# cleaning up fence line



## merlebo02 (Oct 17, 2017)

I am cleaning up some old fence row.. I have cut most of the larger trees down but still have a lot of thick grass/briars/vines.. I have gotten as close as I can get with a bush hog. Was thinking about spraying it.. What is something I could spray that would kill everything including briars/vines? Maybe roundup and 2,4D? I have tried a weed eater but its just to much to cut with a weed eater.. My dad has a DR wower that has a bush hog deck on it that I will also give it a go with..

Also how can I kill the stumps that are under the fences left after cutting. No rush for them to be gone, just want to prevent them from resprouting..


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## SilverMaple (Jun 24, 2017)

Well, most people will use Roundup. It kills nearly everything. 2-4-D will kill most weeds and stuff, but not grass, so it depends on how much you want 'dead'. I tend to avoid chemicals, but for a fence line clean up or a complete mess of overgrazed weediness with iron weeds and burrs 8 feet tall, I spray it. If you do it when things are dry and it hasn't rained in a week or two, it takes a lot less chemical to affect the plant than when you've had a lot of rain. Once it's knocked down, you can maintain it chemical free with some work once or twice a year. Always take precautions to protect yourself and the animals, and use only enough to get the job done. You can also maintain your fencelines and pastures with 'spot spraying' once you have the worst under control if you want-- walk along with a spray bottle and spritz a few drops on the weeds you want dead-- that way you can utilize the spray without putting it on everything all over the pasture, greatly reducing the chances of runoff, toxicity to animals and soil and people, and saving a lot of money, too. 

Fire is the 'fence line clearer-upper' around here for those who don't want to use chemicals. You see people burning fencelines and ditches all the time in the late fall and early spring. Goats also work, but have their own set of challenges, particularly if said fenceline needs to be cleared before you get the fence sturdy. Fire will clear out stumps if you're patient and get them good and dry before you light it, then watch carefully for a few days to be sure they don't ignite anything nearby you don't want burned. Otherwise there are some chemicals you can put on the stump that supposedly sometimes work, or you can hire someone to grind or yank them out. I tend to wait a couple of years until they're dry and loose, then pull them out with a chain on the tractor, but your mileage may vary.


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## Avna (Jul 11, 2015)

We've had fair luck with cutting stumps nearly flush to the ground, exposing the living cambium (the very thin layer under the bark which is the only living part of the trunk of a tree) and painting that with Round Up. Targeted cautious use of herbicide is always better for all concerned. This is with eucalyptus, which will sprout forever if left to their own devices, and burning out stumps is rarely advisable here in fire country. Once dead they will eventually rot, or you can grind them out.


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## Cynical25 (Mar 7, 2013)

I LOVE my Cub Cadet push behind string trimmer! It tackles the thicker brush my hand-held weedwacker couldn't possibly handle, but you can maneuver it into tight spots a tractor brush hog can't access. I spot spray Roundup Max along any places that are really bad, such as the shared fenceline with a neighbor who hasn't touched her weed-overgrown area in several yearss


Small stumps are cut nearly flush with the ground, I'll strip any bark I can access from around the outside, then douse it in undiluted Roundup a couple days in a row. As Avna said, they'll usually rot away pretty quickly at that point.


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## csimkunas6 (Apr 18, 2010)

We have a ridiculous amount of briars, and burrs on our farm, we ended up getting a blade for our weedeater, cuts right through them and small tress included. Not the quickest way but its worked for us!


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## They Call Me Pete (Oct 27, 2009)

csimkunas6 said:


> We have a ridiculous amount of briars, and burrs on our farm, we ended up getting a blade for our weedeater, cuts right through them and small tress included. Not the quickest way but its worked for us!


I did the exact same thing. Works good and was more cost effective than renting a machine. I can work on cutting brush whenever I want


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