The first portion of this project was completed eradicating invasive red cedar on a western Iowa property north of Magnolia. This area presented some interesting challenges as the site was filled with thousands of open grown cedars. Terrain did not lend itself towards machine clearing so all work was completed with felling by chainsaw. These open grown cedars are time consuming and physically demanding to clear due to their massive expansion of branches starting from the base of the tree. ‘Tunnels’ need cut to access each tree while removing debris in order for chainsaw operation and escape routes on larger trees.
The most important rule to remember is to make sure that all branches are cut down to the bottom of the stump. If any branch is left with living tissue, that small branch will eventually re-grow into a new cedar tree. The second portion of this project will follow later in the fall after crops have been harvested to provide access to the next site. Hickory Ridge Forestry will then move into a site with a higher density of cedars with much closer spacing. This will change the attack as many of the trees will have naturally pruned themselves. HRF will provide updates and new photos after moving back into the site later in the fall.
