Slashing pile

[slimedart]

Hello all. I had 13 acres of aspen cut last winter. The logging was done so I could cut trails, expand food plots and create bedding areas. When the loggers came in they asked if they could pile the tops or if I wanted them to spread them back out throughout the property. I told them to stack them by their landing. I figured I can come in later and burn them. Also the lack of tops could help in the regeneration and reduce clutter in creating corridors.
So what I have are two giant piles of aspen tops to deal with. They are much bigger than I anticipated. I want to burn them in the next month or so. When I do can I use the ash as a lime substitute. How complete of a burn do I need to be effective. Has anyone done this before.?
I cannot get ag lime up here in northern MN. I can get pellet lime but it’s quite expensive.
Thanks
D

 

[SD51555]

Hello all. I had 13 acres of aspen cut last winter. The logging was done so I could cut trails, expand food plots and create bedding areas. When the loggers came in they asked if they could pile the tops or if I wanted them to spread them back out throughout the property. I told them to stack them by their landing. I figured I can come in later and burn them. Also the lack of tops could help in the regeneration and reduce clutter in creating corridors.
So what I have are two giant piles of aspen tops to deal with. They are much bigger than I anticipated. I want to burn them in the next month or so. When I do can I use the ash as a lime substitute. How complete of a burn do I need to be effective. Has anyone done this before.?
I cannot get ag lime up here in northern MN. I can get pellet lime but it’s quite expensive.
Thanks
D

Another lime rec thread, and it's not even my birthday!

Ash pound for pound isn't as effective as lime. With aspen tops, even if the pile is huge, I don't forsee you having tons of ash after it's burned, and ability to spread would be even tougher, whether it's dry or wet. I wouldn't sweat it if it was half burned either. Poor man's biochar.

Where are you located? There aren't many pockets in northern MN where you're more than an hour away from a pallet of lime at a farm store. This is also a great example of where a high quality soil test comes in handy. You don't wanna try to do 6,000 lbs/ac when 1,000 may get you over the target. How many acres you aiming upon which to spread lime?

 

[TreeDaddy]

Another lime rec thread, and it's not even my birthday!

Ash pound for pound isn't as effective as lime. With aspen tops, even if the pile is huge, I don't forsee you having tons of ash after it's burned, and ability to spread would be even tougher, whether it's dry or wet. I wouldn't sweat it if it was half burned either. Poor man's biochar.

Where are you located? There aren't many pockets in northern MN where you're more than an hour away from a pallet of lime at a farm store. This is also a great example of where a high quality soil test comes in handy. You don't wanna try to do 6,000 lbs/ac when 1,000 may get you over the target. How many acres you aiming upon which to spread lime?

Buffer pH, baybeeee!!!!!!!!

bill

 

[Telemark]

I don't think it will be worth the squeeze. Burning piles like that takes an incredibly long time, and it can easily get out of control. Additionally, the heat from the fire can wreck the soil under it, and you have to use the ash immediately.

If you insist on burning it, I would cut the wood into manageable pieces and burn in smaller bonfires. Then distribute the ash immediately.

It's probably less effort to spread pel lime. And it's easy to inoculate logs with fungus. The pile of rotted wood could be a great addition to your soil in a few years.

 

[slimedart]

Thank you for the responses. I did not consider that I would need to spread the ash right away. That will be problematic. I don't have the resources to move the piles. They are huge. 15ft tall by 60yards. I have other smaller piles that I am not going to burn. If I burn the big pile what kind of soil damage will I be looking at. The Pile borders the whole north edge of one of my food plots. My plan was to burn and then plant spruce and other screens where the pile is currently. The ground is currently frozen if that helps.

 

[Natty Bumppo]

I do a ton of land clearing and burning of slash piles every summer. After I burn the piles...which sometimes are 2 or 3 full day burns...I will come through and disk the ashes into the soil. Without fail, I get the most beautiful and luscious growth of whatever I plant in the spot where the pile was....brassicas, clover, buckwheat, etc.

 

[jsasker007]

Sounds like the start of some awesome compost piles.

 

[Peeps]

Depending on your budget you could look at having the piles mulched with a forestry mulcher. We just did some logging to open up some areas around our house. About 2 1/2 acres. I didn’t feel comfortable burning all the debris so I’m having it mulched with the stumps pulled and buried and then everything leveled off. Not cheap but it’s going to hopefully look nice.

 

[slimedart]

Depending on your budget you could look at having the piles mulched with a forestry mulcher. We just did some logging to open up some areas around our house. About 2 1/2 acres. I didn’t feel comfortable burning all the debris so I’m having it mulched with the stumps pulled and buried and then everything leveled off. Not cheap but it’s going to hopefully look nice.

ya I don't think mulching is in the budget. I already have a food plot on the landing where the logs were loaded onto the trucks. I want cover and screening where the log piles are currently. When I bow hunted the plot this fall in a 15ft ladder stand I could not see over the piles to the clear cut.

I do love everyones suggestions. It has given me new direction.
I do not think the piles will burn completely on the first try. So my new plan is to do an initial burn. Once that is done I should be able to move the larger logs that did not burn in to a stand alone pile (think Giant compose pile). I will then try to drag the top layer of ash in to the plot and till it in to the "Landing Plot". The soil is not very good on the landing and any amendments to the soil will help. I have about 20 fruit trees grafted which I want to plant along the edge of where the slashing pile is. Behind them I have 100 or so spruce on order. I also have access to as much hybrid aspen cuttings as I want. I figure I can sprinkle them in as needed for diversity.

 

[bigboreblr]

Wait for a decent rain, then burn them while its raining. Think you'll be ok. Got a pic of the area?

