cedar clearing ...

[tdwinklr]

Finally got our EQIP program going and the dozer work started yesterday. Hopefully the rain will be minimal today and tomorrow so we can get most of it done this week. Trying to load pics ...

[Mountaineer]

Following...Did you go through NRCS to apply? How many acres and what are stipulations?

[tdwinklr]

Following...Did you go through NRCS to apply? How many acres and what are stipulations?

Yes. 35 acres total but half is flood plain so they do not cover that half. Otherwise, they're helping out with the other 15 acres, part is field already which will be killed, seed bedded and replanted in native grass. The remaining 8 ac are cedars which they require to be cleared then replanted in native grasses/forbes. The total timeline requirement is 2 years from now, has to completed by then. Their reimbursement is about half of real cost, unless we can do some our self.

[DuramaxDude]

Who is the NRCS agent you dealt with?

[tdwinklr]

Who is the NRCS agent you dealt with?

Bonham office.

[DuramaxDude]

cool deal

[tdwinklr]

I totally forgot about this thread I started and didn't post pics that followed the timeline, mainly because its like pulling teeth to get my pics small enough to download. I know there are several people here in the land/cedar clearing process so I will gather some together, reduce them, and try to post the ones that are pertinent to this project of ours. It is basically finished, we're now mowing grass where there was very thick cedar groves.

[tdwinklr]

all this was in 2020.

1st pic is a D6 CAT.
2nd down is the creek bed crossing.
3rd down is the area past the creek crossing.
4th + .... clearings, then burns.


(scary stuff, some of those flames were 20-25 ft high!
I'm maybe 100 yds away and can feel the heat from it.)

[DuramaxDude]

Were you able to get the areas reseeded already? What did or will you plant?

[tdwinklr]

Were you able to get the areas reseeded already? What did or will you plant?

Yes I did. Planted back in Jan. 2022 Had some luck and the rain held off. Can't run that Brillion seeder on damp ground or it'll just ball up.
The mixture was about 11-12 different grass types, all native grass. Very light stuff and the Brillion put it about 1/4-1/2" deep. Got a few showers after planting so there was no runoff but a month or two later got a few heavy rains. Not sure what stayed or washed off.
There is grass over all the bare ground now but not sure how successful the mixture was. Fighting Johnson grass now so the other can grow. My agent said it would be hard to tell for a year or two to see what grass made it.
Got more pics of it now, will post later.

[tdwinklr]

Yes I did. Planted back in Jan. 2022 Had some luck and the rain held off. Can't run that Brillion seeder on damp ground or it'll just ball up.
The mixture was about 11-12 different grass types, all native grass. Very light stuff and the Brillion put it about 1/4-1/2" deep. Got a few showers after planting so there was no runoff but a month or two later got a few heavy rains. Not sure what stayed or washed off.
There is grass over all the bare ground now but not sure how successful the mixture was. Fighting Johnson grass now so the other can grow. My agent said it would be hard to tell for a year or two to see what grass made it.
Got more pics of it now, will post later.

.

[Dusty Britches]

Nice. We put 35 acres in the TPWD and USF&G Pastures for Upland Birds (PUB) program. They provided the seed and seeder. I did all of the labor. We planted 35 different varieties of native grasses and forbs in April, got timely rains, and then it all dried up. TPWD was not concerned. They said the grasses are established and will return.

[DuramaxDude]

That awesome! I have planned several projects where people reseeded after brushwork. When that seed germinates and things establish it looks awesome and is a great pride/satisfaction booster. Forbs always seemed to be hit or miss but show up at random times/years. Right now we have about 61 acres grubbed and raked with a couple different seed mixes planned both heavy on forbs for wildlife.

[tdwinklr]

Duramax, Dusty, the agent told me that the planting should be ok but would be quite awhile before it establishes too since I had a good seedbed to start with, timely rains afterward, and etc. All they asked me to do now was to keep the weeds and Johnson grass knocked down(can't spray it) by mowing 4-6" high, I guess for ever how long it takes the seed to germinate and or take over.
How long does that usually take? I have no idea what the native grass types should look like when small. All new to me.

Gonna post more pics of the plots now.

[tdwinklr]

pics after mowing a few days ago. Not sure what is there, hopefully will know this fall or next spring. This is a 5 ac clearing, this was previously very thick cedars. Since it was that, its been slower to grow grass than the other two clearings.