Cleaning up after a 14 acre log harvest, 70% pine, oak and beech. Need a deer pasture

[James MacDonald]

Would love some advice on reclaiming an aged woodland after selling off 14 plus acres of 40+ year old wood mostly for pulp.

I am in the lower Washington DC area and entered into project with Eyes Wide Open.

Had boundaries surveyed, lumber cruised and advertised by several foresters, and paid for the required erosion control plans, followed them and contracted with the best (also most available) harvester.

I know what I want to net out of the project, which is a conversion from a scraggly wood lot of mature Virginia Pines, falling over from poor root structure built on top of clay, every time the rains combine with following winds. I live in an area that lacks a lot of open area, and the deer, horses, and future users can see more value in partially open grassland. I do too.

Talked to an outfit that has a forestry mulching machine who advised I structure the harvest to be sure all slash was spread out so they could track walk up and over the slash and grind and incorporate it into the topsoil. I forgot to say, do not have much topsoil here and to put it back into the soil is a great concept. The harvest was done this winter, to reduce erosion and rutting and my plans were to have the track mounted mulcher, follow the harvest and grind everything while still green, and the ground firm.

My timing was perfect, the logger adjusted his equipment and left most of the trunks under 6 inches above ground, and clear cut my property. They did not leave it all, as per contract and did leave a good size pile of mixed logs at the landing.

My mulching, grinding contractor has failed to show up. The slash has aged, gotten dry, and I expect, harder to process.

The tract is broken into 3 parcels, with intermittent streams dividing the plots and I have left almost 100 foot borders that make nice transitions for wildlife to follow.

I would like the clearings to be controlled enough that I can run a tractor pulled brush hog to mow, disc and seed, and encourage grass and legumes for the deer, turkey and maybe a few future cows.

Now that June is here and "he may be coming, hourly, in the next few weeks" to continue on my project......

Can I rent equipment and do it locally?

I had wanted to avoid gathering and burning, have lots of experience with tub grinders and root rake equipped gatherers to feed it. It would mean me taking the mulch in a sorry little 43hp Kubota Tractor front loader and spreading them over 14 acres. Then they would lie on the surface.

Is there an alternative? Stumps ground level to rot out, slash ground where left and the land getting better?

Your help, suggestions, or a source of renting the right equipment would be greatly appreciated.

Jim in Nanjemoy

 

[Gologit]

Jim, I'm going to move this to the Forestry and Logging section. We have some pretty sharp people there including some professional Foresters and land managers. They should be able to point you in the right direction.

 

[056kid]

That's some prime land in your area. My grand parents sold 12 acres they bought for less than 10,000 for over 500. And that was over 40 years ago.

 

[OlympicYJ]

I would think the slash will mulch acceptably well. I have no experience with mulching only saw the end result once and it was left on top not turned into the soil. I would think that it would still have enough moisture to mulch ok. Are there no other mulching contractors in the area?

 

[imagineero]

It sounds like you're on the right path, but I read your post 5 times and couldn't make much sense of it honestly. Is the contractor who failed to show the same one who advised you to have the slash spread out? Is the slash currently spread out? Did you have a contract, and why was it not fulfilled? Are there other contractors in the area, or are you not interested in engaging them and would prefer to do the job yourself?

It sounds like a fairly small size of job, if the slash is spread out and not in enormous piles then you could probably do quite a good job of it and the stumps with a large forest mower, especially considering its just pine. I can't give you any advice on what sort of remediation you're going to need with your soil though. How much slope do you have? How much rain? What did the erosion control plans recommend?

Pictures are always helpful

Shaun

 

[B Harrison]

I will suggest a grading contractor, an excavator will make quick work of this problem, hire a new multcher to come through and clean up the slash get the grading contractor to dig out the stumps while smoothing out the rough places and then seed the entire lot with a fall growing perennial such as winter rye. I would want to seed no later than October 15th in your area. Over seed smoother spots with your favorite grass seed, and some other spots with poor soil with white clover. Plant white oaks where they will get the right water, and let nature take its coarse. The following spring spray the undesirable undergrowth and reseed what you want for pasture but leave some of the small pine thickets as this is what deer will use for bedding areas, 100'x 100' is plenty for a bedding area. Lime and a lot of it will help a great deal in the fall when you seed.

Pictures please.