Prepping new ground, advise needed

I have some plots planned on some virgin ground that is mostly saplings and viburnum. It has about 1.5’ of snow on it with minimal frost due to the large snowfall at the end of November up in Tomahawk.

My question is, can I remove snow and strip saplings now, or should I wait till real spring melts the snow and frost? Even though it’s higher, well drained ground, I’m worried about creating mud latter in spring that becomes brick like. Any advice out there?

I feel like the most challenging part of food plotting is getting weeds and unwanted growth under control. Cutting saplings now means the reshoot from the roots next spring.

I would want to wait until spring so I could spray first. The more stuff that is dead before you plant the easier things seem to go.

Grouse

What Grouse said spray and respray until everything is dead. Makes working the ground so much easier.

Can I at least plow the snow off? If the frost is not too tough, I have a toothed bucket on my tractor loader and would hope to uproot the viburnum. The viburnum are so thick the ground is clear of vegetation and only has dead leaf clutter.

Tomahawk area has a lot of low land. You may be better off getting in and doing a scrape before frost is out so you don’t sink your equipment

The 2 areas are on higher, well drained ground. We are about a 1/4 mile from the Wisconsin River and well above it by about 60’ in elevation. Our soil type is 4-5” of black loam with bank run gravel underneath. I have a Pirahna front blade on my loader bucket. I’m hoping it grabs the viburnum at their base and uproots them, if not, I have teeth on a box scraper that hopefully will get the job done. The question is how locked in by frost the roots are in the next few weeks.

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Don’t rush it, it will just make for more work later on. Wait for everything to green up, hit it with gly, wait at least 2 weeks, hit with gly again, wait to let the gly work, then start prepping and removing the roots and stuff. This is my experience the best way.

This small diameter stuff in the fore front is what is dominant in the initial areas I want to clear. It’s pretty thick with it.

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not sure how much of the woody stuff you will get out with loader. Might be better off to spray the bushes with a brush killer like Tordon and give them a few weeks to absorb to the roots. I don’t believe Glysophate will do you much on these?

I don’t think using the loader will have any effect other than removing surface growth. You will certainly leave roots everywhere and they will shoot new growth in the spring.

I just don’t think you accomplish anything by working ground this early. The #1 issue with new plots is weed control.

If you really want to do something now, expand the plot. I talk to a lot of food plotters and I’ve never met even one who wished he had smaller plots.

Grouse

I am 100% with Grouse on this one. You will do nothing beneficial this time of year with food plots except make them bigger by removing trees. I understand the excitement to get going, I am right there with you, but you are ” SPINNING YOUR WHEELS” if you try doing anything now. If the plot is as big as you want it, find something else to do for now. I am chomping at the bit to get going too, but I have learned to let ma nature run her course in the spring.

If you really want something to do, get your supply of spray ready. I buy chemicals online to get the best price. That means 10-14 days while product ships.

Have you done a soil test? If not do so as soon as you can dig a sample.

Know what you want to plant? If not, visit your friends at midwestmonster.us or give me a call.

Grouse

Soil test done late last year, slightly acidic so I’ve been tracking down a source for bulk pelletized lime. I have seed galore, mainly clover with tall grass perimeters and various brassicas near our stands. We have a sweet corn plot and a forage oats with peas intermingled.

I rebuilt an ancient drag behind cultipacker that now can be lifted with the 3point hitch or pulled like a trailer. There is a new 5’ rototiller on the property and various other implements.

Loggers came in at my dads place north of mille lacs. Might need to put in a plot.

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Tractor is loaded and ready to haul up to our property early next week. Snow is mostly gone, just some snowplow drifts roadside. First area to be cleared is actually an extension to our parking area where I want to put a larger 5th wheel trailer. This will be an excellent project at this time since I will be isolated from others, and myself who is high risk (age and health) trying not to get infected. I’m hoping for most work getting accomplished with piranha blade on bucket and rear box blade with rippers. It will give me a good indicator of what’s in store for me when I tackle the food plots.

CRC, post some pictures, would like to see how that blade works.

Things are drying nicely, so a good time to be out there working before it gets hot.

Grouse

Definitely will.

Is that a BX Series tractor? Oversized bucket?

It’s a Kioti CK35 compact tractor with hydrostatic drive. Comparable to Kubota compacts, I believe the CX is sub compact.

Snow just left last week, frost a few inches down, top soil kinda greasy. Piranha blade works good, but you still have to work it. Box scraper gives the rear wheels better traction when up and does a nice job of scraping and grading. This is my new circle drive, food plots will be in the next 30 days.

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Love the Kioti. Nice machine, great for plots.

Looks good. Yes it is very greasy in most places, so you’re getting more done than I am right now. I won’t be driving in my plots for weeks yet.

Grouse

Nice rig!!! Looking good so far, couple weeks and the plot work will be fun.

I am heading to the farm this weekend, hoping to mow plots.

Did the piranha blade actually shear/cut the small brush?

Looks good!

Sometimes yes and sometimes no. The ground was wet and the viburnum have large but shallow roots, and the teeth would uproot the whole bunch. But when i scarified with the box blade teeth, I collected a ton more roots. I have a few more inches of black dirt to remove and then lay gravel. If not doing a drive I would be either tilling or discing when black dirt dried out, then seeding.

Thought about just grinding the edge on the bucket sharp, but like the idea of that piranha blade better. And it’s fairly cheap and looks easy to install.

Thanks for posting the pics and how that worked. Pulling brush up by the root balls ain’t bad either imo.

I was able to get up a couple days. First I cleared the small trees and viburnum, then “toothed” the ground with the scraper box teeth dislodging roots, then attracted with the 5’ King Kutter tiller. The thing worked like a champ.

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It looks like you’re on a rather steep hillside there… Okay, I’m better now. Somebody had to say it. Just getting it out of the way.

Looks really nice. Amazing to have dry dirt to work with this early in the year. The last 5-6 years have been sooooooo wet.

So are you going to go ahead and plant now? What are you putting in?

Grouse

That area is getting forage soybean and sweet corn. A section of sweet corn will be protected for our consumption. It’s early yet so first I need to amend the soil with lime. We tested it and it is slightly acidic at 5.7ph, I would like to get it in the 6s.

I finally finished opening up virgin ground for 4 food plots about 1/3 to 1/2 acre each that are now seeded. Here are some pictures. Sorry, some picture come out sideways, lol

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Got some animals coming in already. One game cam has wrong date.

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