Can I burn rotting pile of brash in field that I suspect is harbouring rodents or other suggestions?

[roys]

3 hours ago, smallguy said:

In these cases how do you break up the pile? I am guessing power tools again?

Nowt more than a pair of gloves, you know we are right, don’t just torch the pile it either needs left for nature or moved.

[smallguy]

51 minutes ago, roys said:

Nowt more than a pair of gloves, you know we are right, don’t just torch the pile it either needs left for nature or moved.

I never said you were not right. I said in the OP I wanted to see if it was better to leave it, which the majority opinion is.

 

I wouldn't have made the post if I didn't care at all, I would have just gone and done it.

 

From that picture that is far far more manageable than mine! It is more like a 'blob' for me of all manner of detritus compacted together, much of it soil too.

 

I imagine they just used a digger/loader whatever it is called to scrape everything up.

 

So would more accurately be called a heap of soil and scrub mixed together in a soup. The soil has compacted down over a year so that it is like trying to pull branches which are submerged in the ground. Perhaps that gives a better idea of what I am dealing with.

Edited yesterday at 12:17 by smallguy

[roys]

If it is that far gone then it sounds like it has become one with nature anyway especially at the bottom of your pile, perhaps if anything just lift / wrestle the top uncomposted stuff of the top to burn. As said hard to tell without a pic.

[Steven P]

and if it is that mixed up it probably won't burn anyway.

 

Day hire for a digger, should flatten it all down, not too expensive in the grand scheme of things, or 2 or 3 weeks doing it manually

[smallguy]

10 minutes ago, roys said:

If it is that far gone then it sounds like it has become one with nature anyway especially at the bottom of your pile, perhaps if anything just lift / wrestle the top uncomposted stuff of the top to burn. As said hard to tell without a pic.

 

All depends what it is like when I am over there. If no rodent issues interfering with me I will be very happy to leave it do its thing.

 

Btw will that stuff be good to put around newly planted trees, which I have planted over most of the field already? Is that advantageous? Maybe leave it til it breaks down more to be more manageable?

Edited yesterday at 12:37 by smallguy

[peds]

Without seeing a picture of this supposed problem, I couldn't make a firm recommendation one way or another, but from the sounds of it... if it were my land, that I wanted to plant a little forest on... I absolutely wouldn't be burning it, I'd get a man with a digger in for a day, have him smash it up with the bucket, drive over it a few times, then flatten it out without being too fussy about lumps. Then he'd dig a nice big pond or two, a scattering of berms and swales, and maybe, just maybe, the earthwork foundations for a ring fort or something. Or at least a raised dias with a commanding view of the site for a picnic table. 

[Mark Bolam]

Just leave it be if you’re not worried by the look of it.

 

Rodents won’t eat the wiring in your van if they’ve got loads of little bugs and beasties to chew on.