[Greeneagle5]

I have several hundred acres of river bottomlands coming out of CRP 15 year contracts over the next couple years. 90% of these acres are currently planted in trees ( pulpwood for paper mill). After the trees are cut and the stumps and debris are windrowed and burned, what next ? Should I be shopping for a heavy (spring protected)disc for several passes to chop up roots and small branches or is something else better ? What other tools and methods should I consider to get the ground back into crop production as quickly as possible?

 

[morb1lee]

get ready to pick some sticks

 

[farmallman1949]

I would suggest a D6 or bigger size dozer with a root rake or a heavy rome disc.

 

[510Massey]

Large 4wd tractor and wishek disk.

 

[SWFarmService]

I would try to keep it in crp

 

[Ohio Farmer]

My brother-n-law and I cleared 40 acres that hadn't been farmed in over 20 years. Lots of 3-4 inch maple trees and some juniper thrown in . Many of them were flipped out quickly with a backhoe but the majority were disked in the direction that we were planning on plowing. If you knock them over in that fashion it is amazing how big of a tree you can roll right through a set of moldboard plows! Take the coulter wheels off so the trash can feed through with minimal plugging. No matter how you look at it your gonna be picking up a lot of roots one way or the other. We cut beans the first year and never had any problems with pickin up roots or debris. Common sense in the combine....raise header for a few years. I wish you luck.

 

[Andrew_D]

I'd be looking for a way to do minimal cleanup (unless you like cleanup!) Just get rid of the big above ground stuff. Maybe clear and then chem-fallow for a year or two so you can spray any suckers that grow up?

I wouldn't want to grow beans due to the sticks, etc.

Corn might be an option but as mentioned, deep banding high N rates might be problematic. Any other N options in your area? Broadcast granular? Spray liquid? How close to the river? Could you use irrigation to apply liquid N?

What about other cereals? Wheat? Barley? Oats? (Not sure what all you grow down there.)

I'd be looking for an option that allows a disc drill to seed (no shanks bringing up roots). No deep banding which might/will wreck equipment. For any tillage needed, use a disc (again, no bringing up roots). Over time, this will break up the wood and let it rot.

Andrew

 

[Trebfarms]

You Need 3 Pieces of Equipment

There has been lots of land cleared around here in the last 5 years. Also back in the 70's

I have did about 200 ac in the last 5 ranging from X-mas tress to 35" on stump. The best 3 piece to have are an excavator with a hyd. thumb, payloader with a grapple, and rotovator. Keep the dozers away!! Use the excavator to ripe out stomps and pile with no dirt. Use the payloader to carry to a burn pile or chipper.. Clean up with the rotovator. We are growing spuds with in about 3 or 4 years after the woods is gone.

Viewing a thread - Land Clearing Project clearing project&highlightmode=2

 

[Greeneagle5]

Great help/ideas, THANKS....thinking about ordering a Sunflower 1830 Disc , 30" blades on 13" spacing, spring-cushioned gangs (very similar to a Wishek)to use after the heavy clearing...anyone use one of these ? Thinking about a 24 ft. hooked up to a CIH 435 4WD.... might be able to get some custom work with this rig.....lots of tree fields will be coming out of CRP over next 1-5 years.

Should I rent a rotary rock/chunk rake or rotoveyor for the final cleanup pass(s) ?

 

[meritmat]

Could ya rake it in a long row and burn it?

 

[kylebarrington]

I'd be finding one of these.