Tilling after a hydro axe?

[BlakeJ]

If I wanted to increase the size of a food plot by having some cedars, cedar elms, and underbrush cleared with a hydro axe- would it be possible to run a tiller over the shavings and then be able to plant? Or would I be better off removing the trees entirely?

[BolilloLoco]

I wouldnt attempt to till the mulched areas after a hydro axe came through. I would have the shavings pushed off to the side first.

[kingranch]

Yep for sure... I did this at my place and the hydroaxe still leaves good size chunks
U need a good day on a bobcat to pile up shavings for haul off or burn
Cedar chip is acidic and doesn't promote new foliage right away

[Blackmouth]

Depends on how thick the brush is. If it's not too bad and the mulch left over is not deep you may get vegetative response fairly soon. As said above, the chunks can be pretty big unless you get the operator to back drag several times but that will cost more in labor.

Another thought would be to broadcast the seeds before the clearing and let the mulch cover it instead of tilling it and see how that works.

[bgleaton]

We had a bunch of cedars mulched into long clearings and had nice grasses, Forbs and browse come up that Spring. We are in central/west Texas so we have high alkaline soils so the mulched cedar helps the soil by keeping it covered and creating organic matter over time.

[bloodtrailer28]

I wouldn't waste time or money trying to plant on top of that crap. Plus depending on how big of trees you had mulched you will still have stumps/roots under it. Never again on the hydro ax for us dozer all the way.

[bgleaton]

A dozer is great but the hydro axe does a great job in removing choked out live oaks and making sendaros. We have used both dozers and a Mulcher and found that the native grasses actually came back quicker on the mulched areas. If you want to make a food plot in these areas I would definitely use a dozer to remove the roots and all the other trash.

[BlakeJ]

There's no rocks. But I can't have a ton of stumps, it'll tear up the tiller.

[bloodtrailer28]

There's no rocks. But I can't have a ton of stumps, it'll tear up the tiller.

All the hydro ax does is grind the tree down to ground level leaving the stump/rootball. We spent many many hours going back with a dozer and skid steer popping up stumps. Biggest pain in the *** could have got it done cheaper with a dozer and only had to go over it once instead of going back after the hydro was done.
If it's small scrub brush type stuff then it shouldn't be to much of a problem but if it's trees of any size....

[BlakeJ]

My main issue is that if I don't grind the trees and brush up, I'll have to have all of it hauled off. Kind of a weird situation and location.

[BrianL]

MOwer head or mulcher head?

[BlakeJ]

I'm kinda thinking a grubber, then pay someone to haul everything off.