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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Fence line clearing puts a fence row back in sight. We are based in Cobden and cover Jackson, Union and Williamson counties, plus parts of Johnson and Saline. A tracked skid steer grinds brush, vines, saplings and small cedars where they stand. It is forestry mulching run along a line, with stems cut to grade level and chips left on the ground.
We clear fence rows between fields, hedgerows that crept out into the field, field edges and lot lines. Gates and lanes that grew shut open back up on the same pass. A whole overgrown field or an old pasture is our brush clearing work instead. Call or text (618) 697-5190 for a free estimate, and small jobs are welcome.
Tell us about your land. We will get right back to you.
A fence row is the narrowest kind of farm land clearing. We look the line over first and mark what has to stay. Posts, corner braces, gates, culverts and tile line markers get flagged. We also note where old wire runs through the brush.
Then the head grinds the standing growth in place, working from the open side. Stems are cut to grade level and the chips are left spread along the strip. Nothing gets piled and nothing gets burned. Most lines are open enough to walk the same day.
How wide we go is up to you. Most people want the fence plus a strip on each side, wide enough to walk and run a mower. University of Georgia Extension says to keep weeds and brush cleared from the fence line, especially on electric fences. Property line fences on wooded ground get the same treatment we use on shooting lanes and access trails.
Birds plant a lot of it. Iowa State University Extension says redcedar cones are digested by birds and the seeds pass through unharmed. It says that accounts for redcedar along ditches, fence lines and utility lines.
Sun does the rest. Iowa State lists full sun and well drained soils as what redcedar prefers. The Missouri Department of Conservation lists pastures, old fields, roadsides and fencerows among the places it grows. MDC also says cedar invades glades and prairies that are not burned periodically.
The mulching head takes small cedars off the line. We are not a tree service, so large trees stay for someone with the right equipment. Cut cedar does not come back from the stump. Iowa State Extension says conifers will not resprout after cutting.
A lot of hedgerows here started out as fence. Illinois Extension says the short thorns on Osage orange made it useful as a living fence before barbed wire. Multiflora rose went in the same way. Illinois DNR says the nursery trade marketed that shrub as a living fence too.
Old wire is the one thing that stops the machine. Woven wire and barbed wire get buried in brush and are easy to miss. When we find a run in the way, we come off it and pull what we can by hand.
We do not build fence, pull posts, haul wire off, mow, spray or move dirt. Under the Illinois Fence Act, adjoining landowners each make and maintain a just proportion of the division fence between them. The same section sets trimming rules for hedge fences, with exceptions written in. This is general information, not legal advice.
Free, no-obligation estimates across Jackson, Union & Williamson counties.
(618) 697-5190From the first phone call to the finished ground, here is how it goes.
Call, text or send the form. We talk through what is growing, how much ground it covers, and what you want it to become, then set a time to come see it.
We look at the property with you, flag the trees and spots that stay, and give you a clear price. You know exactly what gets cleared and what it costs before anything starts.
The machine shows up when we said it would. Brush, saplings and small trees get ground into mulch in place, with no burn piles, no haul-off and no torn-up topsoil.
Look over the finished ground with us. Open, walkable, usable land, ready to mow, fence, hunt or plant. From trails to tracts, it is yours again.
Common questions about fence line clearing across Jackson, Union & Williamson counties. If yours is not here, call or text and ask.
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.
Learn MoreBlackburn Land Service is based in Cobden. We look at your ground before we quote, and the plan gets set with you before any work starts.
A tracked skid steer with a forestry mulching head, backed by a limb saw, grapple and tree shear. Brush gets ground into mulch where it stands, not piled and burned.
We come look at the ground, talk through what opens up and what stays, and give you a clear price before the machine moves. Small jobs are welcome, down to a single lane.
Blackburn Land Service LLC is fully insured. Careful, selective work around the trees, fences and buildings you keep, with minimal soil disturbance and nothing left smoldering.
Real 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.
Illinois fence law in plain words: who pays for a division fence, what counts as a legal fence, fence viewers, notice periods and the hedge trimming rule.
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Is bush honeysuckle illegal in Illinois? The Illinois Exotic Weeds Act in plain words: which brush plants are listed and how the Noxious Weed Law differs.
Read more →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.