Clearing out Xmas tree orchard - best methods??

[davefr]

My neighbor and I have about 15 acres of Xmas trees we want cleared out.

The market has gone to hell and we want to turn the land over to a wheat farmer. The trees are still fairly small (10' is about max.) and we want them gone before they get much bigger.

I'm guessing there are about 10k trees.

What's the most efficient way to clear out something like this? We'd like the land to be put to use, (ie agricultural tax deferral), so what about the stumps?

I'd appreciate any suggestions and/or leads. (the orchards are in Wash. County, OR)

TIA

 

[treeslayer]

A track loader and a burn pile.

 

[John Paul Sanborn]

hydro-ax or brush-hog.

You can rent some for around $800-1000/day, thye should go through small pinus like butter. Then you are mulching the debris, helping the soil.

 

[pdqdl]

I have a big tractor and heavy-duty brush brush cutter. I wouldn't even try to mow a pine farm unless the trees were all less than 3" trunk diameter. Even then, the roots are still going to be a problem when the plow shows up. [I guess no-till wheat farming might work; check with your farmer about the stumps.]

Go rent a 4 wheel drive backhoe. Extendable backhoe won't be necessary, but a thumb attachment might really speed things up, particularly if you use a haul truck to move everything to a central point. Don't rent a teeny little light one; make sure that you got the full sized version from Case, Caterpillar, JCB,...

Use the loader bucket to push the little trees out of the ground, along with their stump. A backhoe is much faster moving than a track loader for small trees. If any of the little trees snap off at the ground level, you can easily reach back and rip out the stump with the backhoe.

If you can't burn the pile, find a tree grinder for hire, make a big pile, then get a quote to shred the whole mess.

Another option might be to find a farmer with a large tractor and a ripper plow. That machine could drive down each row of trees popping out stumps like crazy. A test would be needed, 'cause the trees might pile up under the tractor and become a problem.

For the best results with ripping stumps out of the ground: wait until the ground is moist, but not muddy. Too dry: the trunk breaks off at the ground level, leaving the stump behind. Too wet: no traction, and the root balls are huge and heavy. Your soil type will greatly affect your results. Heavy clay soil does not give up it's trees very easily. Sandy soil is just a pushover.

 

[pdqdl]

ACT QUICKLY !!!! Advertise on Craig's list, road signs, local flyers:

FREE CHRISTMAS TREES! Cut your own today!

Then tell them where!

Offer to give them to the local nurserys if they dig the stumps for transplant and fill the holes when they are done.
**************************************************************************
If there is a big enough market, buy a tree spade, and offer to install your trees at a price no other nursery would match. Shucks, you might even make money at it.

 

[himiler]

Your soil type will greatly affect your results. Heavy clay soil does not give up it's trees very easily. Sandy soil is just a pushover.

Don't know if you've been through several seasons or not, but I do know that the Christmas tree farms in East Texas don't worry about the stumps once the trees are cut. They just rot in place. It's sandy soil, don't know if that makes a difference.
Steve W.

 

[sgreanbeans]

ACT QUICKLY !!!! Advertise on Craig's list, road signs, local flyers:

FREE CHRISTMAS TREES! Cut your own today!

Then tell them where!

Offer to give them to the local nurserys if they dig the stumps for transplant and fill the holes when they are done.
**************************************************************************
If there is a big enough market, buy a tree spade, and offer to install your trees at a price no other nursery would match. Shucks, you might even make money at it.

GOOD IDEA, I would do that no matter what route you go, give the locals an opportunity to get them before you clear it. I think the Nursery's would jump on that as-well, who knows, maybe you get paid for all of it instead of paying for all of it!

 

[pdqdl]

Don't know if you've been through several seasons or not, but I do know that the Christmas tree farms in East Texas don't worry about the stumps once the trees are cut. They just rot in place. It's sandy soil, don't know if that makes a difference.
Steve W.

He is in Oregon. Oregon tends to have sandy soil, but it really depends on what part of the state you are in. Besides, he seemed a bit concerned about the stumps.

Me: I'd declare open season on the trees now, make what I could on a "cut your own for $10.00" plan, then see how many I could sell to nurseries at a stupidly cheap price. I'd spend some time calling wholesale dealers in trees, and I'd find one that would make me an offer.

THEN I'd clear the trees according to what was cheapest and I doubt that I would worry about the stumps.

 

[Taxmantoo]

Me: I'd declare open season on the trees now, make what I could on a "cut your own for $10.00" plan, then see how many I could sell to nurseries at a stupidly cheap price. I'd spend some time calling wholesale dealers in trees, and I'd find one that would make me an offer.

No kidding. I'd try to sell 10,000 6-10' trees to Home Depot or someplace for $50,000 before I'd rent a bulldozer.

 

[davefr]

The problem here in Oregon is that the Xmas tree market is a disaster. My grower would not have bailed on me if he could have marketed them. (he's been doing it his whole life). My neighbors have the same problem.

For $10 there's an abundance of U cut lots with #1 trees. They have ample parking, bailing, free hot chocolate and hay rides for the kiddies.

