Clearing a fenceline... I don't care if it takes me all year

There's this fenceline on the west side of our adjoining lot. It's a total mess. Tallow trees. Some dead but still standing. Others dying from the vines/briars choking them. Branches falling all the time... and some of them are big enough to really hurt somebody. The only good thing about it is that it hides my neighbor's junk - Old cars, trucks, farm equipment. The worst part besides being ugly and dangerous, it's blocking out some of my sun and is strangling the Seven Sisters Rose that used to flourish there.
After two days of hacking and chopping, I've completed phase 1... find the fence and cut or knock down some of the dead branches.


overgrown fenceline ( photo / image / picture from cherylad's Garden )






fenceline cleanup ( photo / image / picture from cherylad's Garden )


Slowly but surely I'll get it cleaned out... one tree at a time... unless someone brings me a chainsaw.

 

I do not even want to think about that much work. If you have enough power cords,, I have a little electric chainsaw you can use. Just come get it. Snow, sleet and ice up here. Your weather looks pretty good.

 

Very nice. That is very hard work. Good for you. It will be all done and out of your mind. I have done that stuff. Exhausting but good feeling.

 

Cheryl, when we moved here we couldn't find the fence on the west side of our property because it was so overgrown. After a season of cutting, hauling, and burning, we found the fence.
You, too, will have a clear fence line after some work. Believe me, it's worth the effort. We repaired the fence where it had been damaged by falling branches, and after six years it is still in one piece. Fortunately, this is not a job that has to be done every year!

 

Wow!!! There is a lot of work and I thought it is going to be lots of work for me removing the spill over concrete and other construction debris from the mini farm after the construction is done. Hmmm ... come to think of it, it is lots of work in this hot sun and headache too!

 

Mart... I think I'd probably cause too much damage with a chainsaw. And not just to the trees, but ME! LOL
Our weather has been pretty nice the last couple of days, but the cold front and rain finally made it down here.

Barb... The hardest part was just getting started. Second hardest part... realizing I'd better have on long sleeves, jeans and tennis shoes. Third hardest, will be loading all those briars/vines etc on the truck to bring to the burn pile.

Jane... the really sad part about this fence? My brother "The Dragon" wanted to clear it out and rebuild the fence before he took off for his sailing adventure.
I talked him out of it. Because one, he takes too long to finish something because he's VERY anal about every little detail.
Two... I didn't want him spending all that money because I knew he would need it for his trip.
When I complained to him about the vines/briars taking over he didn't hesitate to tell me "I told you so."
So maybe by the time he comes back, I'll have it all done.
Luckily they only purpose of that fence is a property boundary and I don't have to worry about any livestock getting out.
But I do worry sometimes that all their junk may try to escape.
LOL

 

there may be more truth than you realize to their junk escaping Never know when old vehicles might want to go rolling away.

That is one big job you have taken on. You go girl.

 

That sure looks like a lot of work. But it will look so nice when you get done. And no doubt you will find something you want to plant there.

 

Wow--You've got quite a job in front of you there. You've made some headway, but I do not know how far you intend to go. How much will you clear out?

Whatever your goal...it shall be a great task. That offer from Mart sounds very attractive...plus it might be fun to meet him/her.

Good luck with this seemingly monumental task. Please keep us posted with word and pic, oké?

 

You go girl! That's quite a job to do. I have a tree line that needs the same work. If the snow wasn't so deep I would start now.

 

KK... I bet your clean-up job will go alot faster than mine.

Donna S... no planting there. The vines and briars would just take over it.

Eileen... We're kinda surrounded on three sides by these people. I swear they have kept every vehicle they have ever owned. Junk 18-wheelers, Volkswagen Beetle, combines, stock trailers. You name it, they have it sitting just sitting out there getting overgrown and rusting away.

Sjoerd... I'd love to get it totally cleared out including cutting down all the trees. However, right now our fence isn't in it's proper location. The SW corner should be about 3-4 foot back. So technically the trees are on our land. But right now it appears that the trees are on the neighbor's land. So I'd have to get back there and find the survey marker if it's still there... move the fence. And probably battle with the neighbors because they think they own everything. So.... what I'll probably do is just get out as much of the vine's I can and cut down any branches on my side of the fence. And if a tree or two just happen to "fall" then that'll be good too.

Toni... how'd you know about those adult beverages?
:-o

 

I like your plan "one tree at a time". I think I would have hired a bulldozer, I have no patience for slowly, slowly, but I'm trying. I think you'll have a lovely area once you're done. Good luck with handling your neighbours!

 

Droopy, if my brother were home, he would have had his tractor out there and had it cleared in a few days. Now... how long it would have taken him to rebuild the fence, that's a different story.