Weeding woodland.

[openspaceman]

I'd go with the above most vege should be dying down now anyway, 30 yrs ago boys would have done that by hand with a hewke and not batted an eye.

 

Yes but we called it a fagging hook, it was necessary to keep it really sharp so stopping every 100yards and using sharpening stone gave a breather in grassy stuff. At this time of year the only benefit is to stop bracken and grasses falling and smothering the plants.

 

I have read some good answers but i can't remember anyway highlighting the fact that glyco will probably kill the tree to if u get any on it, if we were spraying we used to put a cone over the tree, but if still in tubes won't be the same problem.

 

 

Roundup was available then but very expensive and yes it will kill young trees through the bark, It was applied with an arborguard, two nozzles on either side of a horseshoe guard, one squirt, turn through 90 degrees second squirt, move to next tree whilst watching drips from the guard don't hit the crop.

 

The most benefit is in removing moisture competition and best done pre planting by screefing, often using glyphosate, If the weed competition is grasses then cutting them actually increases their water uptake and hence competition.

[Ninjastrike]

I weed woodlands like this for about 4 months of the year and round up is not much use as only kills grass and few other weeds it dose work if you hit it at the perfect time. You would be much better buying a grass hook and hooking the weeds round the tree, weeds around the tree are generally not bad thing it's when they die fall over and smother the tree. I have coverd over 100 hectares with the hook this summer and you will be able to cover your small woodland easy enough, we do about 1000 trees weeded per man per day.

[SamWhiting12]

Strim it all, and ask some of the lovely guys here to drop a load of chip in your woods and then surround the base of the trees with chip within 0.5m radius.

 

As others have said, strim it about 3 times a year and pull out any weeds in the chip. It will get easier the more it is strimmed.

[davies8990]

has anyone used kerb granuals don't no that much about them but hear they are very good

[Hunter]

I have visited the wood and the current situation is not good. The young trees has been completely covered with bramble. We know that there are over 400 newly planted trees and after long hours of hard work we have managed to expose 27 trees. Some of the trees already dead.

When we cut the bramble we need to be very carful as we may accidentally damage the trees.

[Hunter]

Here is another picture.

[Hunter]

It was too late for some Oak trees and the looked dead.

[Paul in the woods]

Are the 400 trees spaced over the whole 1.5 acres? If so I assume it's not a replanting condition on a felling licence as the density is too low.

 

I'd be tempted to only clear part of the area and write off some of the trees. Do you have much other open space?

 

Have you thought of keeping bees, if so you don't have weeds only forage for the bees. (Sorry if that's not funny but brambles, rose-bay-willow-herb etc is great for bees and sometimes areas of scrub is just as important than trees in a wood).

[Hunter]

On the felling licence it said 1100 tree per Hectar. No not looking for open space and would like to save most of the trees if possible.

[Gary24]

I,m cleaning a plantation at the moment on a steep bank with an old long reach hedge trimmer,freeing up the rows,quite a quick way