[Guide Series] Part 5: What a Customer Should Expect Before & After Their Land is Cleared

Importance of Customer Preparation Before Clearing Starts

Preparation by property owners prior to land clearing not only facilitates a smoother operational flow but also plays a pivotal role in minimizing environmental repercussions and enhancing onsite safety. Through proactive engagement, customers can significantly streamline the clearing process, yielding cost efficiencies and time savings. Moreover, such preparatory actions contribute to the reduction of ecological footprints and elevate safety measures for the clearing crew, underscoring the shared responsibility in sustainable land management.

Actions That Customers Can Take

Taking preparatory action can help clearing companies get on the ground and start working quickly. Consider:

    Identify and Mark Desirable Trees: Marking trees you want to keep is critical to getting an outcome youʼre satisfied with. Use flagging tape or some other noticeable way of identifying certain trees, or areas of trees.

    Confirm Property Lines: Confirming your property boundaries may help the operator keep the machines in line, particularly on properties with no perimeter fencing or cell service to load tracking software.

    Remove Items from the Targeted Area: Sometimes, things like trailers, hunting blinds, and gas tanks lay intermingled with the target brush or act as an obstacle to bringing in or operating the necessary equipment.

Benefits of Customer Preparation

The benefits of doing a little prep work go beyond lead times. They also support:

• More Accurate Quote: A well-prepared property, or targeted area, allows for a clearer determination of the variables involved in pricing and operational hurdles. This leads to quicker, more accurate estimates.
• Lower Risk: Marking trees, confirming property lines, and removing potential obstacles reduces the chance of disputes, accidental property damage, or injury.

By being proactive, customers can play a part in making sure the land-clearing project is efficient, safe, and affordable. Joint efforts of customers and clearing service companies are how premier vegetation management and land development processes are done.

After the Clearing: Maintenance and Management

Once the land is cleared, equipment gone, and bill paid, there may still be work to do depending on your plans for the area. This is particularly true when using traditional land-clearing methods such as bulldozing. Knowing what to expect after a clearing job should be a consideration from the beginning, as it can take time and money to keep your newly cleared land healthy and in balance.

1. New Growth: Cleared land often experiences a surge of new plant growth. Weeds and pioneer species may naturally populate the area alongside native species. To promote healthy regrowth, consider selectively mowing, fertilizing, and applying herbicides.
2. Soil Instability: Open ground area is much more vulnerable to erosion, especially on hills and other grades. To restore soil stability, consider adding mulch or tilling and seeding native species.
3. Invasive Species: Invasive plants are attracted to out-of-balance ecosystems. They can be quick to take root in an area that has just been cleared, causing further disruption to native species. To keep them out, keep an eye on the cleared area for a while and remove or use herbicides when you see them.

Why Cedar Mulching Reduces Post-Clearing Work

Cedar mulching again leads other methods on this point, with distinct advantages for post-clearing maintenance:

1. Naturally Fights Weeds & Invasive Species: The thick layer of mulch left in place during the job removes the opportunity for undesirable plants to lay claim on the area. Less effort is needed to keep a healthy native balance.
2. Erosion Protection: The mulch layer also shields topsoil from the elements and distributes water flow in heavy rains, reducing sediment runoff and erosion.

And that’s a wrap on the basics of land clearing; we hope you’re better off for it. If you have any questions or would like to schedule a site visit for a project, give Cactus Creek Land Clearing a call. We’re a readers’ choice award winning land clearing company that provides exceptional cedar mulching and rock milling (stay tuned for future post) services.

Until next time,

Cactus Creek