How is it different from bush hogging?

A bush hog can only knock down soft brush a few inches thick and leaves stalks behind. A forestry mulcher grinds standing trees up to 8+ inches and reduces everything to mulch — woody material included, Gambel oak and juniper included.

How is it different from traditional land clearing?

Traditional clearing cuts trees, then hauls or burns the slash, then deals with stumps separately. Three jobs, three crews, three messes. Forestry mulching does it all in one pass, with no burn piles and no torn-up soil — which matters along the Wasatch Front, where open burning is heavily restricted.

Does the mulch hurt the soil?

No — it helps. The mulch layer suppresses regrowth, holds moisture through Utah's dry summers, prevents erosion on bench and foothill slopes, and breaks down into organic matter. Most landowners are happier with the mulched finish than with bare dirt.

How big can the trees be?

A skid-steer-class mulcher (like ours) handles standing material up to 8 inches in diameter comfortably. Larger trees are felled first and then mulched.

What if I want some trees left standing?

Forestry mulching is selective by design. We can pick around shade trees, mature oaks, fruit trees, and anything else you want to keep — that's what makes it so valuable for defensible space work, where the goal is spacing and thinning, not scraping the lot bare.

The Method

What Is Forestry Mulching?

Name: Stumpt LLC
Address: 7533 S Center View Ct STE R, West Jordan, UT, 84084, US
Telephone: (618) 844-9558
Price range: $$

One pass. One machine. Standing trees and brush turned into mulch right where they stood.

The Short Answer

Forestry mulching is a one-pass land-clearing method that uses a heavy cutting head, mounted on a skid-steer or excavator, to grind standing trees and brush into mulch where they stand. The mulch stays on site, protecting the soil and suppressing regrowth. No burn piles, no torn-up ground.

How it works

A forestry mulcher is a high-flow rotary cutter — picture a bush-hog crossed with a wood chipper, mounted on the front of a skid-steer. The head spins at high RPM with carbide teeth or knives that shred everything they touch into mulch chips.

The operator drives the machine through standing brush and trees, chewing top-down or side-to-side. The result: a clean, mulch-covered surface that’s walkable the same day.

When to use it

Scrub oak and brush thickets — Gambel oak, Russian olive, and juniper that have closed off whole sections of a property
Defensible space — fuel reduction and crown spacing around homes on the bench and in the foothills, without stripping the lot bare
Horse and pasture properties — reclaiming grazing ground from brush, juniper, and overgrown fence lines
Listing prep — overgrown parcels going on the market
Lot clearing — site prep for builders without burn piles or haul-off fees
Right-of-way maintenance — utility easements, access lanes, fire breaks, view corridors

Pros & cons

Pros

One pass, one crew
No burn piles or hauling
Mulch protects soil + suppresses regrowth
Selective — pick what stays
No torn-up ground

Cons

Trees over ~8 inches need felling first
Stumps stay (grind separately if you want them gone)
Not ideal where you need bare dirt for immediate planting
Resprouting species like Gambel oak come back — plan on a maintenance pass every few years

FAQ

Common Questions

Forestry mulching is a one-pass land-clearing method that uses a heavy cutting head — usually mounted on a skid-steer or excavator — to grind standing trees, brush, and undergrowth into mulch right where they stand. The mulch stays on site and protects the soil from erosion.

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Serving Salt Lake County, northern Utah County, Tooele County, and the greater Wasatch Front