Woodland Maintenance at My Farm
Winter chores are in full swing at my Bedford, New York farm. In fact, a lot of outdoor tasks are best done during this time of year.
My outdoor grounds crew has been very busy with woodland maintenance and clean up around the property - clearing dying or broken trees, knocking down weeds, brambles, and thorny barberry bushes, and picking up the many fallen branches. The brush is then collected, chipped and spread right back into the woods. Any desirable tree trunks are set aside and cut up for lumbering, and rotten or irregular trunks are reserved for the tub grinder - everything is always put to good use.
Here are some photos, enjoy.
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- Every year, my outdoor grounds crew spends several weeks “cleaning” the woods. “Cleaning” the woods allows us to reuse and repurpose a lot of natural materials – and it makes the area much prettier.
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- There are many brambles, weeds, vines, and useless seedlings growing in all the woods. These must be whacked down so there is room to plant and cultivate seedling trees that will be beneficial in the woodland. I often ride my horse through the woods to see how my trees are doing – clearing makes this much easier to do.
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- I instruct my outdoor grounds crew to clear really well and to remove all the underbrush to be composted or chipped. Everyone on the outdoor grounds crew wears helmets, ear protectors and appropriate eye and face gear whenever using weed whackers and other tools. Here, Chhewang is also wearing reflective clothing, so he is visible from afar – the crew’s safety is very important to me.
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- My crew has been instructed for years in tree safety and can use chain saws and pruning tools and whackers. Here’s Chhiring clearing more barberry.
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- Here’s Fernando carrying some fallen tree limbs to the edge of the carriage road. Storms, old age, hurricanes all contribute to the ever-changing appearance of a woodland.
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- Here is an area that is not yet cleaned. Clearing this area, removing dried twigs and other branches will help reduce the chance of fire by creating a natural firebreak.
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- Here is an area that has been cleaned – look how pretty it is. One can really see the beauty of the landscape.
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- Clearing out dead or overgrown vegetation will also allow remaining plants to receive better access to water, sunlight, and other nutrients necessary to thrive.
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- Phurba carries more branches to the designated pile.
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- We try to be very neat when doing any chores on the property. It is easier to stack all branches for removal or chipping in the same vicinity, so when the big machinery is brought in, these piles can be chipped right back into the woodland.
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- Clearing the woods allows for stunning views of the fields and my great sycamore tree – the symbol of my farm.
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- The crew also cleared both sides of this beautiful stream.
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- I designate one location on my farm for a compost yard – one of the most important areas on the property. Here, I keep various piles of shavings, mulch, compost, and wood.
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- Here is a pile of trunks and logs from felled trees, which were lost during storms, or taken down purposely because of poor growth.
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- Here’s another pile of larger pieces which will be put through the tub grinder or the chipper, or split and stacked for firewood. If I cannot save a tree, it is comforting to know I can reuse the wood left behind.
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- In this pile – large boulders. These are also saved for future use.
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- Here is Carlos weed whacking more of the overgrown brush – a lot has grown over the year. When working out in the woods, the crew is also careful not to whack near any of the young seedlings – easily identified by the stakes planted next to them.
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- Jason is picking up smaller twigs and branches and carting them off in our trusted Polaris Ranger 1000.
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- This area needed so much work and it looks infinitely better cleaned up.
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- And driving back out of the deep woods, one sees the grove of beautiful weeping willows I planted at the edge the hayfield. We’re getting a lot done at my farm, but there’s always so much still to do. What winter chores are keeping you busy this weekend? Please share your comments below.
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