Forestry Mulching
Forestry mulching turns brush, saplings and small trees into a layer of wood chip mulch on site. We cover Jackson, Union and Williamson counties from our base in Cobden.
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Land clearing in De Soto usually starts with a field edge or back lot that brush has taken over. De Soto is a village in northeastern Jackson County, and the 2020 census counted 1,407 people here. It was laid out in 1854, when the railroad was extended to this point. US Route 51 runs through the village, and Illinois Route 149 crosses it in the village center. Out past the village limits, the Big Muddy River flows to the east and south. Our machine grinds bush honeysuckle, autumn olive, multiflora rose and wild vines most often in this part of Southern Illinois. Illinois Extension says multiflora rose is often found along forest edges and in abandoned fields.
We clear that growth with a tracked skid steer and a forestry mulching head. The head grinds standing brush, vines, saplings and small trees into wood chips where they stand. Stumps are cut down to grade level, and the chips stay on the ground as mulch. Most ground is usable the same day. De Soto sits about 20 miles north of Cobden, where we are based. Around De Soto, we offer forestry mulching for overgrown timber and brush clearing for lots and field edges. We are fully insured, and small jobs are welcome. Call or text (618) 697-5190 for a free estimate anywhere in ZIP code 62924.
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The village is named for Hernando de Soto, the Spanish explorer. A post office has operated here since 1855, the year after the railroad arrived. The Great Tri-State Tornado of 1925 largely destroyed De Soto, and the village rebuilt. Today it covers 0.92 square miles. US 51 leads south 6 miles to Carbondale. Route 149 runs southwest 7 miles to Murphysboro, the county seat, and east 5 miles to Hurst in Williamson County.
True to its name, the Big Muddy has a mud bottom for most of its length. South of Murphysboro, the same river cuts through the Shawnee Hills, the hill country around our base in Cobden. Closer to De Soto, multiflora rose is one of the shrubs that take over idle ground. It came to the U.S. in the late 1800s as rootstock for garden roses. Later it was recommended as a natural fence for livestock, Illinois Extension notes. It grows into a thorn-covered shrub that can reach 10 feet and bury a fence row.
A lot inside the village and acreage out along Route 149 start the same way. We look over the ground with you and mark what should stay standing. On the day of the job, the mulching head chews through the brush and leaves a layer of chips. Stumps are cut to grade, but the roots stay in the ground. Multiflora rose spreads by root sprouting, so it can come back from those roots. Its seeds can still sprout after up to 20 years in the soil, Illinois Extension notes. Treating the stumps or the regrowth afterward is a separate step. You can handle it yourself or hire a licensed applicator.
Fence line clearing opens an old fence row so you can find the wire and fix it. If you are selling land near De Soto, clearing the property line lets a buyer reach and see the boundary. Where bush honeysuckle fills the woods, honeysuckle removal grinds the shrub layer down to grade. For hunting ground, we cut shooting lanes and access trails and clear ground for a future food plot.
Communities & areas we serve around De Soto: Hurst, Bush, Elkville, Big Muddy River bottoms, Route 149 corridor, Carbondale, Murphysboro.
De Soto ZIP codes served: 62924.
Free, no-obligation estimates throughout Jackson County and beyond.
(618) 697-5190 Forestry mulching turns brush, saplings and small trees into a layer of wood chip mulch on site. We cover Jackson, Union and Williamson counties from our base in Cobden.
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Brush clearing for overgrown fields, fence lines, old lots and invasive thickets across Southern Illinois. Our tracked skid steer grinds the brush into mulch on the spot, so the ground is usable the same day.
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We cut new ATV and UTV trails through wooded ground, and reopen old paths that grew shut. The mulcher leaves a chip surface you can walk or drive the same day.
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We clear shooting lanes and quiet access trails on hunting property across Southern Illinois. Selective mulching opens the ground you want open and leaves the cover that holds deer.
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We mulch bush honeysuckle, autumn olive and multiflora rose down to grade level. The chips stay on the ground and the woods open back up.
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We clear brush, vines, saplings and small cedars off fence lines and hedgerows. The growth is mulched where it stands, so the fence is easy to see and work on.
Learn MoreReal reviews from our Google Business Profile.
Blackburn Land Service did an excellent job of clearing a messy area of vines, overgrowth, and hanging branches on our property. Calls were retuned promptly, work was done thoughtfully, efficiently, and in a timely manner, as promised. The area was cleaned up and looked great when completed. Gery was a pleasure to work with from start to finish. I would not hesitate to recommend him to anyone needing a project done right the first time and on time!
Gery did an awesome job for us! He was so easy to work with from the initial call to the final handshake of thanks! We had an area behind our pond and some trails in the woods cleared, so now we can take our grandchildren on great adventures on the side by side! Thanks again Gery!
Gery is truly knowledgeable and professional with attention to detail. May your projects be large or small he is very thorough from start to finish. He goes above and beyond to make sure his client is totally satisfied with his services. I would highly recommend Gery for any of your land clearing projects.
Gery from Blackburn Land Service is excellent! Great guy and a pleasure to do business with. Highly recommended if you need work done!
Gery’s work is always impeccable. I hope to have another job for him soon.
Gery always works to complete a job with customer satisfaction being the most important aspect of any job !!
A few of the questions we hear most around De Soto. If yours is not here, call or text and ask.
Overgrown field, a fence line you cannot find, a trail that grew shut, or hunting ground that needs lanes? Call or text, or send the form. We will come look at the ground and give you a free estimate.
Tell us about your land. We will get right back to you.