# Disposing of tree tops



## BenjaminPQ (Aug 4, 2016)

I'm clearing some forest on my property. I was burning the tree tops and brush until the county came and told me to stop. My neighbors are within 1000 ft so I can only have a 5x5x5 "ceremonial" fire. So, what are my options. I'm considering renting a dump truck and hauling it to the local drop off. A top load chipper would be great. I have a thump on my backhoe and could load it pretty fast. Does a top load chipper exist? I stander ed chipper would just take to long I think.

Any advice in appreciated!


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## slowp (Aug 4, 2016)

Why are you deforesting your land? If you were planning to keep it in a forest  you could simply lop up the slash so it laid down on the ground and let it rot to keep the soil productive. 

I am a fan of working forests, not deforestation.


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## BenjaminPQ (Aug 4, 2016)

slowp said:


> Why are you deforesting your land? If you were planning to keep it in a forest  you could simply lop up the slash so it laid down on the ground and let it rot to keep the soil productive.
> 
> I am a fan of working forests, not deforestation.



Our house sits on 3.5 acres when we bought it it was totally wooded except for the house. I cleared about 3/4 of an acre for a back yard. Not exactly deforestation.


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## Hddnis (Aug 4, 2016)

How big are these tops on the big end? 8"?


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## BenjaminPQ (Aug 4, 2016)

Hddnis said:


> How big are these tops on the big end? 8"?



More like 5"


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## Del_ (Aug 4, 2016)

Sounds like a few "ceremonial" fires are in order.


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## Hddnis (Aug 4, 2016)

BenjaminPQ said:


> More like 5"



You might be surprised how fast a chipper will deal with that stuff.

Out your way there are some good deals on big chippers. You get a 18" morbark self-feeding chipper and it will be all you can do to keep up with it. Something small in the 9-12" range will eat tops all day, get a little saw to cut stuff so it feeds, a big cooler full of water and have at it.

You don't want a "homeowner" grade joke of a chipper. If it isn't heavy, loud, and drinks lots of diesel it won't work. You might be able to rent one for the project.


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## Del_ (Aug 4, 2016)

BenjaminPQ said:


> Our house sits on 3.5 acres when we bought it it was totally wooded except for the house. I cleared about 3/4 of an acre for a back yard. Not exactly deforestation.





Hddnis said:


> You might be surprised how fast a chipper will deal with that stuff.
> 
> Out your way there are some good deals on big chippers. You get a 18" morbark self-feeding chipper and it will be all you can do to keep up with it. Something small in the 9-12" range will eat tops all day, get a little saw to cut stuff so it feeds, a big cooler full of water and have at it.
> 
> You don't want a "homeowner" grade joke of a chipper. If it isn't heavy, loud, and drinks lots of diesel it won't work. You might be able to rent one for the project.



Buy a chipper for 3/4 of an acre?


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## Hddnis (Aug 4, 2016)

Del_ said:


> Buy a chipper for 3/4 of an acre?




Yep. Sell it for what you paid for it when the project is done.


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## Woody912 (Aug 4, 2016)

BenjaminPQ said:


> I'm clearing some forest on my property. I was burning the tree tops and brush until the county came and told me to stop. My neighbors are within 1000 ft so I can only have a 5x5x5 "ceremonial" fire. So, what are my options. I'm considering renting a dump truck and hauling it to the local drop off. A top load chipper would be great. I have a thump on my backhoe and could load it pretty fast. Does a top load chipper exist? I stander ed chipper would just take to long I think.
> 
> Any advice in appreciated!


I'd cut everything down to 2" for firewood and then make brushpiles back in the woods for the varmints with the rest. It'll rot down in a couple yrs


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## northmanlogging (Aug 4, 2016)

dig a big hole and bury it, is the only other option.

the vermeer 6" chipper does ok on tops chokes a bit, but I rent one occasionally when full clean up is needed, out here we get mostly limbs though, the 12" proved to be less efficient partly because Hertz can't maintain anything or have something there when you reserved it.

burning it "slowly" takes less time then you might think, start a little circle of a fire, let it burn down then spend the day dragging brush to it, couple of friends/family and you can clear a 100' circle in a day while having fun, just be sure to paint a giant pentagram around it to keep the county off yer backs.

Also I'm a fan of lop and leave


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## ropensaddle (Aug 4, 2016)

Goats nuff said; bbq on the patio after


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## madhatte (Aug 4, 2016)

Another vote for lop/scatter/crush. Why lose valuable nutrients from your soil?


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## bnmc98 (Aug 4, 2016)

Del_ said:


> Sounds like a few "ceremonial" fires are in order.


Bingo.

