I need some advice. I've got around a 70 acre pine clearcut which had mature pines cut 5 years ago. It was never sprayed or planted back. I bought the place just after it was cut and have been clearing land for pasture. My initial plan was to clear all of it for pasture until I realized how poor some of the soil was and how much it was costing to keep on clearing. I have now decided to clear half of it and plant the remainder in pines. The portion that will go back to pines has now grown up with volunteer pines (small trees) along with privet and everything else you can think of.

So here's my questions. What am I looking at in getting the land cleared back off for pines? The process/cost? It has areas of decent soil mixed in with hard rocky clay? I've burned it off with good success about 2 years ago and most recently had 20 acres mulched to the ground. Stumps are rotting on the top, some better than others. My goals are to get 30 acres of pasture and the remainder in pines. I'm hesitant about putting a dozer on the pasture portion because I'm trying to build up some organic matter and not disturb what little top soil is there. Same goes for the other portion which has much poorer soil. Right now its just growing wild. I need some guidance and another opinion on what is my next step without breaking the bank.

Probably the cheapest is to have it raked with a decent sized dozer.

Put a fence and fire break around it, turn the cows loose and burn it off every year.

10 4

Maybe rake what’s already cleared and fence it off. Let the rest just come back natural with a fire every other year.

Mulch it then spray it then plant it in pines or get a big dozer with a roller crimper and just run everything over and plant into it. My plans when I clear cut my property I’m not worried about the tree I want deer habitat. I am gonna clear cut my place in a couple years and after it’s cut let it regrow stuff. Then every year or so I was gonna take my dozer and a roller crimper and run through everything to lay it down then let it grow back so it always will stay thick and the deer will have food and cover

Good ideas

Thanks