Posted on 06/18/2018 7:33:15 AM PDT by rarestia
Calling all farmers, land owners, and gardeners... yours truly recently took ownership of 4 acres of property in central Florida and has some questions. I'm far from a greenhorn, but I'm learning new things and don't know what I don't know. Please bear with me and correct any misuse of terms herein.
Approximately 3 acres of my land is heavily wooded and was poorly maintained. My last 2 weekends were spent with a rented brush hog clearing the front acre of my property of undergrowth. Vines were everywhere, some as thick as 2 inches (diameter), and it made for very slow going. There were numerous dead logs and some dead trees are still standing. The rest was poison ivy, overgrown deliberately-planted bushes such as oak leaf hydrangea, and oak saplings.
After clearing, I'm left with a lot of thatch, leaf litter, and branches to clear, but I have my sights set on the future. What are my next steps? I could walk the acre and manually pick up the big stuff. I'll either burn, chip, or save felled lumber. How can I make the grounds arable for turf? Should drop a broadleaf herbicide to tame the weeds? Should I rent a power rake or a dethatcher? Finally, should I aerate and then overseed with bahia or rye?
My goal is to have the natural large trees remain intact with appropriate pruning for shade, some winding mulch pathways, and either turf or natural ground cover such as fern, vervain, or juniper filling in the space where a lot of the weeds and brush were previously. I understand this is going to be a very lengthy process, but with the proper machinery and patience, I believe it's all very possible.
My thanks to any and all FReepers who might be able to help.
“... Is there any ravine area needing fill?...”
He is in Florida...The deepest “ravine” in Florida might be 5 feet deep...
Goats are plant eating machines. 5 goats will clear every single plant from your 4 acres from about 5 feet high to the dirt, and turn it into fertilizer at the same time.
Thew are really easy to take care of, fun and useful.
...............
We tried Goats. Problem was we needed good fencing. The rope/cable thing was a challenge because they just got tangled up. The weedeater and CHEAP plant killer was just way too convenient.
Plus, I love working in the woods, clearing brush and making paths. It’s a hobby.
Are you sure that the poison ivy is in fact poison ivy?
Moast people mistake ‘Virginia Creeper’(harmless) for poison ivy.
It’s probably too late now but anytime you want to clear underbrush, vines, and small trees hire one of these guys.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nAgKjMxHTek
Leave a couple dead trees for the woodpeckers and other small birds like titmice that need nesting cavities so they’ll stick around to eat bugs.
Make sure you don’t brush hog until you know what you’ve got- a lot of grow-over FL land has beautiful azaleas on it that could b mistaken for just “brush” when not in bloom, and there might be blueberry bushes, ground orhids, etc., in there too.
Right.
Where I live, one week there is a dense forest, the next it is all cleared and a month later houses are going up.
I love trees, but there are areas where the sapplings are everywhere, often huge clumps with the trees spread less than a foot apart. I like to clear and leave a minimum of six feet between them. I also like diversity, so I’ll leave some slow growers like Oak and Maple near the faster growers.
If he has trouble finding some, all he needs is ask at his local mosque...............
Seconded. They are ravenous. Poison Ivy is a snack to them.
Don’t name them or get attached because when they are done send them to slaughter and have them butchered:
https://www.google.com/search?q=goat+curry
Post of the day! (especially the sharpie part).
You’re probably going to have to address moles since it’s been wooded. Moles and lawns are not a happy combo for the landowner....
I use chickens to clear undergrowth here and till everything up....but I’m lazy and have the time. They eat moles too...
Unless you want to be grubbing for years, get a dozer to come in and do the work. Have him push the debris into burn piles if you are allowed to burn. If not, push them off to an area out of the way and make a backstop for your shooting range.
Buy either a std tractor or upscale lawn tractor w dump trailer. Also get a decent chainsaw, Honda 2200 generator, extension cord, and alligator looper. It eats through light brush and up to 4” diameter limbs. I like the Ryobi electric pruner with extension pole.
4 acres is a lot to handle. Power equipment is a necessity.
If so, then your best bet is to hire someone with a bulldozer. If you can burn they will put the debris in a pile for you to burn. A little more expensive but the results are much quicker.
If you are only interested in finishing off just the 1 acre then I suggest someone that has a combination backhoe and front end loader. Then they can even clear out some of the underbrush between the trees you plan to leave up.
The smaller ones usually end up dying anyway.
Just be watchful for the vines that slither...Florida, yuk.
There are some goat farms that ‘rent’ them out.................
Best advice yet.
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