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 Johnston City often means taking back a lot or field edge nobody has mowed in years. The town was founded in 1894 as a stop on the Chicago, Paducah and Memphis Railroad. Johnston City's ZIP code is 62951, and the 2020 census counted 3,384 people in town. Any lot or field here that sits idle for a few seasons starts to close in. Autumn olive, bush honeysuckle, multiflora rose and wild vines are what our machine grinds most often in Southern Illinois. They take over the edges first, then push farther into open ground each year. Before long the fence line is gone and the back of the lot is hard to reach.
We run a tracked skid steer with a forestry mulching head. It grinds standing brush, vines, saplings and small trees into wood chips where they stand. Stumps get cut down to grade level, and the chips stay on the ground as mulch. Most ground is usable the same day. We are based in Cobden, and Johnston City sits inside our regular Williamson County service area. Around town we handle forestry mulching on overgrown acreage and brush clearing on lots and field edges. Small jobs are welcome, and we are fully insured. Estimates are free anywhere in 62951, so call or text (618) 697-5190 to set up a look.
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Johnston City was a center of coal mining in the early 20th century. Its population peaked in the 1920s. The eastern part of town was first known as Jeffersonville, which was surveyed in 1853. The post office opened in 1852 under the name Lake Creek and moved to Johnston City in 1903. Autumn olive has a mining history of its own. Across the United States, it was planted extensively for soil stabilization and mining reclamation, Illinois Extension notes. Birds that eat the fruit spread it to new ground.
Arrowhead Recreation and Wildlife Area sits just off Interstate 57 at the Johnston City exit, Exit 59. It has a 30-acre lake with cabins and camping, and a nature trail wraps around the water. On private ground, trail cutting can open a similar loop around a pond or through timber. The mulcher leaves a chip surface you can walk or drive on. Field edges and fence rows are where brush usually gets its start. A few seasons later you cannot see across your own ground.
Each job starts with a look at your ground, and we agree on what stays and what goes. Then the mulching head grinds the growth into chips right where it stands. Stumps end up level with the ground, and the roots stay where they are. Autumn olive also spreads by root suckers, so the roots left behind can send up new shoots. Treating stumps or regrowth is a separate step that you handle or hire a licensed applicator for. Tracks spread the machine's weight, which helps on soft ground after a wet spell.
Fence line clearing opens an old fence row so you can see the wire and work on it. On land you plan to sell, clearing the property line lets a buyer reach and see the boundary. If you hunt, hunting property improvement covers shooting lanes and access trails. We can also clear ground for a future food plot. Our Work page has before and after photos and videos of the machine in Southern Illinois brush. Even a single overgrown fence row is worth a call.
Communities & areas we serve around Johnston City: Spillertown, Pittsburg, Freeman Spur, Energy, Arrowhead Lake area, Marion, Herrin.
Johnston City ZIP codes served: 62951.
Free, no-obligation estimates throughout Williamson 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 Johnston City. 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.