What to do with brush piles?

[Dobish]

I don't have a huge property (.49acre lot) but as I collect more wood, I seem to end up with brush piles that accumulate. I have taken a lot of loads to the city when they offer free limb drop-off, and I have also had my tree service friend chip them when I have had him come do tree work.

Yesterday I burned a few of the piles, and I am thinking that this is probably the easiest way to get rid of them.

Right now I have about 9 or 10 of them scattered about the yard. Some will be able to be harvested a little bit more for burnable wood, but others are piles of wild rose hips.

Should I just rent a dumpster and a backhoe?

 

[jatoxico]

I had big brush piles to get rid of from tops and branches after a storm. I cut everything down to about 1/2" to a length of about 12-14". I then bagged everything up in loose weaved bags (seed bags?) so each bag had the thin kindling up to the larger stuff which was up to around 3.5-4" or so. These bags were dried in a shed. All together I had 16 bags I think which was about 1/4 cord. Been using these as kindling, for burning down coal beds and for filling gaps when loading. Working out very well. Waste not want not.

 

[Dobish]

I had big brush piles to get rid of from tops and branches after a storm. I cut everything down to about 1/2" to a length of about 12-14". I then bagged everything up in loose weaved bags (seed bags?) so each bag had the thin kindling up to the larger stuff which was up to around 3.5-4" or so. These bags were dried in a shed. All together I had 16 bags I think which was about 1/4 cord. Been using these as kindling, for burning down coal beds and for filling gaps when loading. Working out very well. Waste not want not.

that would be fine for the maple and the elm, but the rose bushes are the killers... one of these plants is 12' tall and about 30' around.... it did burn really nice when dried

 

[Babaganoosh]

I find it easiest to take to the town dump in my 4 by 8 trailer. Maintain it versus waiting until the piles get too big.

 

[Dobish]

closest place to drop stuff off is 35 minutes away, and they charge $18/cubic yard for anything less than 4" dia, At those rates, I am better off just getting a dumpster, a backhoe, and getting rid of some of the burried elm stumps...

 

[jatoxico]

In that case get some lopping shears and cut it down to pieces and keep burning in the fire pit. I've dealt with a lot those thorny buggers, good set of gloves and don't forget the safety glasses. Pull from one spot and get hit from another.

 

[Babaganoosh]

They charging then yeah I'd burn it.

I can dump branches all day long for free. They even pick up once a month curbside. Anything up to 8 inches in diameter and 8 feet long.

My high NJ taxes pay for something I guess.

 

[Dobish]

They charging then yeah I'd burn it.

I can dump branches all day long for free. They even pick up once a month curbside. Anything up to 8 inches in diameter and 8 feet long.

My high NJ taxes pay for something I guess.

they can charge me for a small bin, but that is basically enough to put my grass clippings in. they also do a 2 time/year pickup if you pay for the whole service. They will pick up bundles 4x4x4, that have to be packaged with twine. they measure with a tape measure.

Every so often they will do a free dropoff, so I emailed the city forestry department asking if they are going to do another one anytime soon.

 

[Easy Livin’ 3000]

they can charge me for a small bin, but that is basically enough to put my grass clippings in. they also do a 2 time/year pickup if you pay for the whole service. They will pick up bundles 4x4x4, that have to be packaged with twine. they measure with a tape measure.

Every so often they will do a free dropoff, so I emailed the city forestry department asking if they are going to do another one anytime soon.

I save everything except the thorny stuff. I have about 8 brush piles, and growing. One is slated for the chipper shredder. Everything from the garden goes there, and other stuff that I know will make good soil amendments. I grind it up about annually, and into the garden it goes.

One is by the fire pit to burn with all the thorny stuff.

Most of the others are wildlife habitat until they break down.

I hate the idea of hauling off soil nutrients to someone else's location. I would never pay to decrease the fertility of my own place.

I view all the slash from my wood work as an additional bonus. Patience is all that is required, it'll break down, and if you want to speed it along, just walk on the piles from time to time. I also made a tool to help, it is essentially a brush axe.

