best tool for uprooting alders? (lawn, growing, grass, trees)

[Parnassia]

Hi folks,

I did attempt to do a forum search for this but wasn't successful.

Any of you find a decent hand tool for uprooting saplings without killing yourself? I have to clear dense alder saplings growing over a 30'x50' leachfield. The saplings are getting too large to easily pull by hand, and I know that cutting them will just encourage them to sprout from the base and won't remove the root, which is the bigger problem. As it's a leachfield I can't rip up the ground with heavy equipment. I've seen ads for several...Extractigator, Pullerbear, BrushGrubber. They are pretty similar but I haven't used any of them before.

Any suggestions or advice to share?

[luv4horses]

You will need to use a good herbicide that can kill trees. A systemic would be best, but you could also use the same herbicide mix as the railroads use. If it has a short half-life in the soil, then you can broadcast grass seed afterward if that is normal for your area.

[Parnassia]

Originally Posted by luv4horses

You will need to use a good herbicide that can kill trees. A systemic would be best, but you could also use the same herbicide mix as the railroads use. If it has a short half-life in the soil, then you can broadcast grass seed afterward if that is normal for your area.

Thanks but no thanks. Too many non-target broadleaf non-woody plants. Only need to control the woody species to protect the leachfield pipes. Prefer avoiding chemical treatments which is why I want to use mechanical means.

[leastprime]

For a fig tree: A chain saw followed by 3 years of Roundup applied at 1st leaf. One of the problems of alders is that they seed easily. luv4horses has the correct answer.

[guidoLaMoto]

It sounds like you'll need continuous/repeated maintenance maneuvers on the plot, so repeated mowing would do the trick. If the saplings are too big now for your mower, maybe rent a brush-hog for the first go-round....or you could rent a small herd of goats (they really are available for land clearing) but they tend to strip everything non-selectively.

[gemstone1]

Something like this T post puller maybe ?

Don't want to buy one....
make one.

Or use the
spare tire from your vehicle, or a rim to make a puller.

Regards
Gemstone1

[TWG1572]

Cut them, then paint stump killer ( tordon, etc) on the stumps. Kills the tree, but not the surrounding broadleaves. Far easier than pulling.

[Parnassia]

Originally Posted by guidoLaMoto

It sounds like you'll need continuous/repeated maintenance maneuvers on the plot, so repeated mowing would do the trick. If the saplings are too big now for your mower, maybe rent a brush-hog for the first go-round....or you could rent a small herd of goats (they really are available for land clearing) but they tend to strip everything non-selectively.

Yes, I'm expecting this. The main problem is getting control of the current crop (property was vacant for a couple of years at least). I don't want to use chemical control, hence the question about TOOLS. No goats around. The soil is pretty soft so I was concerned about ripping it up too badly with equipment. No one around here rents much if any equipment (pretty small AK town). I've got feelers out with the neighbor's lawn care guy. He doesn't but will ask. There are a couple of manual puller designs around that operate basically the same. I was just curious if anyone had ever used them.

[WestGuest]

i have young alders and hope to use a reciprocating saw. They are 3" in diameter and plan to cut them at an angle and close to the ground. If done mid-summer I'm told they wont grow back-- This is in Washington.