# brush clearing advice request



## Lindsey (Jan 22, 2000)

I'm clearing a brushy area, mostly thumb sized maple and aspen and woodland shrubs. The area was clear a five years ago and this is all recent regrowth. I'll encourage the smaller forbs to grow as recommended in one of Ed Spin's recent articles in Woods-N-Water after I get the sapplings and shrubs cleared.
I have two tools, Round-Up and a brush cutter. Would I be better off spraying Round-Up on the leaves of the saplings and shrubs and then using the brush cutter a few weeks later to cut down the stems and trunks, or would I be better off cutting the stems and trunks with the brushcutter now and then spraying any re-growth in a month or two?

Lindsey


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## ken powell (Sep 16, 2008)

Not sure what you are referring to a brushcutter, but if it is a brush hog that is what I would do. The brush hog will knock down the saplings no problem. Also, it doesn't leave any sharp ends on the saplings so you don't have to worry about flat tires later. If you are just trying to get regrowth, brushog it and leave it.


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## Lindsey (Jan 22, 2000)

Ken,
My brush cutter is a commercial grade hand held unit. It's basically a heavy duty weed wacker with a blade on the cutting end instead of strings.
The goal is to cut the brush down and kill it off to expose the soil below. I don't want the brush to regrow. 
I want to encourage the forbs, the small native plants and weeds that deer eat, to grow. The brush is shading them out, so I want to remove the brush and prevent the brush from regrowing.
Lindsey


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## oldwoodsman (Oct 2, 2008)

I have used a scissor type puller (with chain) I use with a bobcat. Pull the roots and all. Otherwise I take round-up and spray the leaves and come back with the brush hog. After a while the brush and trees can't re-grow or have a hard time and die... Like anything else the more you use it the less work you will do...


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## Willie Tippit (Mar 4, 2007)

Would be best to spray round up first because when u cut a plant it goes in shock awhile and in order for the round up to be injested the plant must not be in shock or shutting down...after you bush hog spray again it hit gorundcover if you prefer..


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## Wareagle1 (Jun 10, 2002)

I pulled a bunch of thumb sized brush with the
extractigator. Check extractigator.com. Nice tool!


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## OSXer (Jul 12, 2005)

I find it hard to believe that the deer don't browse on the brush at all. I would just cut it, make a few brushpiles for other wildlife, and mark the calendar to do it again in another 5 years. 

With respect to the initial question though, for trees/brush I believe you would find the best results if you cut the stumps and immediately wipe the exposed cross-section of the trunk with a highly concentrated solution of your RU. Better yet I would suggest use Tordon RTU (Ready To Use) on the cut stumps instead of glyphosphate. I nailed a variety of black walnuts with it earlier this year and they are stone dead now.


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## bishs (Aug 30, 2000)

I would not spray. I would just cut it back and let the brush, along with the forbes re-grow. Tender re-growth from shrubs is great deer browse. Like posted above, cut it every few years. I would find out what species is groiwing and post it on here. We can let you know if its a quality deer browse shrub.


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## MissouriHunter (Jun 26, 2010)

Lindsey, look for a product called Tordon RTU. It is a stump treatment that you apply to the cut surface and will kill the roots of the tree.


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