What is the most effective way to clear-cut a useless track of forest to make way for a nice pastor land?

Question

Out back we have a large track of land couple hundred acres, we intend to sell the standing timber to the sawmill, but then you have all the scrub left. Is it more efficient to just burn the whole mess, or use a petroleum based herbicide to get rid of the underbrush first before we burn, so we can plant the grass with the best results.?

Answer 1

U do not want to completely cut everything as it will result in erosion. Clear all the under brush and leave all the main trees . Try to cut in such a way that the trees will block the runoff to prevent erosion. After u get some grass growing u can cut even more trees. But create something like the hedge rows that were in Germany in WWll . It prevents erosion.

Answer 2

"Pastor" land.. I thought that was in Utah not in the outback?
Are you sure you are a farmer or are you more of a Christian evangelist building a new world? You sound kinda like a city person like me. Anyway, I have made a few observations over the years....

1) You will obviously need a permit to clear it before you do anything. All of your land can't be cleared.
2) What makes you suspect it will be nice pasture?
3) Once you get the old forest growth out of there, you will need a permit to burn off the undergrowth. That, at least puts nutrients back into the soil.
4) Once you have burnt off all those native seeds will come up in a hurry like thay have done after a bush fire for who knows ~ maybe a 100 million years..... so you would have to sow to oats as soon as you can plow it.
5) before you can plow it, you need to pick the rocks and sticks out of it.. takes a good season or two. Be prepared for some hard work.
6) When you plow it the first time, you will have more rocks and sticks to pick... never mind, you are getting good at that.
7) It is going to be acidic.. due to 100 million years of eucalypt growth.. so the first five years will be pretty useless as pature.. you need to sweaten it up... sometimes I see farmers plowing in some powdered lime. That looks like a very expensive process.
8) Rain. You need to plan how it moves across your land when it does. Forming contours to guide it is the way to do this... so you need a good plan.
9) Belladonna sounds awfully clever. I wonder what that is all about? Certainly sounds more romantic for a small 200 acre farm and you can still claim the tax benefits from your venture as a deduction against the income from your law practice.

Answer 3

I think that the main flaw in your question is calling a several hundred acre forest "a useless tract of land". The property value of your house will be much higher with a large forest near it than a big empty field.

I'd suggest looking up permaculture, and start planting food producing trees and shrubs in your forest. Then it would be attractive for potential buyers, productive for you, and still remain an active habitat for all of the critters that are currently residing within the several hundred acres.

Answer 4

Depends on the type of trees and the type of ground...

Around here you just hook a tow rope to a tractor an you can yank most trees right out of the ground. The ground is such that the trees can't send down deep roots.

Most places... chainsaws will be needed.

If you just want the trees to die "on their own" pound about a dozen copper nails in each tree.

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Have the debris cut up... you can sell the firewood size pieces and you can much the rest. It makes great compost. Spread the compost over the fresh grass.

You'd be amazed how small a pile of ground up mulch results from a pile of tree branches the size of a schoolbus...

Answer 5

I thought you would have replanted a forest with mixed native woodland trees. You benefit from an amazing place to live, increased natural habitat, and a amazingly productive place to grow food. It is a protective environment; protecting you from drought and flooding; trees store water, then release water as needed. Woodlands create wind barriers, new microclimates and provide you with a natural 'insurance' plan too. Native, naturally grown trees sequester carbon and make limitless quantities of new soil.

Naturally grown trees in a mixed native woodland would provide you with a commercially valuable asset. There is a lot of money in old oak about £10,000 per tree. OK you have to wait a few years for them to return the money but look at all the benefits listed above that you will receive in the meantime. You can pass on an inheritance to your own kids and grandchildren too.

Now you seem pretty smart to me so I am assuming that you are really playing devil's advocate. So OK I will answer you in that style. If you want to create soil that is totally useless for any purpose then yes do what you suggest above. If you want to lose any money you have ever already invested in your property do the above.

Do so but eventually the only financial option you will have will be to sell your land on to commercial developers for pennies or go bankrupt. But that is ok, because at least your neighbours who have not as yet allowed their land to be concreted over for an increasingly hungry housing market will make a financial killing when they eventually do sell their land to the property developers too.

Answer 6

I suggest you just simply not bother but instead take one of the old tree branches and club yourself over the head several hundred times.. perhaps that will help you to think more clearly as to how to clear cut your trees.

Answer 7

Use salt. Lots and lots of salt (pun intended).

Salt the whole area after you clear-cut, then plant your pastors.

When the brush has died, plow a fire break around the outside, then burn from the outside towards the middle. The ash will fertilize the pastors.

Answer 8

I would just hire a dozer for a day and pile up all the stumps and brush for a big bonfire.

How many pastors are you going to grow? Do you have enough churches to support 200 acres of pastors?

Answer 9

please read my answer to "Has anyone seen the documentary called The Great Global Warning Swindle?" and think about what your doing please! Cattle need trees to!Without trees you wouldn't be here!