Key takeaways 
- Invasive species can harm native plant life. Forestry mulching can control the growth of these plants and prevent the spread of pests.
- Forestry mulching helps prevent and manage bushfires. Mulchers remove rotting trees and small, leafy plants that can fuel bushfires.
- Forestry mulching is more versatile, cost-effective, and targeted than traditional methods. Services like clearing and grubbing damage the environment and require multiple machines.
- A forestry mulcher can provide target clearing that eliminates or preserves individual trees. The targeted clearing is vital for preventing trees from endangering infrastructure or people.
- A forestry mulcher can significantly increase your property’s value. A mulcher’s services are well-suited to providing tree removal that maximises land value for homeowners.
Clearing land is a necessary part of significant land development projects. Unfortunately, traditional clearing methods and tree services are expensive and time-consuming. Conventional methods also negatively impact the environment.
So, what can you do if you are a private landowner wanting to revamp their property or a business needing more commercial space? There must be another way for those who want to work with the environment, not against it.
Forestry mulching services are your answer. East Coast Mulching specialises in commercial and residential land clearing projects. Our services help property owners clear their land affordably and sustainably. Using forestry mulching, you can turn overgrown vegetation into fresh mulch. The resulting wood chips are helpful as quality mulch suitable for various purposes. As a result, the mulching process is environmentally friendly. It helps protect your neighbouring healthy trees and achieve an adequately cleared property.
Different Mulching Services Available
Forestry mulching does more than clear land and make room for new buildings. Forestry mulching has several applications that make land clearing more efficient and sustainable.
Invasive Species Control
Preventing weed growth is one of the primary concerns of Australia’s vegetation management operations. Ensuring our farmland’s viability and protecting native species is a complex issue. Still, we can come together with the correct tools to solve it.
Controlling invasive insects and noxious weeds is a unique and valuable forestry mulching benefit. Certain plants like the Russian olive, the multiflora rose, and others can inhibit surrounding plants. These plants soak up water without leaving enough for native plant life. Additionally, pests like pine beetles devastate forests by weakening trees and rotting them. Rotten trees become falling hazards when they can no longer stand against strong winds.
Forestry mulchers can use various mulching attachments to prevent trees from overcrowding. Thinning out trees reduces the risk of invasive pests and plants cropping up. Also, a forestry mulcher prevents the spread of invasive species by moving them away from healthy vegetation.
Shredding weeds allows native vegetation to out-compete them and re-establish growth. Some trees can become infected with pathogenic fungi. Pests may also be making a home in certain trees. Strategically targeting and eliminating these trees denies those insects a home, eradicating them.
Forestry mulchers can also deal with the debris on the property. Onsite management removes the need to haul away leftover vegetation. This advantage lessens the chances that weeds and other infestations will infect neighbouring properties. Preventing noxious weeds from spreading is part of a robust land management plan.
Conservation
By removing underbrush, forestry mulching improves wildlife’s access to shelter and food. With attachments like tree sheers, mulchers can restore water sources like creek beds. Services such as lantana removal eliminate blockages and unwanted growth. This removal assists animals prevented from having adequate water access.
A forestry mulching machine deals with fallen trees and other hazardous vegetation quickly. This efficiency makes forestry mulching helpful for cleaning up after severe weather events. When storms knock down trees and build up debris, it’s hard for native animals to move and plants to regrow.
Bushfire Management and Prevention
A significant benefit of forestry mulching is bushfire management and prevention. Rotting trees and small, leafy plants are ideal food for bushfires. Proactive mulching removes these hazards and reduces the risk of devastating bushfires.
You preserve the soil’s moisture when you shred vegetation and spread it over the ground to create an even mulch layer. This layer establishes another barrier to a bushfire’s spread.
Forestry mulching can also help reduce bushfire devastation with reactive mulching. In a reactive situation, you’re creating fire breaks during active fires. Halting a bushfire through reactive cutting makes forestry mulching valuable in fire mitigation.
Sustainable Tree Mulching Machines
A mulching machine turns your unwanted vegetation into nutritious mulch. Forestry mulching machines range from large, durable equipment for big trees to a small mulching attachment for use with a lawn mower.
Rather than burning and felling trees, forestry mulching attachments shred your unwanted vegetation. Mix this mulch with soil to provide essential nutrients for new growth in mulching areas. This process provides you with two benefits at the same time. You’re clearing land while promoting the local ecosystem by producing nutrient-rich organic matter.
Preventing soil erosion
Traditional land clearing methods, like clearing and grubbing, can hurt the soil. When you tear trees out of the earth, you disturb the soil structure. These gouges in the ground then need filling in, adding to costs and more machinery.
