What Is Forestry Mulching and Is It Worth It?

Clearing a wooded area of unwanted growth can feel daunting, and if you’ve been manually going in with a chainsaw to chop it down, there’s an easier way. Forestry mulching can clear it quickly if you’re stumped on how to deal with acres of overgrown land. Before getting in the weeds, it’s essential to understand this land-clearing method's costs, benefits, and drawbacks.

What Is Forestry Mulching?

Forestry mulching is a way to clear any unwanted brush, saplings, smaller vegetation, and any other type of overgrowth from acres of land without disturbing the roots of the trees or vegetation you’re trying to keep—regardless of the weather or land conditions.

All those bits of overgrowth are ground up through a high-powered forestry mulcher, so you can take down anything up to 14 feet down to a stump. Grinding these organic materials spreads them out over the forest floor, creating natural mulch that can help preserve the soil’s moisture, reduce deterioration, and give it some nourishment.

Forestry Mulching Cost

The cost of forestry mulching can depend on several factors, like how dense the land you’re clearing is, the character of the land, and what kind of forestry mulcher you’re using. When hiring a pro, average forestry mulching costs $400 to $600 per acre, and you won’t have to worry about the cost of mulch delivery.

Renting a forestry mulcher can cost anywhere from $1,200 to $3,000 per day, depending on the kind of mulcher you rent, the insurance associated with the rental, and the transportation of the machine to your property. But depending on where you’re renting from, you may also need to be a registered business or farmer to obtain a forestry mulcher.

Types of Forestry Mulchers

A forestry mulcher is a high-powered machine that mounts on various chasses, including skid steers, excavators, farm tractors, four-wheel drive loaders, and dozers. There are also purpose-built forestry mulchers based on which you can operate. Check your local state laws for information on the licenses needed to operate these machines.

If you’re hiring a pro, they will likely arrive with licenses for a drum or disc mulcher. 

Disc mulchers tend to be faster and more affordable (by about a few thousand dollars) than drum mulchers but sacrifice quality. Drum mulchers, by comparison, leave behind a mulch that’s more refined and distributed more evenly than a disc mulcher. This creates a higher-quality end product, meaning you can use the mulch for other landscaping projects and save money, as the average cost for mulch is between $30 and $120 per cubic yard.

If you want to whittle your trees to the ground, drum mulchers are preferred—as the disc mulcher can’t get below the grade like a drum mulcher can. It’s also more compact, meaning it’s easier to maneuver.

Overall, if cost isn’t holding you back, a drum mulcher is the best option.

The Benefits of Forestry Mulching

Both quick and effective, forestry mulching has several benefits you can’t get with other land-clearing methods.

Photo: grigvovan / Adobe Stock

One Machine for the Whole Job

The biggest benefit to forestry mulching as a land-clearing method is that you only need one machine for the entire job. Your forestry mulcher is doing all the heavy lifting, and there’s no need for any extraneous materials. Forestry mulchers also work fast, saving you time compared to other land-clearing methods.

Using one machine also means it’s more cost-effective, as you don’t have to worry about enormous labor costs to clear large sections of land.

Can Improve Soil Health

The mulch you create through forestry mulching will benefit the soil of your forest, as it helps feed nutrients back into the soil, suppresses weed growth, and ensures your soil stays moist.

Forestry mulching also doesn’t harm any growth you want to preserve, which means you can erase any eyesores while maintaining the landscape.

Clearing out any invasive or overgrown vegetation through forestry mulching can also help restore the biodiversity of your land, which will enhance its overall health and prevent the regrowth of any invasive plants you don’t want.

Prevents Against Forest Fires

With forestry mulching being the most effective way to manage wooded areas, you’re helping maintain the look of your forest by clearing any unsightly growth and reducing your risk of wildfires.

Clearing up your forest with a mulcher is a great preventative measure because it quickly removes large amounts of debris by grinding them into a far less combustible state. Forestry mulching can also help establish fire breaks quickly to slow down or prevent brush fires from spreading.

Ecology and Habitat Conservation 

Forest mulching benefits not just you but also land ecology and natural habitats. By paying attention to the types of plants, brush, and trees you’re mulching, you can remove invasive species while preserving the native ones. Although the changes will take some time, your native habitat will begin to thrive after forest mulching. 

Wildlife Welfare 

As a landowner, you’re likely interested in helping out the wildlife on your property. Luckily, forest mulching improves your land ecology and habitat and boosts your flora and fauna. For example, removing invasive grasses allows native grasses to flourish again.

Depending on your area, these native grasses are an essential food source for birds, pollinators, elk, and more. Furthermore, when you clear off brush and overgrowth, you can help animals regain access to water and shelter.

Controls Invasive Species 

Invasive plants, insects, and trees cause extensive damage to your land. For example, invasive plants can have big roots that choke the roots of native plants. Over time, invasive species can cause drastic changes to your property, including soil composition. These species can lower the quality of your water and soil and cause soil erosion.

Forestry mulching is an effective way to combat invasive species by turning them into mulch. The mulch also improves the soil quality and gives your native species a better chance to grow and thrive.

Forestry Mulching Cons

Forestry mulching may seem like a magical solution, but there are some instances where it can leave a chip on your shoulder.

Thick Mulch Layer

You may be clearing tons of growth from your land, creating more mulch than you need for your soil. If your layer of mulch is too thick, it may help harmful insects thrive. That means you’ll need to manually remove some of the mulch from your forest, which is more labor-intensive.

It Won’t Remove Trees

Because you’re only grinding any trees down to ground level, you’re not removing any of the roots underground. This can cause your stump to rot and decay over time, bringing more unwanted pests and diseases that could spread to other plants on your property.

Creating a Rocky Situation

Forestry mulchers can only deal with growth like trees and vegetation, which means those rocks on your property are staying put.

Not only that, the teeth will grind against the rocks, which won’t only cause small rocks and debris to fly everywhere but could potentially wear down the teeth, blades, and hammers—with the worst case scenario being it causes a fire.

Operating Heavy Machinery

If you’re planning on doing this yourself, make sure you’re not all bark and no bite when it comes to operating heavy machinery.

Operating a forestry mulcher can come with a host of safety concerns. You’re contending with flying debris and falling trees—it can be a lot to manage.

It’s recommended that, if you have some experience, you hire a professional who can manage the project safely.

Hiring a Professional Forestry Mulcher

Mulching your land can be a grind—literally. If you have the means or don’t have any experience operating heavy machinery, hiring a local mulching company can help alleviate the stress of clearing your land if you’ve never done it before. 

Make sure your forestry mulching pro isn’t all bark and no bite. Ask these questions you can ask to make sure they know their stuff:

• Ask about their experience and see if it aligns with your requirements.

• Can they work around the different environmental hazards in your area? You want to make sure they’re clearing your land safely.

• Armed with the knowledge above, talk to them about what type of forestry mulcher they’re working with. You can also ask what kind of horsepower (hp) their machine runs at—which can range from 60hp, 75hp, 100hp, and 110hp. The higher the horsepower, the more effective the machine.

• Obviously, you can get a quote for their work. Keep in mind what factors will impact your cost and compare quotes accurately.

Your forestry mulching professional should also ask about the land you want cleared, what type of growth they’ll be encountering, and what your ideal finished result would look like. These factors can all impact the price of your forestry mulching project.