Clearing overgrown land: brambles, scrub, stumps

In short

• Before you go in, check for hidden hazards: old wells, shafts, dumped waste and — on former military land — unexploded ordnance.
• Clear section by section: 500 m² fully cleared beats a hectare half done.
• Brambles aren't beaten by one cut but by digging out the crown or repeated cutting for 2–3 years.
• Don't cut black locust or tree of heaven to the ground without a plan, and never cut or rotavate Japanese knotweed: they send up dozens of suckers.
• Don't burn the brash: chip it, or stack it into a dead hedge or a mound.
• Sow or cover the cleared ground straight away, or it will be overgrown again within a year.

What's inside

Chapters

1. Safety first: hidden hazards and ordnance
2. Other safety at work
3. Assessment and a plan by sections
4. Clearing methods
5. Brambles
6. Scrub and young trees
7. Stumps
8. Brash, leaves and stumps without fire
9. After clearing: the first season
10. How long it takes and what it costs
11. Common mistakes
12. Printable checklist

Worksheets

• Clearing plan by sections
• Safety check before you go in
• Clearing log
• Work and cost calculator
• Clearing calendar
• Contacts for clearing