I need help

[crappie castle]

he house we bought has 57 acres 7 the house sits on and 50 of a mix of a little high and a lot of ash swamp! Most of the ash is dead with some live birch, pine, and oak but mostly ash! I want to cut trails and take the ash for my boiler! I need advice how wide? I am thinking 3 bobcats wide and then I could plant something this spring to get the deer! How wide? what to plant? Make trails from grass swamp into woods? Go from grass swamp all the way through woods up to house yard? HELP need advice!!!!

[dakids]

6 wide and feather 2 more and try to run north south to allow more sun to reach whatever you plant.  Plant clover after you kill everything with roundup.

[crappie castle]

I have to cut wider so I can get equipment down to plant and get wood next year! But I will run them north to south and plant clover! I am also having a 3 acre pond dug by house, and have to leave 8ft flat all the way around by dnr specs so I will put clover all the way around it! Thanks for advice!

[dakids]

I have to cut wider so I can get equipment down to plant and get wood next year! But I will run them north to south and plant clover! I am also having a 3 acre pond dug by house, and have to leave 8ft flat all the way around by dnr specs so I will put clover all the way around it! Thanks for advice!

wider is better as it grows shut fast and get seed from local coop as it is way cheap than any buck on the bag brand

[Fawkinnae]

Plant natives when ever possible.

[crappie castle]

any idea of plants! Not much grows in a ash swamp! clover,mixed grass?????? I can get at the local mill something?

[beeker]

however much time you planning on spending to get this done.. double that and you may get a 1/4 of the work done.. everything takes longer then you expect.

[FireRanger]

do you have the option of digging a few drainage ditches to dry the swamp out a little bit? This might allow you to grow a few different other species of grass or foliage, just a thought.

[deadeye]

Having made many miles of trails over the years, I know it can be a tough task.  When you say "ash swamp" I think of two things.  Stumps and mud holes.  Making a trail there is neither easy nor pleasant and the result could be a disappointment.  Ash stumps are very hard and will probably not rot in your life time.  Width is not an issue, just make it wide with occasional turns.  You want to be able to walk down the trail and anticipate what is around the next turn.   Also, consider planting hazel or dogwood along the trails for cover.

[crappie castle]

Thanks for the advice! The land is moist but not under water! You could walk it this fall and stay dry if you watch where you walked meaning you could see wet area so you walked around them! The ash on my 57 acres is almost all dead with the bark falling off but when you cut it its very solid! You can easy use it for firewood or cut it into boards! I want trails because it would be hard to get a good shot unless there was trails or the deer got next to you, also there is no food for them to even want to come to this property! No little trees, no grass,nothing! The neighbor has big fields he plants so they walk through mine but don't stay!