Take that Thumb and make several brush piles

Will they let you burn more in the winter? 
I'd just go light one new one off each day and have some Smores with the kids


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## ArtB (Aug 5, 2016)

_about 3/4 of an acre for a back yard_

my 3-1/2 acres in town has a 30 foot by 40 foot compost pile 8 ft high, has been there 42 years now, neighbors deposit their clippings there also.
Start your compost pile now, you will be happy decades from now. Added 13 full truckload to the compost pile from the neighborhood in the 1992 windstorm. Put a 4 ft piece of 15 in dia D Fir log at the bottom of the pile about 1974, all gone now. 

I still cut anything above about 1-1/2" for firewood just out of habit, as used to heat 5300 sq ft with wood until DW said she is getting to old to want to cut and split 8 cords/year, so put in GSHP.


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## ArthurB (Aug 5, 2016)

BenjaminPQ said:


> I'm clearing some forest on my property. I was burning the tree tops and brush until the county came and told me to stop. My neighbors are within 1000 ft so I can only have a 5x5x5 "ceremonial" fire. So, what are my options. I'm considering renting a dump truck and hauling it to the local drop off. A top load chipper would be great. I have a thump on my backhoe and could load it pretty fast. Does a top load chipper exist? I stander ed chipper would just take to long I think.
> 
> Any advice in appreciated!



If it's such a small area (3/4 acre), then get hold of a cheap saw bench of some sort and just cut it up for firewood 

You'll be amazed how much quicker it is to up small wood with a bench - stick 6 or 8 lengths on it at a time, and secure with a strap - then cut them all together - done in no time - leave the tiny stuff for your ceremonial fire


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## slowp (Aug 5, 2016)

northmanlogging said:


> dig a big hole and bury it, is the only other option.
> 
> the vermeer 6" chipper does ok on tops chokes a bit, but I rent one occasionally when full clean up is needed, out here we get mostly limbs though, the 12" proved to be less efficient partly because Hertz can't maintain anything or have something there when you reserved it.
> 
> ...


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## slowp (Aug 5, 2016)

Why do my replies end up in the tannish quote box?


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## Hddnis (Aug 5, 2016)

slowp said:


> Why do my replies end up in the tannish quote box?
> 
> You have to move your cursor outside the quotes.



You have to move here.


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## Del_ (Aug 5, 2016)

slowp said:


> Why do my replies end up in the tannish quote box?
> 
> 
> Because you are typing them inside of the message you are quoting.


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## Del_ (Aug 5, 2016)

ArtB said:


> _about 3/4 of an acre for a back yard_
> 
> my 3-1/2 acres in town has a 30 foot by 40 foot compost pile 8 ft high, has been there 42 years now, neighbors deposit their clippings there also.
> Start your compost pile now, you will be happy decades from now. Added 13 full truckload to the compost pile from the neighborhood in the 1992 windstorm. Put a 4 ft piece of 15 in dia D Fir log at the bottom of the pile about 1974, all gone now.
> ...



I use the 'slow' composting method, too. 

Given time it all turns into humus and feeds the future.

Burning puts a lot of particles in the air and takes time to monitor.


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## Woody912 (Aug 5, 2016)

Del_ said:


> I use the 'slow' composting method, too.
> 
> Given time it all turns into humus and feeds the future.
> 
> Burning puts a lot of particles in the air and takes time to monitor.



Which is why they make beer!!!!!!


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## ChoppyChoppy (Aug 5, 2016)

Burn or bury.

Here on timber sales we have to burn or scatter.


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## slowp (Aug 6, 2016)

Hddnis said:


> You have to move here.





Hddnis said:


> You have to move here.



Testing testing. This time I hit the insert quote button. I have been double spacing to try to escape, but that has not worked. Testing.... I already live here.


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## slowp (Aug 6, 2016)

When burning, one needs to "build the column". That means you need to keep the fire hot so the smoke goes up high and out of reach of the neighborhood.
That's a standard we used to strive for when broadcast burning. It made for less smoke for those of us who were holding line. I try to do this even when burning hand piles.....

The burn boss calls over the radio, "Pour on the fuel, get that column going!" I think one time we and Weyco had 4 mushroom clouds going NW of Morton.


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## madhatte (Aug 6, 2016)

Another thing about having a good column is that it gets the thing burning fast enough that it becomes oxygen-starved, which means it starts drawing air in from around it. This can be used to steer a running fire, or to halt the progress of a backing fire. In the case of piles, it will surely help keep them from spotting.


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## GilksTreeFelling (Aug 7, 2016)

anything under 3" gets nipped and piled to feed the next cycle and provide some animal habitat for small game





over 3"dia gets sent to the firewood piles

one of these days ill invest in a chipper/shredder then the piles will get chipped and left to compost


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## 066blaster (Sep 7, 2016)

hire someone with a chipper. blow it in the woods, or on a big pile and use it, sell it, or give it away.


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