DRandall90
Active Member
Northern MN
Last Spring, we clear cut a 1/3 acre area in the woods that was mostly quaking aspen and some alder. It's high ground near my primary deerstand. The area also has some mature white oak as well as some maple and a few other native tree species. The forest is overly mature and should be logged, but the owner (who I am related to) doesn't want loggers "ruining the forest" even though he is ok with me making clear cuts up to 5 acres. So far I have been taking it down 2-3 trees at a time and pulling it all out as firewood.
After we cleared the area, we cut the stumps down, then sprayed the area with roundup and planted clover and chicory in the area. We didn't kill the stumps. The area has been overrun with aspen suckers and shoots, and then some clover/chicory growth in the couple of areas where the suckers haven't popped up.
Next year we intend to clear out all the non-mast producing trees in the adjoining 3 acres. Our options are to cut the trees and let them fall and leave them in the woods, or we could hack and squirt and let them die and fall on their own. Mostly we want to open the canopy in that area to get some fresh growth but also to let the oaks get more sun to hopefully improve mast production.
My questions are many fold:
1. Are we better off just letting the aspen suckers and shoots grow up as food and cover, or should I try to kill all the aspen stumps so we can clear the area for just clover/chicory or other plot forbs?
2. Should we avoid the hack and squirt on the aspen trees in fear of killing the root systems and losing all the regrowth of those shrubs?
3. If we simply cut the trees and drop them in the woods to let them rot -- is that going to damage the regrowth? I don't think I can haul that much firewood out.
4. Any other suggestions?
Thanks
Last Spring, we clear cut a 1/3 acre area in the woods that was mostly quaking aspen and some alder. It's high ground near my primary deerstand. The area also has some mature white oak as well as some maple and a few other native tree species. The forest is overly mature and should be logged, but the owner (who I am related to) doesn't want loggers "ruining the forest" even though he is ok with me making clear cuts up to 5 acres. So far I have been taking it down 2-3 trees at a time and pulling it all out as firewood.
After we cleared the area, we cut the stumps down, then sprayed the area with roundup and planted clover and chicory in the area. We didn't kill the stumps. The area has been overrun with aspen suckers and shoots, and then some clover/chicory growth in the couple of areas where the suckers haven't popped up.
Next year we intend to clear out all the non-mast producing trees in the adjoining 3 acres. Our options are to cut the trees and let them fall and leave them in the woods, or we could hack and squirt and let them die and fall on their own. Mostly we want to open the canopy in that area to get some fresh growth but also to let the oaks get more sun to hopefully improve mast production.
My questions are many fold:
1. Are we better off just letting the aspen suckers and shoots grow up as food and cover, or should I try to kill all the aspen stumps so we can clear the area for just clover/chicory or other plot forbs?
2. Should we avoid the hack and squirt on the aspen trees in fear of killing the root systems and losing all the regrowth of those shrubs?
3. If we simply cut the trees and drop them in the woods to let them rot -- is that going to damage the regrowth? I don't think I can haul that much firewood out.
4. Any other suggestions?
Thanks