There are many ways to clear land - mulchers, bulldozers, excavators, chainsaws, and burning vegetation. There are advantages to each style of land clearing, but all come with their own set of unique challenge. The most popular land clearing techniques include:
1. Grubbing and Dozing
When using this style of land clearing, you can cover a lot of land at a fast pace. This quick pace, however, leaves behind large holes, which creates a rough, messy finish. This finish may be an acceptable finished product on some occasions. However, if you plan to use the land for pasturing animals or haying, you will likely need to come back and bring dirt in to fill the holes left behind.
Consequently, the speed in which you cleared is quickly negated, with the second pass needed to accomplish the finish. In the end, you will have a massive pile of material that will either need to be hauled away or burned. This additional step can be somewhat time-consuming and costly.
2. Burning
With a prescribed burn, you will be able to clear your land quickly. This is an effective way of clearing land. This comes with a few major considerations: .
- You are not able to selectively eliminate trees or other vegetation
- There is risk a fire that gets out of control and causes unwanted damages to property
- The heat from a fire can heat the ground to the point of sterilizing it and making it nearly impossible to grow anything for some time
- This way of clearing also eliminates all the ground cover and increases the potential for erosion
While erosion is a significant consideration, you will also want to consider the possibility of allowing invasive vegetation to establish a presence. Once the spread of invasive species has started, it is tough to stop and regain control.
3. Hand Clearing
While hand clearing may be the least invasive way of clearing your land, it will also be the most time-consuming. The use of handheld options is very selective and deliberate. This is a good option if you are planning to thin a small area to come in and build a house or other structure, and want to create a safe buffer for fire dangers.
4. Mulching
The use of a mulcher is an excellent alternative to grubbing and burning. With mulching, whether it is a disc mulcher Pro X, drum mulcher DC Pro X, or drum mulcher OD Pro X it can selectively cut and process vegetation efficiently.
With mulching, you are removing trees and underbrush, as well as putting the organic matter back on the ground. By putting the mulch back where you have removed the vegetation, you provide a natural barrier that will assist in preventing the regrowth of invasive species and promotes the growth of the natural vegetation. When using a mulcher as a form of land clearing, you reduce the need to come back and fix up the land.
When considering the options for clearing land, you are going to want to take into account that you will need to maintain this in the future. No land management option will give you the "one and done" solution to maintain your land. Consistent and timely management is imperative to the remediation of the vegetation that is unwanted.
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