Forestry Mulching
Forestry mulching turns brush, saplings and small trees into a layer of wood chip mulch on site. We cover Jackson, Union and Williamson counties from our base in Cobden.
Learn MoreHoneysuckle removal is machine work on most ground around here. We are based in Cobden and work Jackson, Union and Williamson counties, plus nearby parts of Johnson and Saline. A tracked skid steer with a forestry mulching head grinds standing honeysuckle into chips where it stands. Stems come down to grade level and the chips stay on the ground. Most spots are usable the same day. It is the same forestry mulching work pointed at one shrub.
Bush honeysuckle almost never grows alone here. Autumn olive and multiflora rose fill the same fence lines and field edges. All three form dense, thorny stands that hand tools cannot keep up with. The mulching head takes them down together in one pass. A whole overgrown fence run is closer to our brush clearing work on the same machine. Call or text (618) 697-5190 for a free estimate.
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Birds do most of the spreading. Illinois DNR reports at least 20 species of songbirds eat the berries and carry the seed. A typical mature plant may produce more than 20,000 seeds a year. Seed also stays viable after passing through white-tailed deer.
Shade does not stop it. Illinois DNR reports bush honeysuckle can invade forests with as much as 85 percent canopy cover. It leafs out earlier than most natives in spring. It also holds its leaves later in fall. In the southern third of Illinois it often holds its leaves into mid November.
That long season makes fall a good window for the work. Natives are bare by then, so the honeysuckle stands out on a wooded lot. Illinois archery deer season opens October 1 in 2026, so early clearing fits hunting property improvement plans.
Autumn olive spreads by root suckers and by birds feeding on the fruit, per Illinois Extension. It is a nitrogen fixing shrub, so heavy stands can leach nitrates and change the soil. Missouri Department of Conservation says mowing it to the ground without herbicide is not effective. Each regrowth comes back with a thicker stem base and denser branches.
Multiflora rose spreads three ways, per Illinois DNR. Birds and mammals eat the hips and carry the seed farther out. Seed can stay viable in the soil for 10 to 20 years. Canes also root where their tips touch the ground, so one plant creeps outward.
Thickets like that are slow and painful by hand. Illinois DNR says machinery may be the most efficient removal option where large shrubs grow thick. That is the job the mulching head is built for. On bigger acreage it turns into land clearing across Southern Illinois.
A finished spot has cut stems at grade level and a layer of wood chips on the ground. We do not grind or pull stumps, so the roots stay in place. We do not fell large timber and we do not haul debris off site.
Cut stumps do send up sprouts. Ohio State reports that cutting at the base causes prolific sprouting and raises the number of stems. Illinois Extension says repeat cutting alone often fails unless it is done several times a year for many years. Extension guidance pairs the cut with a stump treatment instead.
We do not spray and we do not treat cut stumps. That is a separate step, handled by you or by a licensed applicator. Illinois DNR describes herbicide applied to the cut stump right after cutting as an effective method. It reports late summer, early fall or the dormant season have proven effective.
Free, no-obligation estimates across Jackson, Union & Williamson counties.
(618) 697-5190From the first phone call to the finished ground, here is how it goes.
Call, text or send the form. We talk through what is growing, how much ground it covers, and what you want it to become, then set a time to come see it.
We look at the property with you, flag the trees and spots that stay, and give you a clear price. You know exactly what gets cleared and what it costs before anything starts.
The machine shows up when we said it would. Brush, saplings and small trees get ground into mulch in place, with no burn piles, no haul-off and no torn-up topsoil.
Look over the finished ground with us. Open, walkable, usable land, ready to mow, fence, hunt or plant. From trails to tracts, it is yours again.
Common questions about honeysuckle removal across Jackson, Union & Williamson counties. If yours is not here, call or text and ask.
Forestry mulching turns brush, saplings and small trees into a layer of wood chip mulch on site. We cover Jackson, Union and Williamson counties from our base in Cobden.
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Brush clearing for overgrown fields, fence lines, old lots and invasive thickets across Southern Illinois. Our tracked skid steer grinds the brush into mulch on the spot, so the ground is usable the same day.
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We cut new ATV and UTV trails through wooded ground, and reopen old paths that grew shut. The mulcher leaves a chip surface you can walk or drive the same day.
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We clear shooting lanes and quiet access trails on hunting property across Southern Illinois. Selective mulching opens the ground you want open and leaves the cover that holds deer.
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We clear brush, vines, saplings and small cedars off fence lines and hedgerows. The growth is mulched where it stands, so the fence is easy to see and work on.
Learn MoreBlackburn Land Service is based in Cobden. We look at your ground before we quote, and the plan gets set with you before any work starts.
A tracked skid steer with a forestry mulching head, backed by a limb saw, grapple and tree shear. Brush gets ground into mulch where it stands, not piled and burned.
We come look at the ground, talk through what opens up and what stays, and give you a clear price before the machine moves. Small jobs are welcome, down to a single lane.
Blackburn Land Service LLC is fully insured. Careful, selective work around the trees, fences and buildings you keep, with minimal soil disturbance and nothing left smoldering.
Real reviews from our Google Business Profile.
Blackburn Land Service did an excellent job of clearing a messy area of vines, overgrowth, and hanging branches on our property. Calls were retuned promptly, work was done thoughtfully, efficiently, and in a timely manner, as promised. The area was cleaned up and looked great when completed. Gery was a pleasure to work with from start to finish. I would not hesitate to recommend him to anyone needing a project done right the first time and on time!
Gery did an awesome job for us! He was so easy to work with from the initial call to the final handshake of thanks! We had an area behind our pond and some trails in the woods cleared, so now we can take our grandchildren on great adventures on the side by side! Thanks again Gery!
Gery is truly knowledgeable and professional with attention to detail. May your projects be large or small he is very thorough from start to finish. He goes above and beyond to make sure his client is totally satisfied with his services. I would highly recommend Gery for any of your land clearing projects.
Is bush honeysuckle illegal in Illinois? The Illinois Exotic Weeds Act in plain words: which brush plants are listed and how the Noxious Weed Law differs.
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Published honeysuckle removal cost ranges for Southern Illinois landowners, what drives the price, and why cut stumps come back. Call (618) 697-5190.
Read more →Overgrown field, a fence line you cannot find, a trail that grew shut, or hunting ground that needs lanes? Call or text, or send the form. We will come look at the ground and give you a free estimate.
Tell us about your land. We will get right back to you.