Cedar thicket

[Soggy McBottom]

Does anyone have experience in clearcutting a cedar thicket? I have about 2-acre monoculture I need out. Just wondering how long it will take before anything will start growing back.

Also, anyone that wants to cut them down can have them.

 

[Catscratch]

I've cleared a lot of cedar for other people. Stuff seems to grow back fine but I hadn't paid too mush attention to be honest. Should be a lot of seed in the seed bank under cedars though.
The big thing is getting rid of the pile. Cedar doesn't rot real quick and it's kind of a danger to burn a big pile of it. She runs hot... that's for sure.

 

[ksgobbler]

Ive clearcut 2 on my place. It took 2 years in one of them to get stuff to grow back. The other has been cut down for 3 years and still only has thistles and a little grass growing. As mentioned cedar produces prolific fire brands. We are green here in the summer so I waited till then to burn them and had zero issues.

 

[bwoods11]

The plan is to clear cedars on parts of my farm in Iowa. The previous owner did some clearing, created food plots, and it seemed to be effective. Sometimes trimming the lower branches can create travel lanes for deer and turkey.

 

[Soggy McBottom]

The only part of the farm the cedars are thick at is where the ground is very rocky. I think I may leave them lay where they fall. Then at least they have some cover.

 

[Rit]

I wish I had a 2-acre Cedar thicket. I do everything I can do to promote Cedar growth on my place. I transplant a lot them into the same area.

 

[Mortenson]

I wish I had a 2-acre Cedar thicket. I do everything I can do to promote Cedar growth on my place. I transplant a lot them into the same area.

That's what I was thinking! They can't grow fast enough here. Everyone's property has different needs.

 

[Tree Spud]

I wish I had a 2-acre Cedar thicket. I do everything I can do to promote Cedar growth on my place. I transplant a lot them into the same area.

I agree ... great bedding cover. I am doing the same thing.

The only part of the farm the cedars are thick at is where the ground is very rocky. I think I may leave them lay where they fall. Then at least they have some cover.

Why cut them down if you are just going to let them lie?

 

[Soggy McBottom]

I agree ... great bedding cover. I am doing the same thing.



Why cut them down if you are just going to let them lie?

To open the canopy up and let the sun in. Right now you can sit at one end of the thicket and see to the other side. The moss on the ground looks like shag carpet from the 70s. A virtual deer desert. With the cedars laying down they will at least have some security. I'll wait two years then burn them (carefully).

 

[ksgobbler]

It is interesting cedars are a sign of a sick prairie here. My neighbor loves them and I burn them like a mofo.

 

[H20fwler]

They pop up like weeds here (red cedar), as soon as a pasture or old homestead is left idle or roadside not mowed they seem to just appear.

 

[Bill]

They seem to grow like weeds around me after land is idle for a few years. I've got them coming up in a switch grass field. I like it but they are spaced out. If they grow in a thicket or clumps they do seem to self prune on the bottom making them useless as thermal cover.

I do have one area I need to thin them a bit so they don't turn into a desert.

 

[mikmaze]

more likely to try to manage them, they are a succesional tree, and as they grow, they will eventually get replaced by trees in the east anyway, then to woods after a long time, I would go for a 10 year cut plan, cut 10% down per year, and keep it young and dense.

 

[Livesintrees]

How difficult (or easy) would it be to introduce cedar into a property with mainly mature hardwoods? And what would you all say an ideal area is? I wish I had a Cedar thicket.

 

[Tree Spud]

To open the canopy up and let the sun in. Right now you can sit at one end of the thicket and see to the other side. The moss on the ground looks like shag carpet from the 70s. A virtual deer desert. With the cedars laying down they will at least have some security. I'll wait two years then burn them (carefully).

I don't know your property so I can only comment on the isolated area you asked about. If it is all cedars, I am assuming red cedar, and moss below, good chance fairly acidic soil. That's why only those 2 there.

For many of us, what you have, we lack ... thermal bedding cover. This 2 acre area may also present a very unique travel corridor or bedding cover that is a transition area. Clearing the understory of dead branches may allow for more movement.

You may want to consider thinning, allowing for some grassy areas to emerge once sunlight hits. That way you can gauge the quality of the soil. My rule of thumb is to cut slowly, observe, and then make adjustments. What you can cut & clear in 2 months may take 20 years to replace ...

 

[Livesintrees]

I don't know your property so I can only comment on the isolated area you asked about. If it is all cedars, I am assuming red cedar, and moss below, good chance fairly acidic soil. That's why only those 2 there.

For many of us, what you have, we lack ... thermal bedding cover. This 2 acre area may also present a very unique travel corridor or bedding cover that is a transition area. Clearing the understory of dead branches may allow for more movement.

You may want to consider thinning, allowing for some grassy areas to emerge once sunlight hits. That way you can gauge the quality of the soil. My rule of thumb is to cut slowly, observe, and then make adjustments. What you can cut & clear in 2 months may take 20 years to replace ...

We had a club property two decades ago where we cut trails through the cedars that ran along the field edgewith the removal of clumps of trees. It took an area where only an occasional deer would be and turned it into a highway. Bucks would travel it heavily and stands on both ends provided year round opportunity

 

[Catscratch]

I was going to suggest the same thing with cutting trails (wide trails by removing lines of trees and letting sunlight hit the ground again). I think eastern red cedar actually neutralizes soil instead of making it acidic. Nothing grows under them because they are excessive water users and very shady. My memory may be wrong on that though...

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[Rit]

How difficult (or easy) would it be to introduce cedar into a property with mainly mature hardwoods? And what would you all say an ideal area is? I wish I had a Cedar thicket.

I think quite difficult. Cedars will grow without much light but they will be spindly and won’t fill out much. They need sunlight to thrive. First photo is hard to see but believe it or not there is a 4’ cedar there. I moved it to a thicket edge 4 years ago now it’s about 8’ tall and has filled out nicely. It’s producing berries so little cedar sprouts are starting to pop up. I transplant those to areas I want.

 

[sandbur]

I don't know your property so I can only comment on the isolated area you asked about. If it is all cedars, I am assuming red cedar, and moss below, good chance fairly acidic soil. That's why only those 2 there.

For many of us, what you have, we lack ... thermal bedding cover. This 2 acre area may also present a very unique travel corridor or bedding cover that is a transition area. Clearing the understory of dead branches may allow for more movement.

You may want to consider thinning, allowing for some grassy areas to emerge once sunlight hits. That way you can gauge the quality of the soil. My rule of thumb is to cut slowly, observe, and then make adjustments. What you can cut & clear in 2 months may take 20 years to replace ...

We had a club property two decades ago where we cut trails through the cedars that ran along the field edgewith the removal of clumps of trees. It took an area where only an occasional deer would be and turned it into a highway. Bucks would travel it heavily and stands on both ends provided year round opportunity

Cut trails work.



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[Tree Spud]

I was going to suggest the same thing with cutting trails (wide trails by removing lines of trees and letting sunlight hit the ground again). I think eastern red cedar actually neutralizes soil instead of making it acidic. Nothing grows under them because they are excessive water users and very shady. My memory may be wrong on that though...

Sent from my SM-N960U using Tapatalk

The OP may have ground that is somewhat adverse to growing other plants & trees, that's probably why the ceders have succeeded. I have red cedars and grass & weeds do grow under them.

I would open up a small areas to light in and test growing switch grass which could make a good bedding area. Also try planting some shrubs with tubes or cages to see if they survive.

I like Sandburs idea of cutting some trails also.

Either way it would be good to know if the soil can sustain anything else before clear cutting.