Forestry Mulching

Forestry Mulching 101

     Traditional land clearing methods often present an increased risk of erosion by pushing over trees, uprooting the stump and roots, and substantially disturbing soils.  In contrast, forestry mulching the vegetation leaves the soil structure intact. The mulched material can be left on the ground and will act as an erosion barrier while returning nutrients back into the soil through decomposition.

By processing trees and other vegetation where they stand, mulching machines eliminate many of the steps involved in land clearing such as site prep, cutting/felling/hauling, and site cleanup. This also eliminates the need for multiple machines (such as a bulldozer) for some combination of excavators, tree shears, woodchippers or grinders, and hauling equipment. Our forestry mulcher is capable of clearing land of unwanted trees and brush with limited disturbance to soils or desirable vegetation. Our forestry mulcher can operate on steep slopes and in small or tight areas, in poor ground conditions, and in wet or snowy weather.

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Invasive species control

     Some common invasive plants such as Kudzu, Juniperus Virginiana, thorn bushes and more, can invade a natural habitat, soak up a tremendous amount of ground water, and need to be removed to reestablish the native habitat or to preserve the water table. Invasive insects can also devastate forests, leaving behind rotting trees with diminishing timber value and that may become falling hazards if they lose their ability to stand up against wind.

Proactive mulching can reduce stress on trees caused by crowding, making them less susceptible to attack from invasive species.  Mulching invasive species in place can control the spread of invasive plants, insects, and fungus. The mulching action tends to discharge the material downward and within a reasonably confined area, versus other methods such as rotary cutters that may laterally insects or other invasive species into neighboring healthy trees.

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Wildfire prevention and management

     Proactive mulching: Mulching reduces the potential for wildfires by eliminating small leafy plants, fallen or rotten trees, and other fuel sources. If left untreated, these fuel loads increase potential for fire, increase the heat intensity, and serve as fire ladders that enable fire to elevate quickly to the tops of trees which is where a fire can spread most quickly. Mulching can also be used to create a coarse grind finish that can create a more ideal controlled burn.

     Reactive mulching: In addition to proactive thinning of vegetation to mitigate fire fuels, forestry mulching can be used for reactive cutting of lines (fire breaks) on active fires. Our forestry mulchers leave minimal cleanup requirements and can help reduce the overall costs of active fire mitigation.