What's the best approach to removing willows?

[Alan L.]

I have about 10 willows, each with 10-12 trunks 12" or more in diameter. I'm pretty sure the brush hog won't handle those nor can I pull them up. An Oklahoma farmer told me to cut with a chain saw and then treat the stumps with some kind of herbicide - I forget which (not Roundup). Problem is they are mostly in the dam of my tank so I can't bulldoze them - can't get to them and if I did manage to pull them out they would leave a huge void in the dam.

The moral of this story is get rid of them before they grow up.

 

[Otto Syracuse]

I just looked at the brush grubber. I would think it would work better pulling straight up with the front end loader -- rather than using the 3-point hitch. I notice there is the original Brush Grubber, Brush Grubber HD and the Brush Grubber Xtreme.

I have the brush grubber x-treme and it works great. It is very heavy and has pulled out anything up to 4 inches diameter. I think it would work well for the willows even though it might take you a long time to hook it up to all of them. I wrapped a chain around the FEL and just drove backwards to pull them out. Keep the bucket low to the ground Its nice to have a helper.
I bought the brush grubber chain too and that is okay, but the x-treme is easier and doesn't slip off the brush.

 

[murphy1244]

I have about 10 willows, each with 10-12 trunks 12" or more in diameter. I'm pretty sure the brush hog won't handle those nor can I pull them up. An Oklahoma farmer told me to cut with a chain saw and then treat the stumps with some kind of herbicide - I forget which (not Roundup). Problem is they are mostly in the dam of my tank so I can't bulldoze them - can't get to them and if I did manage to pull them out they would leave a huge void in the dam.

The moral of this story is get rid of them before they grow up.

Use Pathfinder on a fresh cut.

 

[IronHog]

I have about 10 willows, each with 10-12 trunks 12" or more in diameter. I'm pretty sure the brush hog won't handle those nor can I pull them up. An Oklahoma farmer told me to cut with a chain saw and then treat the stumps with some kind of herbicide - I forget which (not Roundup). Problem is they are mostly in the dam of my tank so I can't bulldoze them - can't get to them and if I did manage to pull them out they would leave a huge void in the dam.

The moral of this story is get rid of them before they grow up.

Trees in a pond levee is a problem..... good news is most trees live a long time.


Leave those be.

 

[spruce Deere]

I have about 10 willows, each with 10-12 trunks 12" or more in diameter. I'm pretty sure the brush hog won't handle those nor can I pull them up. An Oklahoma farmer told me to cut with a chain saw and then treat the stumps with some kind of herbicide - I forget which (not Roundup). Problem is they are mostly in the dam of my tank so I can't bulldoze them - can't get to them and if I did manage to pull them out they would leave a huge void in the dam.

The moral of this story is get rid of them before they grow up.

Maybe just fell them, cut the stumps real low and then treat the stumps. Leave stumps there as to not compromise the dam.

Then plant grass. After grass gets established, spray with a broad leaf herbicide like curtail or something to keep the willows at bay and hog it on occation

 

[savageactor7]

A brush hog could easily handle 1" willow.

Around here we go out of our way to cut willow saplings They grow so fast and are not the kind of tree you want around.

I've also use a brush cutting blade on straight shafted weed whacker...it's more discriminating.

 

[slofr8]

I have acres and acres of land that is over grown with junk wood. I'm not even sure what it is but it likes wet-ish areas and grows fast. Mostly from 3" up to about 10". In between them is alders that you can't even walk through, I'm not even kidding.
I did about 1/2 an acre with a chain saw and then was years before I got the stumps up and the ground seeded. That was enough for me. Last year I put a 4' grapple on my 40 hp. tractor and it rocks. I'll angle the tines down about 6" to 8" in the ground and rake the alders and move them to a pile. Then I'll push the trees over, uprooting them. These go on the pile too. I'm careful to keep the dirty roots on the up wind side of the pile so they will burn better. The piles really add up fast. Yesterday morning I cleared about a 1/4 acre in 2 or 3 hours. No roots or stumps left. A little work with a box blade and disc and I'll be ready for seed. I think burning is gonna be the hardest part of the whole thing.
Good luck with whatever you decide.
Dan.

 

[forester2]

Roundup will work on a fresh cut stump treatment mixxed 4:1 (41% glysophate)

 

[LouieJunior]

I ordered a brush grubber x-treme today. I'll report on how well it works. Looks like it might be useful, on occasion, even if it proves too slow tackling my willow problem. When I get tired of pulling them out, I'll spray 'em (plan B). Thanks all for your expertise!

 

[LouieJunior]

Report: The Brush Grubber arrived and works like a charm. I pulled out some fairly big size trees with it. The only shortcoming is this -- every tree requires I get off the tractor twice: once to attach the device to a tree after positioning the tractor, then again to remove the uprooted tree from the grubber. Be mindful that getting on or off the tractor, involves shifting into or out of neutral and engaging or releasing the park brake. Two people would have been four or five times more productive than I was today, working alone. Anybody wish to help next weekend?