How to Prepare Your Property for a Forestry Mulching Crew
Thirty minutes of prep before the machine shows up usually saves hours of billable time and prevents the two mistakes that cannot be undone.
Mark your boundaries
Flagging tape on corner pins or fence posts is enough. Mulching is fast and permanent — an unmarked line is the single most common source of trouble on a job site.
Flag what you want kept
Bright flagging tape reads clearly from inside a cab. If it is not flagged, assume it is in the cut area.
- —Mature hardwoods, specimen trees, and shade trees near the house
- —Fruit trees, garden beds, and planted seedlings
- —Survey markers, well heads, septic lids, and irrigation heads
- —Anything sentimental — a stump, a stone, an old fence line
Locate utilities
In North Carolina, call 811 before any digging or ground-disturbing work so buried lines get located at no cost to you. Also point out overhead lines, guy wires, and any private lines running to a barn, well, or shop — private lines are not covered by a standard locate.
Clear the access route
- —Move vehicles, trailers, and equipment away from the gate and staging area
- —Note gate widths and any low limbs across the drive
- —Tell us about soft spots, culverts, and septic fields we should not cross
- —Secure pets and let neighbors know a machine will be working
Pick up the loose stuff
Wire, T-posts, old fencing, tires, glass, and metal debris damage mulcher teeth and can be thrown. If you know where it is, flag it or pull it out beforehand.
What the day looks like
We walk the property with you first and confirm the cut area, keepers, and finish level. Then the machine runs. You do not need to be on site the whole time, but a phone you will answer helps if a judgment call comes up.
When we finish, we walk it again together before the equipment loads out.