Should I do this?

businessdit

I am planning to plant a Christmas tree farm soon. The land I am planting on is old farm land that hasn't been used in years, it's covered with gorse etc.

I'm wondering should I plough this land with a rotovator/tiller or will doing this remove the layer of topsoil from the land/ damage the land?

I don't really understand the concept of ploughing - some people say ploughing is good for land , while others say its bad for land and eventually makes it redundant, I just don't understand...

Thanks in advance for the advice

49801

Not a lot of flexibility once you plant trees.
Will they make you a satisfactory profit?

What sort of location and soil type is it?
What sort of farming activity is in the area? Dairy/tillage? Or is is rough ground of a hill?

A controlled burn would make a good job of it

micraX

businessdit wrote: »

I am planning to plant a Christmas tree farm soon. The land I am planting on is old farm land that hasn't been used in years, it's covered with gorse etc.

I'm wondering should I plough this land with a rotovator/tiller or will doing this remove the layer of topsoil from the land/ damage the land?

I don't really understand the concept of ploughing - some people say ploughing is good for land , while others say its bad for land and eventually makes it redundant, I just don't understand...

Thanks in advance for the advice

Hedge cut it burn it off let it die mayby Flail it again, rotovate it and plough it and rotovate again. If ploughing was bad it wouldn't still be done.

businessdit

49801 wrote: »

Not a lot of flexibility once you plant trees.
Will they make you a satisfactory profit?

What sort of location and soil type is it?
What sort of farming activity is in the area? Dairy/tillage? Or is is rough ground of a hill?

A controlled burn would make a good job of it

Thanks for the reply 49801 -

What do you mean by there is not much flexibility after planting trees?
Do you mean to say that this could this damage the land going into the future.

The land is just very neglected and hasn't been farmed in decades - acidic soil, but I am not a farmer so planting these trees seem like the best option for me.

businessdit

micraX wrote: »

Hedge cut it burn it off let it die mayby Flail it again, rotovate it and plough it and rotovate again. If ploughing was bad it wouldn't still be done.

I was just thinking of scraping the gorse away with a digger and then ploughing onceWhy would I need to plough multiple times.

Alos can you tell me what the difference is between ploughing and rotovating?

Greengrass1

Is the ground hilly or stoney?
Don't think there is a lot of money in trees tbh.
Would you not till it all up and sow grass in it and let it out to a farmer.
Cost as much as sowing trees I'd reckon.
All depends on what type of lad it is of course

conor t

do you know anything about growing Christmas trees? and will you have a market for them? there's a lad not far from me planted a few fields of them a few years back, all too tall to sell now and probably wouldn't even be worth his while cutting for pulpwood. that is what you first need to decide before worrying about ploughing or not. I would think it would be a lot easier to rent it out

micraX

businessdit wrote: »

I was just thinking of scraping the gorse away with a digger and then ploughing onceWhy would I need to plough multiple times.

Alos can you tell me what the difference is between ploughing and rotovating?

I only said plough it once. If you plough it with out rotavating first it will break your heart as any grass and bryers that were left behind will drag and jam up the plough.
Ploughing is turning over the soil.
Rotavating is braking up the ploughing to form a fine and level field.

49801

businessdit wrote: »

Thanks for the reply 49801 -

What do you mean by there is not much flexibility after planting trees?
Do you mean to say that this could this damage the land going into the future.

The land is just very neglected and hasn't been farmed in decades - acidic soil, but I am not a farmer so planting these trees seem like the best option for me.

Your buggered if you change your mind and want to put it into grass or tillage

Good loser

How many acres? Is it sheltered or exposed? Do you live beside it?

Lots of managment in Xmas trees esp pruning each year. Would spray gorse with brushwood killer or perhaps clear it first with a digger (or burn) and spray regrowth.

Miname

get someone with horses in. Then get a lad with a hedge trimmer or saw depending on how badly its overgrown and then go from there. planting good ground with trees is a waste imo. post up a few pics and we can help better.

on the river

ya i think you should get some livestock in to eat it down and maybe go from there. you should weigh up the costs
of planting to graziing.

Nekarsulm

Have you a plan for the sale of the trees? Any contacts in garden centres, DIY stores, street traders? Will you be selling them yourself, personally from a premises, stall, side of the road, etc? Will you be able to cut and package them, and transport them to point of sale yourself?
Have you the time to be pruning and spraying with a knapsack sprayer, etc.?
If you don't live beside it, you may find that gurriers will be helping themselves to a few (or a lot) of trees when December comes around.
I had thought about it as well for a few acres of rough ground, but having considered the various factors above, didn't go ahead with it. Also, your entire crop will be ready for sale in a short time scale, 3 or 4 years, if the market is bad those years, you can't really leave them till the market improves.
The positives about the scheme would be more about your mental health than a small scale business, out on your own land in the fresh air, tending the plantation. In the same way people keep allotments, gardens, sheds full of vintage tractors/cars/bikes, or play Golf etc. It would be something I would consider in the future if I were to be semi-retired (!) and it would be great for keeping active and out meeting the public at sales time. Few Euro cash in the pocket as well.

And all the above is despite the fact that I have the necessary machinery to plant, cut, haul out to the road, etc.

I personally would not Rotavate the land, no need for trees, and if you have Gorse already, you will only be propagating it by chopping up the roots. Get it grazed down tight by sheep or horses, and then spray with Round-up or a generic version of the same. Have you spoke to anyone in Coilte about the plan, or other growers?

Remember, once land is planted and trees are established, its a costly process to revert to grassland. Good luck and keep us informed!

PS,quick Google threw up this
http://www.bctga.co.uk/info-for-buyers.html