Best Approach to Clearing Boxelder Trees

[BillyB]

Hi Guys,

Boxelders have been overcrowding my 3 1/2 acre oak woodland and so, I’ve been felling them and I’ve cut a half dozen stumps to just above ground level with my chain saw. The following awarenesses have occured to me, however:

1. Cutting stumps to the ground with a chain saw may not be the most efficient way to remove stumps when taking even relatively inexpensive labor and chain saw wear and tear into consideration. Consequently, I’m leaning toward purchasing a small stump grinder. I probably have 100 stumps or more. Do you think grinding is a good budget conscious approach?

2. Felling the trees might not kill them. I've completed a first pass of cutting and treating buckthorn and I plan to follow up with brush mowing and a foliar Garlon4 wipe this year might not either. Do you think that adding stump grinding to this process will do them in? If so, is there a target depth I would need to grind to beyond what I would need for the mower? If not, do you think I need to apply herbicide to kill them? If so, which herbicide and which method? Would you agree with the following info I’ve found on this topic:

Herbicide containing imazapyr is the most effective on a girdled, frilled or perforated boxelder. Herbicide containing picloram is somewhat less effective for killing the tree. Products containing either 2,4-D + 2,4-DP or glyphosphate are only moderately effective for boxelder, and mature boxelder is resistant to products containing triclopyr. See: http://homeguides.sfgate.com/herbicide-boxelder-100829.html​

If I were to include an herbicide treatment, I assume that the method would be “cut stump”. Would you agree?

I look forward to your advice on this matter.

 

[ironman_gq]

shear them off with a loader bucket this time of year, treat the new shoots when they sprout. The process will take a few years but to really get rid of them you need to kill the root system, with no green foliage providing power the roots eventually die.

 

[BillyB]

shear them off with a loader bucket this time of year, treat the new shoots when they sprout. The process will take a few years but to really get rid of them you need to kill the root system, with no green foliage providing power the roots eventually die.

Any less expensive ideas if I don't necessarily have a loader bucket at my disposal?

 

[blades]

mow,mow , and mow. just keep chopping off the sprouts, dang stuff is like Willow sprouts from every where, dosent hurt to paint the stumps with herbicide

 

[TIDE-HSV]

mow,mow , and mow. just keep chopping off the sprouts, dang stuff is like Willow sprouts from every where, dosent hurt to paint the stumps with herbicide

This has come up in connection with other stumps. It you decide to cut and treat, treat immediately. The stump seals itself off very quickly...

 

[ArtB]

If you have any machinery repair skills, buy an old used dozer or loader, fine for just a few acres and nice toys to have.
Backhoe with a thumb is even better. Watch craigslist.

 

[BillyB]

Thanks much for all the input! I notice no one is encouraging using the chainsaw or stump grinder to remove the stumps.

Unfortunately ironman_gp and ArtB, I don't have the money for a new backhoe, dozer, or loader or the mechanical skills to maintain a used one nor anywhere to store one. Since I am trying to restore the native plant community, I also want to tread lightly on the ground and, in general, where practical, prefer low impact approaches.

Yes blades, they are prolific and they've had their way for a number of decades so they now comprise half the woodland. Mowing will help manage new shoots but do nothing to remove the stumps. In fact, one of the reasons I wish to remove the stumps is so that I can mow.

I already own a small 2 wheel tractor with a Honda GX390 engine. I decided to give up on the chainsaw and to purchase a stump grinder PTO attachment for the tractor to compliment the brush mower and others I own. It's manually driven so I realize it will still be a lot of work which I assume is why no one has supported the idea but it will save my saw, it can be done standing up instead of hunched over at ground level, it will cost less than a large machine - I think even with labor factored in, and it will remove the stumps. The good news is that the boxelder wood is soft and should grind fairly easily and I'm told that grinding a few inches below the surface should sufficiently destroy the roots that herbicide should be unnecessary.

I hope I'm not making a mistake by choosing a different path than the ones suggested here. Please wish me luck.

 

[blades]

Stump grinder - thats fine . Remember to chase the bigger roots as well. it is not just the stump. Buck-thorn & Sumac are a couple more that sprout from root runs ( there another name for this ,just can't locate in my brain.)

 

[BillyB]

Stump grinder - thats fine . Remember to chase the bigger roots as well. it is not just the stump. Buck-thorn & Sumac are a couple more that sprout from root runs ( there another name for this ,just can't locate in my brain.)

"rhizomatic"?

 

[ironman_gq]

Brush cutter will make quick work of the small ones up to 2-3" diameter followed up immediately with a stump treatment. For a couple acres you are going to spend several weekends in there working on the clearing and the maintenance will be pretty constant till the root systems die. If you can get ahold of a walk behind brush mower you might be able to blaze through it quickly and be able to maintain it with a trail mower and brush cutter going forward.

 

[BillyB]

Brush cutter will make quick work of the small ones up to 2-3" diameter followed up immediately with a stump treatment. For a couple acres you are going to spend several weekends in there working on the clearing and the maintenance will be pretty constant till the root systems die. If you can get ahold of a walk behind brush mower you might be able to blaze through it quickly and be able to maintain it with a trail mower and brush cutter going forward.

Thanks ironman_gq! I have alot of larger trees but also smaller ones. Both the brush mower and brush cutter are up my alley.