Serving Clarksville, Middle Tennessee and the Nashville area · based in Woodlawn, TN
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Underbrushing in Woodlawn, TN
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Underbrushing in Woodlawn, TN

Underbrushing · Woodlawn, TN

The brush comes out and the trees stay standing

Underbrushing clears the brush, saplings, vines and briars out from under the trees you want to keep. The mature hardwoods stay standing, and the ground beneath them opens up. We do the work with forestry mulching, which grinds the undergrowth into mulch right where it stands.

We are based in Woodlawn, just west of Clarksville. Montgomery County is home ground, and we travel to the towns we cover toward Nashville. Homeowners and landowners call us when the ground under their trees fills in with brush. Estimates are free, so call or text (931) 572-8673 and tell us what is growing under your trees.

What We Handle

  • Brush, briars and vines cleared out from under your trees
  • Saplings and small understory stems mulched where they stand
  • Mature hardwoods and shade trees left in place
  • Privet and bush honeysuckle thickets ground into mulch
  • Mulch left on the ground, with no brush pile to burn
  • Woods on home lots and hunting land opened up to see and walk through
  • Fence rows and woods edges opened up under the trees
  • Follow-up passes when privet and honeysuckle sprout back

Free Underbrushing Quote

Tell us about the job and the ground. We will get right back to you.

How Underbrushing Works Under Your Trees

Underbrushing is a selective job. You keep the trees, and we clear what grows beneath them. Saplings and small understory stems get mulched along with the brush. The big hardwoods stay put.

A skid steer with a forestry mulcher head grinds thick brush and saplings, and a brush cutter handles lighter growth. The roots stay in the ground. The mulch stays on top as a cover over the soil and breaks down over time.

The result is open ground under the canopy. Light reaches the forest floor again, and you can see the lay of the land under the trees.

Underbrush Clearing for Privet and Honeysuckle Thickets

Under Tennessee hardwoods, the thicket is often privet or bush honeysuckle. Tennessee's forest agency says privet forms dense thickets that shade out native shrubs and plants. Native seedlings have a hard time coming up in that shade. Privet grows 8 to 20 feet tall, enough to block the view through the woods.

The Tennessee Invasive Plant Council says privet is common under hardwoods along field borders, drains and streams. It forms dense thickets, especially in bottomland woods and along fencerows. Underbrushing grinds those thickets down and keeps the hardwoods above them.

Bush honeysuckle (Amur honeysuckle) leafs out earlier in spring and holds its leaves later into fall than native plants. Its deep shade keeps native wildflowers, grasses and tree seedlings from growing on the forest floor. In Tennessee, it is listed as a Significant Threat.

Underbrush Removal for Home Lots and Hunting Land

On a wooded home lot, you keep the shade trees and lose the thicket around them. The woods by the house open up so you can see into them. On hunting land, you can see farther through open woods and move through them more easily.

We open up fence rows and woods edges the same way and keep the trees in place. With the thicket cut back, you can see the fence from the field again. If you are getting land ready to sell, underbrushing lets buyers see the trees and the ground under them.

Underbrushing is for ground under standing trees. Open fields and pastures are a bush hogging job. If the trees and stumps have to come out for a build, that is land clearing.

Thick brush and saplings grown in under trees along a road Open mulched ground under the larger trees left standing

Ready to get started?

Free, no-obligation estimates across Clarksville, Middle Tennessee and the Nashville area.

(931) 572-8673
How We Work

How a Job With Wilson Forestry and Excavating Runs

From the first call or text to the finished property, here is how it goes.

1

Call or Text Us

Call or text (931) 572-8673 with what you need done and where the property sits. Photos and rough acreage help us size the job before we drive out.

2

Site Visit and Free Estimate

We come out and look at the ground, the access, and where the water runs. Then we put a price on the work and go over it with you. The visit and the estimate are free.

3

Pick a Start Date

Once you approve the estimate, we get you on the schedule. Weather and ground conditions set which week works, and we tell you where you stand.