Those brush piles of yours are beautiful!

 

[Lloyd the redneck]

Get some goats! They eat brush

 

[StihlKicking]

I use diesel fuel and a match [emoji91]


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[Dobish]

Get some goats! They eat brush

I tried to rent them... No luck so far. City says I can't have them

 

[CheapBassTurd]

We do the firepit thing.
Ugly twisted branches, twigs, brush, chunks of bark, vines, bad punkwood, etc etc.

(self lighting as it's one of the ash cleanout pits also)

 

[Dobish]

We have a fire pit, so that is where a lot of it is going to go. I have been trying to clear out the back so it can be useable space, and it's a little overwhelming to see so much stuff back there. I think over the next few weeks I can go through a few piles. They burn down pretty quick, which is nice. The thought of dealing with the thorns more than I have tutu is not a lot of fun.

 

[Easy Livin’ 3000]

We have a fire pit, so that is where a lot of it is going to go. I have been trying to clear out the back so it can be useable space, and it's a little overwhelming to see so much stuff back there. I think over the next few weeks I can go through a few piles. They burn down pretty quick, which is nice. The thought of dealing with the thorns more than I have tutu is not a lot of fun.

Use a two handed lopper to cut the canes into 12" lengths. Then, using gloves, gather them up, and into the fire pit. The short length renders the thorns largely harmless. And stop wearing your tutu outside, particularly for this kind of work.

 

[Dobish]

Use a two handed lopper to cut the canes into 12" lengths. Then, using gloves, gather them up, and into the fire pit. The short length renders the thorns largely harmless. And stop wearing your tutu outside, particularly for this kind of work.

The last one I tackled, I took the loppers to one side, then went all chainsaw massacre on it... I'm glad I was wearing layers! I need to get a picture of one of these things...

 

[Jay106n]

Fire pit.

 

[firefighterjake]

No brush from my wood processing . . . that all stays in the woods where it can be a nice home and meal for some critters before becoming future tree fertilizer.

However, I always have a brush pile going at home due to the number of trees on my property.

Matches and a few cardboard boxes does the trick for me . . . but I live in the country. My last burn was a doozy -- not sure I have ever had a fire with flames that tall. I'm a bit surprised no one from the fire station came by to see me.

 

[neverbilly]

An easy option is to do nothing, let them rot. They provide shelter for wildlife. If you do ever burn, burn only one end and let it advance, so that critters have time to escape the other end; don't surround them by fire.

 

[Babaganoosh]

An easy option is to do nothing, let them rot. They provide shelter for wildlife. If you do ever burn, burn only one end and let it advance, so that critters have time to escape the other end; don't surround them by fire.

I think they are in his yard.

 

[Dobish]

I think they are in his yard.

they are in the back yard. if they were in the woods, that would be a little different. I am all for having nature involved in the process, but we are also trying to be able to utilize the yard for something other than brush piles and tall grasses that I can't cut because of the brush piles

I have posted this picture before, but this is what I am working with....

 

[gerry100]

probably doesn't apply to Dobish situation, but there is another benefit to brush piles besides habitat and soil build up as they rot.

piles aid in regrowth of the forest because they protect some seedlings/saplings from deer as they get established.

In a clear area they get nipped at ground level,

 

[CentralVAWoodHeat]

Put em in the woods and let nature take its course. They make great habitats for wildlife too.

 

[Dobish]

Put em in the woods and let nature take its course. They make great habitats for wildlife too.

i am going to just start breaking them down and burning them... probably this weekend....

 

[Oldman47]

My ideal approach would be a chipper. I have lots of uses for wood chips including the compost pile and as mulch. All I need now is the money to get a chipper. In the meantime I get a bit crazy cutting rounds down to rather small diameters before I give up. The village here collects and chips branches if you leave them at the street but they don't leave the chips here for me to use them so I end up buying bags of chips when I want mulch.