Mulching reduces erosion and improves soil productivity. We can do this because roots are crucial in preserving soil structure. Forestry mulching shreds stumps but retains root systems. We don’t need to gouge holes in the earth.
A healthy mulch layer prevents topsoil from blowing away or washing into waterways. Keeping soil out of rivers also reduces flooding, as soil buildup won’t block excess water.
You can also use the shredded green waste as garden mulch. Organic mulch is a valuable source of nutrients for new growth.
Forestry mulching vs traditional land clearing methods
Forestry mulching stands as the most efficient land clearing method for several reasons.
Versatility
Forestry mulchers, especially tracked machines like ours, work well in adverse conditions. Also, our machines won’t churn soft soil like a skid steer. Also, our equipment effectively navigates tight areas and steep extreme slopes.
In contrast, clearing and grubbing need several machines to complete a job. Some machines you would usually need may include:
- excavators
- bulldozers
- scrapers
- dump trucks
- slope mower
All these machines on your property damage the land and reduce access to certain areas.
Cost efficiency
Working with several pieces of heavy machinery is environmentally damaging and drives up costs. You don’t just need to hire the equipment but also skilled workers to operate them. There’s no need for that. East Coast Mulching needs one machine to do the job as a forestry mulching service. We’ll get to even the most tricky areas and complete the project quickly, saving you even more money.
Targeted clearing
Using minimal machinery, we can tailor our services to your specific requirements. You may want to remove an individual tree posing a risk to your home or infrastructure, like power lines. We can take care of it without disturbing the surrounding vegetation. Alternatively, you may want to preserve a particular landscape feature while clearing around it. East Coast Mulching achieve this for you as well.
Improved property value
One often overlooked forestry mulching benefit is the increase in land value. Well-developed land is highly sought after and provides many advantages to prospective buyers. Imagine you purchase a plot that is the perfect size and location for your new home.
A poorly developed property takes time and money to fix. Providing buyers with a lot that is already well-developed adds significant value. Also, a forestry mulcher’s services are tailor-made to improve land value.
Residential land value
Residential lots generally need a certain amount of tree cover. Properties with well-placed trees benefited from as much as a 6 to 12% value increase. However, the tree cover should suit the homeowner’s purposes.
Trees shouldn’t endanger people or infrastructure. Trees can be hazardous to houses, crack footpaths and damage infrastructure like waterpipes. Also, research into residential land values found that lots cluttered with trees had reduced value. According to the Urban Foresters Notebook, overcrowded lots had lower perceived value.
Other estimates show that well-landscaped properties with trees added about 3.5-4.5% to the sale price. This shows the importance of well-executed selective clearing. Clearing can also improve views and create space for further development.
How can we help? By providing targeted clearing, we can maximise the added value to your property.
Agricultural land value
Developing agricultural land leads to higher property value and better productivity. Consider one preliminary report [1] on land clearing’s impact on farmland. The report found that every 10% increase in clearing lifted net annual profits and land values by:
20 cents/ha and $3.70/ha, respectively, in Poplar box Country; and
18 cents/ha, and $3/ha respectively in mulga country.
The report also found that undeveloped agricultural land was almost “unsaleable”. Potential buyers’ concerns about undeveloped land can lead to redevelopment out of agriculture.
Sustainable tree clearing through forestry mulching provides productive benefits and improved saleability.
Why wait?
Our services are perfect if you need a land clearing project done quickly and effectively.
East Coast Mulching has worked with various clients. We have the experience to provide whatever land clearing you need. Our clients include private enterprises, landowners, and local councils on the Sunshine Coast.
Contact us today for a free quote or read more on our ‘Step-by-step guide to easy land clearing in Queensland.’
Frequently Asked Questions – Land clearing with forestry mulching machines
Forestry mulching is an efficient land clearing method that promotes healthy vegetation. Mulching helps soil structure by stopping erosion and adding a protective layer that stifles weeds. Most types of mulch also make gardens more aesthetically pleasing.
How much does forestry mulching cost per hectare?
The cost of any clearing method depends on several factors. Your property’s size and vegetation density are some of the most important considerations. Whatever the state of your property, forestry mulchers provide a cost-effective solution. We use minimal machinery and human resources. For a detailed breakdown of pricing, refer to our cost guide.
aesthetically pleasing.
You can apply mulch at any time of the year. However, avoiding wet or snowy weather and applying mulch in spring is best.
If you need to clear land on slopes or over a wide area, East Coast Mulching has the tools and expertise for exceptional and eco-friendly results. Call us at 0459-569-318 to get started!
[1] Scanlan JS. and Turner EJ. 1995. The production, economic and environmental impacts of tree clearing in Queensland. Report to the working group of the Ministerial Consultative Committee on Tree Clearing.
