Our mission is to work with foresters and natural resource professionals,
state agencies, large land holders, private individuals, on a personal, one-to-one basis,
to control undesirable vegetation, and to improve natural regeneration of forests.
J & R Forestry, Inc. is a company which has provided the service of forestry herbiciding since 1995. We have provided professional service for the PA Game Commission, PA Bureau of Forestry, private landowners and consulting foresters. For Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ's), click here.
James Rutt, president of J & R Forestry, Inc. is a certified applicator in PA, MD, NY & WV. J & R Forestry, Inc. has business licenses for PA, MD, NY and WV.
In 2002, we put our spray unit on the back of a KMC track vehicle to give us more versatility.
The spray unit consists of a Duran Wayland, 26 inch, double headed row crop airblast system, which delivers air velocity of 120 mph., powered by an 85 horse John Deere power unit, with spray delivery being controlled by a Raven application system, which has the ability to keep chemical application rate the same, regardless of speed. This unit, attached to the KMC track machine, gives us the ability to spray conventional, steep, and wetland areas and gives chemical coverage in height of 12-15 feet.
Before herbicide application:
During the lifetime of the forest, there will be a time when timber is removed. This may happen by nature, such as weather related events or insect defoliation, or by man, through logging practices. In the past, foresters have relied on natural regeneration to reestablish the timber. Today, desirable hardwood species have become difficult to reestablish because of deer browsing and/or growth of undesirable understory, which limits the ability for the forest to naturally reproduce. The deer prefer to browse on many of the seedlings we desire to see grow. Without the competition, the undesirable species take over.
Herbicide application helps to remove the understory vegetation that competes with the seedlings for light, water, and nutrients.
These pictures show the earlier model of the spraying machine that J & R Forestry, Inc. used when they began spraying in 1995. The sprayer used a Durand Wayland airblast system, controlled by a Raven application system, mounted on a Cat 518 skidder. It has since been replaced with the following unit.
Common undesirable species include beech brush, fern, striped maple and spice bush.
The most common herbicides used to control vegetation are Oust®, Accord® Concentrate, and surfactant. See Products Used for descriptions of these materials.
The treatment site should not be disturbed for 4-6 weeks before herbicide treatment has been applied and should remain undisturbed for 3-4 weeks after treatment, to allow the plant to trans-locate the herbicides into the root system. After the herbicides have been applied, all unprotected people should remain outside of the treatment area, until the proper reentry time has passed, which could be a minimum of 12-48 hours, depending on the products used.
After herbicide application:
These two pictures show areas that were treated to control a fern problem. The pictures were taken the following growing season.
The following pictures show results from the 2002 & 2003 seasons:
Before and after photo of Perry County job - 2003 Site prep for 2004 pine planting
Results from two spray jobs that were burned off the first week of June 2003. The pictures were taken in September and October 2003. Note the regeneration of just 3 - 4 months.
How's this for deer damage? The landowner's son doesn't think there are many deer in this woods. When 3 month old Paulonia regeneration like this, cannot grow through the deer browse line, it makes you wander what is going to happen with the poplar when it reaches the browse line.
Note the untouched sumac, in the picture.
You should expect to see "brownout" within 4-6 weeks for fern, grasses and beech brush.
The treatment is considered effective if vegetation has been reduced to les than 10-15%. It is not necessary to have 100% kill. Logging slash or down trees may prevent the penetration of the spray at some sites. Also, most sites will include excessive slopes and/or rocks that may prevent the spray machinery from reaching all areas.
The herbicide treatment should be effective for 2-5 years, if the vegetation has been reduced under 10-15%. It may be effective longer if the treatment is used along with deer fencing, until the natural regeneration has become firmly established.
Forestry herbicide spraying is one tool that can be used to help promote desirable regeneration in a forest, but the success of the herbicide application will depend on different factors such as weather conditions, deer browsing, seed sources, and species composition.
For more information on the 2008 season, contact:
James E. Rutt
J & R Forestry, Inc.
565 Stonemill Drive
Elizabethtown, PA 17022
Phone: 717-367-2396
Fax: 717-367-7831
Email: jrrutt1@yahoo.com
Webmaster: www.jrforestry.com
