How To Keep Wooded Area Clear

Mower Cutting the Grass

Do you have an overgrown lot filled with both healthy and potentially unhealthy or aged trees? How can you decide what to keep, what to remove, and what to trim? Here are five steps to help you get started.

1. Know the Land

A lot can be hiding underneath overgrown woodland lots. So, walk the land itself and sketch it out — with elevation changes and any non-organic elements like boulders, structures, or fences.

The land may have significant elevation changes that will affect water runoff, pooling, and drainage once shrubs or trees are removed from the equation. You may have wildlife that lives in the woody area, which you may want to discourage or encourage. And you might find unexpected surprises, like a small brook, that you want to keep and develop into a part of your usage plan.

2. Determine Your Goals

Now that you know what you're working with, decide what you want it to look like at the end. What do you want to use the space for? Do you want to use the area for outdoor entertainment or relaxation? Will kids play in it? Will any domestic animals or livestock use the area? Or do you just need to create a less unsightly and dangerous backdrop for your main yard?

When you have a firm end result in mind, you can reverse engineer the lot to achieve that goal. For instance, if you know that you will usually only view the wooded area from a distance, you may want to focus on maintaining healthy trees and creating a hardy, drought-resistant, and low-maintenance lot.

3. Work With a Professional

Before you start whacking at any trees or removing underbrush, contact a professional tree service for assistance. Let this professional know what you've learned about the layout of the lot as well as what you want to accomplish. If you want to harvest any of the timber, for example, the tree service will assess which timber will have the best value for resale.

A tree service will assess the condition of all trees to see which ones need complete removal. This would include trees that are clearly dead and those which are either infested or disease-ridden to a point that they're a danger to health and safety. Then, that experienced tree expert will see which trees need repair — such as by removing diseased limbs or trimming back into a healthy shape.

4. Clear Weeds

The undergrowth is often the most challenging aspect of clearing a lot. If you use a weed whacker or mower, you simply spread unwanted weeds around the lot. Some landowners opt to use weed killers. These, however, can be dangerous for trees and shrubs you plan to keep. If you do choose to do selective weed killing with chemicals, take steps to physically protect other plants and trees.

If you don't want to use chemicals, cut down shrubs and plants and then use mulch to help prevent regrowth. A thick layer of mulch prevents sunlight from getting to the remains of weeds to cause them to regrow. Mulch includes a variety of both organic and inorganic materials — such as shredded and chipped bark, stones, pea gravel, or newspaper.

5. Prune and Remove Trees

Finally, you're ready to remove necessary trees and trim others. Working with a professional, first remove the trees that need cut down for disease or infestation. Then, carefully reduce overgrowth with selective removal where necessary to keep the canopy and ground healthy. Finally, prune all trees that will remain in the lot and plant any additional small trees to fill voids created by older, dead trees.

At T's Trees, we have experience with all sizes and conditions of wooded lots. Call today to make an appointment to start controlling your overgrowth today.