next step

[adk1]

Well, the logger has finsihed up on my 50 acres and now I have tops all over the place (white pine/hemlock) and evne thought they are all covered by 3' of snow I am jsut picturing what it is gonna be like come spring/summer. I thik the logger did a nice job overall but has anyone on here been in this situiation and wanted to know what to do next? Should buck/pile all of the tops in various piles around or just let them lay on the ground??? thoughts?

[Haynes Forest Products]

I would say stack it has high as possible its alot easer to avoid a few piles in the woods than be tripping all day long over the smallest of twigs. You know the little twigs that grab you by the ankles and throw you into the slush puddle spilling all your taping tools. Do you have the ability to stack and burn in a clearing?

[dano2840]

maybe have some one come in w/ one of those forestry grinders and just ( self propelled w/ like the 6 ft head or what ever) and grind it all up
or burn them or let them rot. are you planning to put up pipe? because you wont want them in the way, i cut up every thing before i even thought about hanging my pipe in my sugar woods,

[Russell Lampron]

When you can drag them out and cut them up for sugar wood. Have a Bonn fire and invite you friends over for boiling sodas to burn the brush pile that you make.

[tuckermtn]

adk1- depends on your timeframe...pine and hemlock limbs can break down pretty quickly- 2-3 years as long as they are in smaller chunks (as opposed to whole tops of trees) I ahve a pine stand I cut 3 years ago and if you drive by you can hadly notice the brush and limbs




pile and burn is one option is you need to get in there sooner.

forestry grinder (Fecon, Gyro-trac) is another more immediate option but it can get expensive...in my bussiness I do some of that work- $130 to 150 per hour and I barely cover my costs- and if its too rocky it might not even be an option.

pm me if you want chat more...

[royalmaple]

Russ-

WAIT!! your too quick with the boiling sodas. He's 16. He doesn't even know what they are yet. Holy moly, not everyone lives in NH you know.

http://smileys.smileycentral.com/cat/10/10_7_1.gif

[Russell Lampron]

Matt I didn't know that he was only 16! When he said that he had his 50 acres logged I thought he was older.

[forester1]

If they aren't in the way and you can't use the tops for firewood, I would just let them rot where they are. The tops enrich the soil.

[gator330]

Do you rabbit hunt??? Lots of little out of the way piles for kicking latter. Other wise slash it down and let it go back to the earth. It Will break down faster if it has contact with the ground. Watch out for the pine pitch, you'll smell like a pine for a month.