?mesquite and cedar control?

gbynum10 · Joined: 14 Apr 2003 Posts: 6 Location: ,

we have about 500 acres that we are trying to control the many mesquite and cedar trees coming up and taking over valuable grass land. we cut most of the small cedar with clippers and have also gone into the goat business but it is very difficult when you do not live on the land to tend to them daily. is there a organic solution to srpay on the mesquite that are 3-6 feet tall?

Pamzilla1 · Joined: 31 Dec 1969 Posts: 47 Location: Hubbard,TX

Mesquite are tough. Expecially while in this drought pattern they love it. I've done some reading about range management studies. One said to let some of the bushes grow into trees. The mature trees don't allow as many of the bushes to grow.

Most ranchers "shred" their pastures of the small mesquites. They will grow back in about 4-5 years to the same size. Other ranchers will spray the mesquites with poison. It's not organic, enviro-friendly but a county ag agent can help you do it.

I'd let the cedars grow. When the trunks are nice size for fencing cut them down and use.

gbynum10 · Joined: 14 Apr 2003 Posts: 6 Location: ,

doesn't there have to be something organic to spray on these mesquite?

pakin · Joined: 31 Dec 1969 Posts: 217 Location: Hubbard,TEXAS

Root plowing and goats are organic methods, maybe 10%/20% vinegar.

Good luck, pakin

Dchall_San_Antonio · Joined: 18 Mar 2003 Posts: 1986 Location: San Antonio,TEXAS

doesn't there have to be something organic to spray on these mesquite?

Yeah, I thought goat saliva applied with the goat tongue killed the small ones.

Look up cedar eater on the Internet and look at the videos. They have a machine that will roll up to a tree (cedar or mesquite), and grind it to mulch in 20-30 seconds. Depending on your terrain they can clear some serious ground in a couple hours. Then it's up to the goats.

Apparently cedar roots cover the area right under the ground and suck up enough moisture to prevent anything from growing. The instant you kill off the tree top, the grass starts to grow.

As an aside, the Spaniards kept a cow to goat ratio of 1:1. They would bring in a herd of goats to do the initial clearing, native grass would grow for a full year, then they brought in one cow for each goat and grazed them together using dogs (and guns) to keep the coyotes out and dogs to keep the herd herded up and/or placed where they wanted them to graze.

kgolf · Joined: 14 Mar 2004 Posts: 48 Location: Dallas,TEXAS

I've seen something simliar to the Cedar Eater in action.
It's cool to watch. It can move through and devour small to medium trees
probably faster than you could keep up mowing an equivalent distance.
It also grinds down into the ground 1-2ft and mulches the tree/leaves etc right into the ground. Afterwards, the ground is soft, but there is alot of small debris. Be careful if you have poison ivy in the trees. You would be inhaling it, plus walking around on newly ground up leaves.
Also, stand clear of the machine. It spits out parts of tree limbs a pretty good distance.
It can go through and selectively eat up trees you don't want and turn a densely populated stand into a nice piece of property.

burkag · Joined: 26 Feb 2006 Posts: 1 Location: Rochelle,TEXAS

I have done sone testing on small cedars with molasses and water sprayed directly and the bush and got very good burn

ishoot · Joined: 20 Apr 2003 Posts: 8 Location: Red Oak,Tx

I'd like to be able to dig up some of the smaller cedars to use on my property. The smaller ones, up to about waist-high, transplant very well especially this time of year. I live in Ellis county, work in Dallas county, if any landowners might be interested in letting me relocate a few unwanted cedars...have shovel will travel...