what to do with brash

[clueless]

hi guys i've been following this forum for a good few months now but only just registered to post something which i would be keen to hear thoughts or advice on.

 

we have about 25 acres of what they call 'aincent woodlands' which is essentially a mix of birch, oak, ash, hazel and other hardwoods that have been left to their own devices for about 50 years and are now in a bit of a state. we are actively putting in access in the form of various rides and tracks and are using a heavy duty flail mower to open up some of the areas that have been overtaken by bramble. we are thinning out and using the timber to make firewood and the thinner stuff we're making charcoal with.

 

the stuff i am struggling to find a use for though is what i would call 'brash'. the branches and other useless bits that are too small to make anything with, apart from a big bonfire. currently we are just heaping these in areas as we produce the stuff and whilst its good cover for wildlife, with us thinning out and taking control of this 'wild' wood, as you can imagine, there is a fair amount of stuff we are cutting down thats this sort of size.

 

i am wondering if anyone else has a similar situation where they are producing a lot of this stuff in proportion to timber that can be harvested and what you do with it? i know the ideal scenario is to put it through a big shredder like a doppstadt or willibald but we dont have the cash to do that for little return. similarly to put it through a pto chipper would take bloody ages by hand, not sure how the £££ would stack up if we were to look at a 3pt linkage crane to feed a chipper setup. maybe even thinking of one of them basic shredders like menart do that are tractor towed, pto driven, no discharge conveyor they just whip through the stuff and chuck it on the floor. yes some mechanical investment required but that may be the only option?? at least if its shred it can be composted and resold

 

is there any market for this type of stuff (brash) to get a return? presuming theres not; whats the easiest way to deal with it so that its not in the way? or to turn it into something marketable?

 

i look forward to any comments

 

cheers

[Rod]

i would chop it up small and leave it in little piles it the wood it will soon rot down

 

or perhaps the same but cover it with some soil to rot quicker and provide lots of habitat

 

atl east the cost would be small

[Stephen Blair]

if you want to do anything with it you will have to spend money, but a good chipper will save you money on labour. the minute you cut it you chip it, no handballing into big piles. it sounds like you have let the piles build up, get some guys in to give you some quotes, what might seem a big pile to you might be a few days work to the right squad. place a thread asking for locals to come and tender for your work and get some good advice thrown in for nothing. stick some pics up aswell, so we can see mate

[clueless]

hi mate i'll see if i can get some pics up next weekend when i'm back from work.

 

i accept the fact it needs money spent on it whichever way we go and we've been toying with the idea of getting a pto chipper for a good while now but having come across some of the more basic shredders (i.e. the menart type) on tinterweb lately i was wondering if they may be a better option to compost down quicker. although i'm sure you'll tell me that a 'chip' will compst just as quick as a 'shred'.

 

as far as chipping as soon as you cut - yes 100% agree but unfortunately you are right in saying that we've let the piles build up, thats the problem when your making access with a 13ton digger you just swing the crap out the way!

 

its a small world i spent most of last summer in largs whilst on a job at inverkip

 

cheers

[Ian Leach]

Depends on what diameter how about basket making, hurdles things like that. You can put smaller bits of the brash in a tin and put it in the charcoal burner and make the drawing charcoal too.

[Billy Goat Gruff]

If youi have been smacking into it with a 13 ton digger, you don't want to be putting it through a chipper, as all the roots and crap will take the edge of your blades for sure.

Option One: Small hazel, willow and such will make hurdles, but all this sort of work is very time consuming, and it sounds like you want a chewap appproach, so either stack and leave as natural habitat, or burn brash, or put through a shredder/chipper, one that has drum discs not blades. I would hire in as well to reduce capitol expenditure.

Hope this is of some help?

[clueless]

hi guys

 

hurdles etc are out of the question as the stuff is too messy for that (i.e. its not nice and neat and straight and good quality)

 

what sort of chipper do i want to be looking at with drum discs not blades?

 

cheers

[Mesterh]

Could you not move it to a safe spot and burn it?

[Jamie]

flail it/ mulch it

 

Jamie

[Stephen Blair]

what were you doing in inverkip mate?building sites?