The Brush Guards

Covington’s Devou Park is a haven of 750 acres nestled atop a hillside overlooking the Cincinnati skyline. But while visitors enjoy the stunning vistas, urban forester Jason Roberts is constantly thinking of honeysuckle — or more appropriately, how to wrestle away “real estate” that is in the grip of this pesky invasive species. A skid steer mounted mechanical mulcher is helping to eradicate this pervasive pest, so that visitors can continue to enjoy the view as well as the native grasses.

“We purchased this machine with grant money for equipment to be used for invasive species removal. After demoing this unit, it seemed like the obvious purchase for us,” says Roberts, tree maintenance supervisor with the City of Covington, Ky. “If we had the money, I would purchase a machine with even more horsepower, so we could use it on bigger terrain and steeper slopes.” 

A fast growing, woody nuisance, honeysuckle thrives in this northern Kentucky locale. Honeysuckle can grow anywhere, but it is most common near roadways and along wood lines, nestling up to the native ash, pin oak, red oak and white oak. Left unchecked, it will quickly crowd out nearby vegetation and hamper natural reforestation efforts. Starved of sunlight indigenous plants and grasses die off. Additionally, this water suckling species robs nearby native vegetation of needed moisture, further harming native species already stressed by drought conditions (which have been common over the past few summers). But thanks to a new invasive species management program instituted in early 2011, the City of Covington is well on the way to eradicating this prolific pest.

A skid steer loader fitted with a Fecon Bull Hog mulcher attachment shreds the honeysuckle, reducing it to a carpet of mulch. Roberts estimates that his crews can do more work in a day — typically a couple acres — with the Bull Hog, than hand crews could accomplish in two weeks. And since the single-operator for the mulcher works from within an enclosed cab, the work environment is much safer than having hand laborers wielding chainsaws, hand saws and weed eaters with metal blades attached.

“The Fecon Bull Hog has been a tremendous success here in Devou,” says Roberts. “We use it mostly in large areas with less than 25 percent grade. Our skid steer is older but works pretty well with removing honeysuckle. We can remove several acres of honeysuckle and vines a day under ideal conditions with the Bull Hog.”  

The Bull Hog draws its power from the skid steer’s hydraulic system and has a rotor fitted with fixed “hammers,” which are actually cutting tools. Using the ground as an anvil, these staggered “teeth” then chew through the woody debris. The attachment is capable of mulching through standing trees from 8 to 10 in. in diameter, ample power for the steady diet of honeysuckle that it feeds on.

The problem with how this shrubby material grows is not diameter of the trunk, but more the density of the fast growing material. Although difficult for hand crews to cut and chip, it is no match for the Bull Hog. In fact, all that is left after a pass or two with this machine is a carpet of mulch, which is typically left on the ground to control erosion. Another side benefit is that as it decomposes, this mulch returns nutrients and organic matter to the soil, further strengthening the reforestation process.

“The biggest concern I have is curious people getting too close to the machine,” says Roberts. “We always have a spotter watching for pedestrians while using this machine. Mostly, the brush stays under the attachment, but if it’s higher, then it will send brush forward several hundred feet. The machine works great if it is used for what it is intended and the operator takes their time.”

The highly maneuverable skid steer aids in precision mulching — “keeper” trees can be saved, while all else is eradicated. Despite its low ground pressure, Roberts and his crews only work the mulcher when the ground is frozen or the terrain is dry. Although there are likely other projects that this mechanical workhorse will be called upon to do in the future, so far it has mainly served to control the invasive honeysuckle and “occasionally on the riverbank for flood wall maintenance.”

Roberts dreams of one day looking out over the picturesque vistas of Devou Park and seeing verdant hills with lush indigenous greenery … without any honeysuckle. That day is getting closer each time his crews fire up this mechanical mulcher.

John Heekin is the president of Fecon Inc., based in Lebanon, Ohio.