4

The Work Gets Done

Equipment comes in and the job runs in order, from clearing to digging to final grade. We keep the site drained and passable while we work.

5

Final Walkthrough

We go over the finished job with you before the equipment leaves. Anything that needs another pass gets handled while we are still on site.

FAQ

Underbrushing Questions, Answered

Common questions about underbrushing across Clarksville, Middle Tennessee and the Nashville area. If yours is not here, call or text and ask.

Call (931) 572-8673

What is underbrushing, and what stays standing?
Underbrushing clears the brush, briars, vines and small saplings growing under your trees. The mature hardwoods and shade trees you choose to keep stay standing. The undergrowth is turned into mulch, and the space under the trees opens up.
Will underbrushing hurt the trees I keep?
The trees you keep stay standing. The work stays in the brush and small stems growing around them. Before we start, you show us which trees stay. If a young tree matters to you, point it out and it stays too.
What happens to the brush after underbrushing?
It is ground into mulch on the spot, and the mulch stays put under the trees. From October 15 through May 15, burning a debris pile takes a Tennessee Division of Forestry burn permit. Each permit is good for one day. With the brush turned into mulch, there is no pile to burn and no burn permit to get.
Will privet and honeysuckle come back?
Yes, they can, because underbrushing leaves the roots in the ground and both shrubs can sprout from them. Privet also comes back from seed. The Tennessee Invasive Plant Council says repeated cutting controls privet but will not wipe it out. A follow-up pass keeps the woods open.
Is underbrushing the same as forestry mulching or clearing the lot?
Underbrushing is the selective side of forestry mulching: the trees stay and the ground under them opens up. Forestry mulching also covers whole lots, fence lines and trails. Clearing the lot goes further and takes out the trees and stumps. Our guide to forestry mulching versus land clearing lays out the difference.
How much does underbrushing cost?
The price depends on the acreage, how thick the understory is and how big the stems are. Slope, access and how far we travel from Woodlawn move the number too. We look at the woods in person and give you a free estimate. Call or text (931) 572-8673.
More From Wilson Forestry & Excavating

Work That Pairs With Underbrushing

Forestry mulcher head on a skid steer cutting through brush, seen from the cab

Forestry Mulching

A skid steer with a forestry mulcher head grinds brush, saplings, and undergrowth into mulch right where it stands. We also bush hog overgrown fields and pastures back to usable ground.

Learn More
Freshly bush hogged strip across an open field, seen from the cab

Bush Hogging

A rotary brush cutter on the skid steer knocks tall grass, weeds, and briars flat. One pass puts an overgrown field or pasture back to open ground you can use.

Learn More
Residential lot cleared down to bare dirt with the trees along the road left standing

Land Clearing

We clear lots and acreage of trees, brush, and stumps across Montgomery County and Middle Tennessee. The ground gets cleaned up so it is ready to build on or put back into pasture.

Learn More
Why Choose Wilson Forestry & Excavating

Clearing the way for your next big project

One Company From Clearing to Grade

We clear the lot, dig and grade the pad, cut the driveway, and trench the utilities. One company handles the dirt work from the first tree to the final grade, so the job does not wait between contractors.

Builders Send Us Repeat Work

Much of our work comes from builders and general contractors, on house builds and commercial buildings. The same names call us back for the next site.

Roots in Road Building

The company started out cutting roads for a timber company's trucks and equipment. Farm roads, construction entrances, haul roads, and timber roads are still a big part of what we build.

Free Estimates Across the Area

Estimates are free, and we come out to the site to give you one. We cover Clarksville and Montgomery County out to Dover, Springfield, Dickson, Nashville, and Franklin.

Free Estimates

Get In Touch With Wilson Forestry & Excavating

Tell us what the job is and where the property sits, and we will get you an estimate. You can also call or text (931) 572-8673 if that is faster.

  • (931) 572-8673 · call or text
  • Woodlawn, TN · serving Clarksville, Middle Tennessee and the Nashville area
  • Free estimates · Residential, farm and commercial work

Get a Free Quote

Tell us about the job and the ground. We will get right back to you.

Call (931) 572-8673