run a small compact tractor with a 4 foot bush hog, then you need to thin the trees a bit as a first project.
Herbicides like 2-4D will get rid of the large broadleaf vegetation while leaving the grass.

I would not let the sweet gum trees get started or they will get so thick that you cant walk between them and do so in a very short time.