I'm sure if I put an add in CL for free trees there would be some takers. However we'd be talking maybe a few hundred and I 'm not set up with the infrastructure to support 1000's of U cutt'ers. Beside that these trees have not been properly maintained and are probably #2 or cull grade.

It's time for them to go. I appreciate the suggestions.

 

[pdqdl]

Well...I guess there is always the bulldozer.

Hey! What an idea. If you can't burn, rent a track loader, push all the trees into a huge hole, then bury them. Cheaper than grinding.

 

[John Paul Sanborn]

I have a big tractor and heavy-duty brush brush cutter.

This is a different ballgame though Even the little Rayco will go through 8 inch pine.

 

[Frank Boyer]

A larger track loader or dozer with a root rake is the way to go. For that small of trees the loader would be quicker than an excavator. D-4 size and larger is the size tractor that you want.

 

[pdqdl]

This is a different ballgame though Even the little Rayco will go through 8 inch pine.

Yeah, one of those would make short work of a pine tree farm. I've never found one for rent, though. The guys that own them want a bunch of money for putting them to work, too.

I tried to get one a few years ago, but all the basic brush shredder attachments were about $20 grand; and you needed a big bad hydraulic system to make it work, too. Many of the brush cutter designs are fatally flawed, and cost too much to operate unless you are a public utility with lots of money.

The local bobcat dealer had one attachment for rental, but they had stopped renting it and were desperate to sell it to me. It seems that every time they rented it, it came back without very many knives left working. It was one of the poorer designs that did not use carbide knives. Naturally, the first time you hit a rock, the whole process ground expensively to a halt.

 

[pdqdl]

You could always go buy the 8" capacity version from Brown Mfg. The rotary cutters are vastly superior in longevity and cost per hour, compared to the horizontal/flail type brush cutters.

http://www.brownmfgcorp.com/cutter/TCF.html

Then there are these guys: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Fv0kyDZG61Q

I have seen a hydro-axe doing right-of-way clearance. It was truly ferocious, and went up and down some pretty severe terrain, too.

 

[Frank Boyer]

The max diameter of both of those said 6" diameter. The roots would be a problem for discing.

 

[48"BAR PINCHER]

My neighbor and I have about 15 acres of Xmas trees we want cleared out.

The market has gone to hell and we want to turn the land over to a wheat farmer. The trees are still fairly small (10' is about max.) and we want them gone before they get much bigger.

I'm guessing there are about 10k trees.

What's the most efficient way to clear out something like this? We'd like the land to be put to use, (ie agricultural tax deferral), so what about the stumps?

I'd appreciate any suggestions and/or leads. (the orchards are in Wash. County, OR)

TIA

I have done that kind of job before. I'll list what works best for me starting with the best first.
1) Burn the whole thing after you clear the borders and contact your local agency to get the permit for the burn. Then track loader with or with out root rake the stumps into piles. stack them into dump truck size piles then burn them again. Then you can movve the piles of residue to wherever. This really minimizes fuel and time expenses. Stumps must come out if the farmer is going to work it! HAve a plan in place to reseed as soon as possible to prevent erosion issues!
2) Track loader everything into piles like above but burn piles instead of the whole thing. Then do everything else the same as in 1) above.
3) Bullhog or Bushhog everything, then root out stumps with loader. THis option sucks for lots of reasons. You can't see the stumps cuz the chip residue hides them. You end up taking a lot more topsoil with your actions this way. the chips are horrible for mixing in with your dirt and don't add much to your soil value. The farmer will cuss the #### out of you for all the chips he is stuck trying to plow under etc.. CAT often rents a Bullhog style mower. There are several fuel reduction co's out west that use this kind of equipment. I rent mine from a place in Maryland but that won't work for you.
4) Find a outfit that has a Merri-Crusher. Kind of like a Bullhog but works like a rototiller too. Usually found mounted on large skidder style equipment with a 200+ HP pony motor just for the crusher. Expensive but makes quick work of things if you can deal with the residual mess. Jernigans Enviromental in Maryland has one for hire. If nothing else you may get some more info from them. 1-301-824-2909

 

[John Paul Sanborn]

The local bobcat dealer had one attachment for rental, but they had stopped renting it and were desperate to sell it to me. It seems that every time they rented it, it came back without very many knives left working. It was one of the poorer designs that did not use carbide knives. Naturally, the first time you hit a rock, the whole process ground expensively to a halt.

Same here with the local Vermeer, they had an ASV with a Fecon head. There is a former Bandit/Rayco dealer who has a
small Rayco unit for rent. They got rid of the big'un because of transport costs. When the housing boom was going it made money... The bandit people tell you that it is $16/flail that you break off, more if they have to replace the mount... much more.

The give you a demo, even if you say you know how to use it. You move forward a foot off the ground, and only make a ground pass after you can see what is there. In rocky soil I never get close to the ground with one of those, and tell people that "mulching passes" will be extra on a time/material basis. For some reason I only do forestry mowing once every 2-3 years