Landowners....... how difficult is it to clear land for pasture?

[WVDan]

Sell some or all of the trees off as pulp wood. Find a buyer who will cut it and haul it off. You should be able to make a little money and then buy a tractor and bush hog. You will also need to deal with the leftover stumps from the trees. You might rent a stump grinder (expensive) or drill a hold down the center and fill it with rock salt, seal it with tar and wait for them to die and then chop them up. meanwhile, you could be clearing between the rows of stumps with the bush hog mower. I wouldn't rely on goats unless you have lots of honeysuckle or other kinds of vines and brush that needs to be devoured before you can mow.

 

[WVDan]

I need to add something after reading the "carbon footprint" post. In the first place, these trees were planted by a tree farmer, the same as if you went out and planted corn or some other crop. Do not be shamed into thinking that you will contribute to global warming if you cut the danged trees down. That's why they were planted in the first place! Furthermore, it is well documented that clear cutting a dense woodlot will increase the wildlife. Only a person who has seen too many Disney movies would suggest that all the little animals have tree houses that you will be destroying. The upshot of cutting the trees is that deer, wild turkey and other small animals will return to feed on the new growth that is now overshadowed by the big trees. Call your local extension agent and have him/her come out to the lot with you and make recommendations. And please don't let these carbon footprint comments deter your decision. That's a lot of bull.

 

[Chick_a_dee]

The land we own now, was once part of an 80 acre farm and before that was mostly cedar, the owners contacted the local cedar post place and had them clear the land, find someone who needs the wood, and have them clear it.

 

[SeaChick]

Pat-

Thanks SO much for your reply. Yes, I think you "get " what we're after here. Goldenrod and native weedy stuff is FINE ( I personally like looking at fields like that), and we're more than likely getting a few goats for milk, so my naive plan (before researching it) is that we'd rotate them in smaller areas around this 1-2 acre cleared area using that semi-portable electric net fencing (see my other post in Coop Construction about that!).....

So being able to disc for planting it is not important.

If we cut the trees high (how high? 36" or so?) how long do you think it would be before they could be removed easily? Any reason not to have goats in there in the meantime? And what would be entailed in removing them? Would we need heavy machinery?

Why is it not a good idea to simply cut them really really low and let them rot in the ground?

Olivia and I walked the land yesterday and it was pretty enchanting. But the Christmas trees are very tall (30 feet?) and planted pretty close together (8' or so in places). That is gonna be a LOT of stumps sticking up there.............. for how long?

Thanks so much for taking the time to share your knowledge & experience with us newbies. We are really excited about the possibility of buying this place and living more like we have long wanted to.

Stacey

 

[SeaChick]

And please don't let these carbon footprint comments deter your decision.

WVDan,
Thanks... I'm totally on the same page as you. This was a crop, I have no problem cutting it. We are leaving the indigenous forested areas (most of the 8+ acres) intact. The house is on about 1.5 cleared acres and we'd be clearing less than 2 of the christmas trees and letting it be native grassy plants.​

 

[smom1976]

I know you have gotten soo much good advice here.. but let me tell you


I wish I was in your shoes.. I would totally love having that oportunity..

 

[halo]

I bought a small farm in NJ that was mostly wooded. We had to clear about 3 acres of it so we could put up a barn and a few paddocks. I will never ever do it again. It was so much work, and looked so awful for so long. I moved to FL, bought a 10 acre farm with pasture and was instantly in business.

 

[pipermark]

I was just clearing for goats. The bulldozer cost 75.00 an hour. Trees , stickery shrubs all gone, they did a great job. That night I but seed out, so now I have a mixture of grass and browse. The only maintenance I really did was watch for new sticker shrubs, if any peeked up I cut them down (actually pulled them out by the roots). Since I was clearing to eventually put goats on , the bull dozer was enough.

 

[patandchickens]

Quote:
FWIW, I like that plan

I'd much rather see people leave the soil alone when possible than go driving all over it and turning it all upside down when it isn't really needed for your purposes.

If we cut the trees high (how high? 36" or so?) how long do you think it would be before they could be removed easily? Any reason not to have goats in there in the meantime? And what would be entailed in removing them? Would we need heavy machinery?

"It depends". Sorry

How big are these trees again?

Certainly I know of NO reason not to run goats among stumps, I know plenty of people who do that. Probably entertain the goats <g> The only thing I'd be at all leery of putting in there with stumps is horses.

How you'd remove rotten stumps depends on how long you let them rot. Eventually (time depends on tree size) they will be so that you can just kick them over or lever the trunk part out by hand, honest.

Why is it not a good idea to simply cut them really really low and let them rot in the ground?

I just wouldn't do it because it becomes a mowing (and tripping) hazard. I guess it depends somewhat on what you'll mow with and how soon you'd do it for the first time. If you're going to use a brushhog and not do it for a couple years, probably no harm in what you suggest. But me, I wouldn't do it.

You might BTW consider leaving a line or two of trees thru the middle of the area you want to clear, as windbreak and summer shade. It is easier to take them down later if you want than to level the whole field and then say 'oops, wait, I want some of them back..."

Have fun, and good luck with trying to buy the place,

Pat​

 

[skyfires]

We have already 'been there' on this one. Don't worry about the trees, they were planted trees meant to be harvested. Your not upsetting any 'natural balance' of the area. The wood cutting company will pay you for your lumber by the foot. So check into this. They come and clear for you, and pay you to. Have them cut as low as possible. Don't worry to much about stumps, they rot away. Ours are almost gone after three years. If you want to put a building up, then you must remove them. Backhoe is the way to go. Its the cheapest and quickest. In fact ask the lumber guys who they know.
My husband and I truly loved buying our piece of land, and clearing it, then setting up home. There was nothing here when we moved up. Just a wooded 10 acres with a small creek running through. We had our choice of a house in town, or a empty piece of property in the woods. We chose the woods. Here we could have freedom. Every piece of our property has wonderful memories. From sadness to laughs. It is all "us". We are a pair of city folks,( I'm from Phoenix, Arizona, he's from Dublin, Ireland!!). We had know idea what a tree or creek was!! We started with a shoe string budget, and worked from there. We have put all our time and what little money we earn, into this beautiful piece of our heaven. We don't even want to go any place on vacation. We want to stay home and work on our future. You will not have the peace, like you do when you take a piece of ground and make it your own. I wish you the best, and enjoy the many things to come in your new home. Remember, keep a diary on all the things you do. You will love looking back on those memories!!! Sincerely Tina