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I intend to restore some territory on my mom's/uncle's land to the River Cane brakes. I know of a patch of forest where most of the trees are quite small (~20ft tall), but I was slow to cut them when preparing for our pine grove despite similarly small size. The river cane is native rather than invasive, and things like Center Hill Lake and urban sprawl have destroyed many of the original canebrakes; plus, I like the look of them and know mom does too.
Any tips on how to speed up the cutting process for small trees? Thanks for any help!
Side note: Most trees here are hardwoods (ugh!), and these are no exception despite their small size. However, if I encounter a standalone bigger tree in the area I'll probably leave it; they'd be more dangerous and even slower to cut, I don't want to release more CO2 by cutting a massive tree, and I'd still rather our bamboo forest look more like the bamboo jungles of Minecraft than a complete can thicket.
P.S.: I'll be 17 in a few months and still have no idea how to work a chainsaw. Dad's busy and doesn't have the best one anyways.
A lot depends on the diameter of the trees. For saplings up to about an inch you could use a large hand pruner. For trees a little larger (1" - 2") you could try a machete. For trees 2" to 3 or 4" a cordless reciprocating saw could be used. Larger trees will probably need a chain saw. I never used on until we moved to our new house with lots of oak trees to be used for firewood. Purchased a 12" cordless one and they are not as difficult as one may think. Lots of info on the internet about using one. Most important thing is you have to focus on cutting the tree down, with NO distractions.
Check out a Lowes or Home Depot where you can buy all the above suggested tools. Tell them what you are wanting to do and they can help you.
A good quality bow saw would work. I often use a generator with an electric chain saw for pruning and cutting smaller diameter trees. I also use regular chain saws, but for small stuff, an electric chain saw works and the electric pole saws are also great.
Anything up to an inch and a half is fair game for a good set of long handled loppers. They have a lever fulcrum that makes them much more powerful than the giant set of shears they appear to be at first glance. Brush larger than that in diameter needs to be cut with a bow saw or chain saw. Other saws don't have the set and rakers needed to keep the blade from clogging or gumming up.
The work will be in vain if the roots aren't removed or the stump/staub painted with 2-4-D or Tordon to prevent regrowth. Also, staubs are a variation of the word stabs. If you don't cut squarely at ground level, they can be highly dangerous. Trip over one and fall on another and it will stab you.
If the branch or young tree (or old growth tree) is 1" or less I use laupers. Even those small handheld pruning shears will work for really small branches.
If larger than 1" I use an electric chain saw and that works like a champ. Get a chainsaw. I got mine at our local Harbor Freight for just $40 - the saw is a Portland chain saw - I believe it's blade is 17" but don't quote me on that. It's super easy to use and it has a powerful little motor - it will be all you need for what you have going on, it sounds like.
My Portland chain saw takes care of everything I have in our Alamogordo, NM, yard. If the tree you're cutting is 12'' diameter or more I would buy or rent a small gas chain saw with a 22" blade on it. You'll be better off and if it's chain is sharp it'll cut what you need cut down really easily.
Use protective eye goggles for every chain saw application because getting a branch whip injury to your eye is very, very painful. I did that in 1983 in Washington's Olympic National Forest land. Buddies and I had a Forest Service contract to thin trees near Forks, WA. I didn't know it but I was stepping on top of a branch of the tree I was cutting down. I didn't need to notch this one because it was a young tree. I began cutting at the back of the tree and it eventually began falling forward like I wanted it to. As it fell the force on the branch (branches are strong, very strong and won't just break off under your boot)let loose and whipped up as the tree fell. The branch snapped right across my goggles, whipped them right off my face and laced my right eye.
My buddy took me to the Forks General Hospital and they applied some antibiotic gel to my eye. I'd have liked to have barfed from the pain while in the lobby of the Hospital waiting to be seen, though. Ouch that hurt!
Use eye goggles and be very careful with every thing you do when cutting bushes or trees with a chain saw!
We used long-handled loppers to cut thick-stemmed bushes and canes, but for anything more than an ordinary tree branch, my husband uses an electric cordless chainsaw. It is quiet, gives off no fumes, and works very well. He has used it to to easily cut through 6” limbs and trunks. There are different sizes of chainsaw for smaller or bigger jobs, though they have more to do with battery charge time than anything else.
If hatchet or axe is properly sharpened, it makes HUGE difference in cutting efficiency. Few seem to have a clue. New axes/hatchets rarely come properly sharpened, many come downright blunt. You want a sharp convex edge, traditionally called an axe edge. If you just grind a thin knife edge, the blade will tend to stick. Lot videos on how to do it on youtube.
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