IF possible, a few days later scoop up what you can with a tractor or wheelbarrow. In the world of clay, you'll have some good stuff for about an acre of land from all that. Aspen is pretty straight, atleast what I had at my old home. So, not a ton of tops. It's a decent amount of wheelbarrow work, but not insane to do it by hand if you have no tractor.

Keep a few small slash piles if you like rabbit or grouse hunting. About 10-12ft diameter piiles or so.

Some farmer's co-op rent a 2-3 ton spreader you can pull with a truck. My local one does.

IF you're low on organic material in your soil, you could rent a chipper for the day.

 

[slimedart]

Here are some pictures of what I am dealing with. They don't really due it justice. The first is an onX screen shot. The landing plot is in the lower left corner. The brown line is a trail I recorded as I walked around the slashing. The first photo is of the back row of tops, the second photo is of the front row of tops and is taken from the edge of my food plot. The third Photo was taken from the top of one of the piles.

I absolutely love the problem solving that habitat management brings about. I hate committing to an action that may or may not work out. One project leads to another.

 

[Telemark]

. So my new plan is to do an initial burn. Once that is done I should be able to move the larger logs that did not burn in to a stand alone pile (think Giant compose pile)

Burned logs will not compost.

 

[slimedart]

Burned logs will not compost.

Good to know. Thank you. I am very new to this.

 

[Skeeter]

How much labor are you willing to put into dealing with the pile? How much help do you have? What equipment do you have available or are willing to rent? I think there is much more benefit in composting than burning a pile, but it takes more equipment and labor.

 

[jsasker007]

Burned logs will not compost.

Wasn't talking about burned logs. The wood in the pile would be a good start to add to was my thoughts. Just to clear up my post above.

 

[slimedart]

Ok so I still need to get rid of the majority of the piles and fast so I can utilize my property. It is only 40 acres. With the composting idea do I have to rotate the pile? Ash worked into the ground is very appealing to me. Any low cost improvements is. I am 45 minutes north of Bemdji MN, The Manards there has the cheapest lime. $5.29/50lb bageof pulverized and $6.47/40lb bag of pellet lime. The Coop has a similar price per pound for a 1000lb bag. I have not found a source of ag lime closer than 2 hours away.
I am really the only person that is constantly available to work the property. I can get help for half a day here and there.

Again all the helpful ideas are truly appreciated.

 

[Telemark]

Wasn't talking about burned logs. The wood in the pile would be a good start to add to was my thoughts. Just to clear up my post above.

I got it. My response was to Slimedart.

 

[SD51555]

Ok so I still need to get rid of the majority of the piles and fast so I can utilize my property. It is only 40 acres. With the composting idea do I have to rotate the pile? Ash worked into the ground is very appealing to me. Any low cost improvements is. I am 45 minutes north of Bemdji MN, The Manards there has the cheapest lime. $5.29/50lb bageof pulverized and $6.47/40lb bag of pellet lime. The Coop has a similar price per pound for a 1000lb bag. I have not found a source of ag lime closer than 2 hours away.
I am really the only person that is constantly available to work the property. I can get help for half a day here and there.

Again all the helpful ideas are truly appreciated.

Do you have a soil test, and how many acres are you needing to lime?

I might just wait for snow and light it up. That ground won't be right for a year or two, but it's gonna get it dealt with and and you get on with the plan. It will heal. You'll get an explosion of thistles where the burn was at first. Don't fret it. They will go away. Just scoop up the ash with a skid steer and go spread it as best you can, or just pile it up and keep it.

I burned a pile of oak stumps and brush at my place after the site prep was done for the cabin. I had an explosion of canada thistle, and not much else the first year. I burned it in December. In August, I cleaned up the ashes and stumps and put a food plot right over the top of the burn area. To this day, that spot grows the thickest clover, there's no weeds, and all the canada thistle died out after the first year. The rest of that plot ain't so lucky.

There's an ACME rental in Bemidji. They'd probably run a skid steer out to you.

There's also supposedly an L&M supply in Bemidji. I've never seen it, but it's listed on their site. I gotta think they'll not only have lime, but maybe both kinds.

 

[Natty Bumppo]

Ok so I still need to get rid of the majority of the piles and fast so I can utilize my property. It is only 40 acres. With the composting idea do I have to rotate the pile? Ash worked into the ground is very appealing to me. Any low cost improvements is. I am 45 minutes north of Bemdji MN, The Manards there has the cheapest lime. $5.29/50lb bageof pulverized and $6.47/40lb bag of pellet lime. The Coop has a similar price per pound for a 1000lb bag. I have not found a source of ag lime closer than 2 hours away.
I am really the only person that is constantly available to work the property. I can get help for half a day here and there.

Again all the helpful ideas are truly appreciated.

Seeing the pics of your slash piles changed my advice a bit. Some of the diameters of that slash is pretty big. It will take a very hot fire....or a year of drying...for it to burn very hot. If it's dry and you start with a small fire and slowly get the pile going it will eventually catch and burn. However, I think maybe hiring somebody with an industrial forestry mulcher to come in and reduce all that slash might be a good option too. Aspen tends to rot pretty quickly. If you were to chip it, spread it, and then disk it in to the soil I think it would be gone very quickly.

 

[3I0]

I'd just burn them as you have the chance, and if you can use some of the leftover ash just treat it as a bonus.

I have areas on my place where it was logged a bit over 20 years ago with old slash piles and they are still 2' thick of debris with nothing but thistle and raspberry poking out of it and full of ticks. Have one pile of logs that was left then due to broken down equipment and it's still 5' high but soft as a sponge..... unless you have heavy equipment to rotate/turn/mix them up composting seems like more of a theoretical possibility on a geologic timescale.