Woodland Maintenance in Winter
This time of year, my outdoor grounds crew is very busy with woodland maintenance chores around the farm - we call it "cleaning the woods."
A lot of these tasks are best done during winter when the trees are bare. The team is able to cut dead or broken trees, knock down weeds, brambles, and thorny barberry bushes, and pick up the many fallen branches. Everything is gathered and placed into neat piles along the carriage roads, so at the end all the organic debris can be 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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- In winter, it’s nice to be able to see through the woods to the hayfield beyond. This full and babbling stream is just off the main carriage road into the woodland.
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- But such views wouldn’t be possible without regularly scheduled general maintenance work. 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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- Here is a section of the woodland where the trees are dense. At some point, some will be taken down to make room for younger specimens.
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- Here is an area that is also not yet cleaned. Clearing this area, removing dried twigs and other branches will help reduce the chance of fire by creating a natural firebreak. 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 remove all the underbrush to be composted or chipped. These are thick invasive thorny plants that are also cut down.
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- The woods are full of these prickly vines – one must be very careful when walking.
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- Trees that need to be taken down are marked with red spray paint, which is very visible from the road.
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- All the dead, damaged, and diseased trees are taken down. Here, Domi secures a rope around a log that was cut down and needs to be moved.
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- For various light trees, the crew is able to use a pulley around a strong upright tree to help pull the cut tree out.
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- Here is the tree getting pulled out and placed into the pile by the carriage road.
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- Domi uses the fork lift on our Hi-Lo to move heavier trees into place.
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- Pasang cuts the smaller limbs off the big trunks to make this process easier.
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- He uses this STIHL battery operated chainsaw. This tool uses a strong 36-volt Lithium-Ion battery. It is significantly quieter than the gasoline-powered chainsaws and starts instantly with the squeeze of a trigger.
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- These chainsaws are portable and very light – great for carrying through the woodland.
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- This area of woodland is looking better already.
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- After the larger logs are moved, Pasang starts picking up the more manageable branches.
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- Any other branches that fell during storms are also picked up.
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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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- Here is an area that has been cleaned – look how pretty it is. One can really see the beauty of the landscape. 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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- And then young, strong seedlings are planted again. Trees are so important – they provide habitat and food for birds and other animals, they absorb carbon dioxide and potentially harmful gasses, and they release oxygen. Keeping the woodland “clean” is one way I can give back to the Earth and help create a more sustainable planet for my grandchildren, and for everyone.
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