What should I do?

Probably not feasible for huge areas at a time but you could lay black plastic / weed barrier down for areas you intend to use come next season.

In the short term (winter) they will probably be protective against frost for the negative plants, but once the sun starts getting stronger it should cook everything beneath.

With proper perimeter management of the areas covered, you can then reclaim those spots for your orchards, and move the weed barrier / black plastic of death to the next area over and continue the process.

It is a multi season process, but fully using natural processes instead of poisons (if it works how I assume it could)
 
If you don't have heavy equipment, herbicides will be your best bet. When applied responsibly, most are not too terrible and breakdown faster than most people think. As much as I hate glyphosate, it actually breaks down rather quickly in the grand scheme of things and is not a terrible option. Crossbow from Southern ag (2,4d and triclopyr) is a reasonably priced woody shrub killer that I've had good success with. My father has lots of brush filled with deer ticks and it did a great job of knocking the brush back enough to keep the critters further away from where he needs to get. Unfortunately most herbicides require active growth for uptake so this time of year is not ideal.

Definitely never burn any of the urushiol producing plants (poison ivy, oak, sumac). When I was 15 my best friend's younger brother cleared a lot of property, burned it and apparently sat down wind. 2/3 of his body was covered in a ridiculous, itchy,swollen rash, not what you would get from merely touching it, but worse. He had to wear gym shorts for a week because he had what amounted to a large, itchy, grapefruit hanging around in the worst possible place...
 
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Lots of good options and things to consider. It might be a combination of things I use. I unfortunately already have poison ivy or something. Had it most of this year it seems like….lol. Soon as I get it gone I go back and end up getting it again no matter how hard I try not to. By the way if one doesn’t know, cedar trees can also give you a rash.
 
I would not use a 2,4-D herbicide where I planned to plant fig trees (or anything near-term that wasn't a grain/grass). It's a hormone-based chemical and a tiny amount can negatively affect growth.

I have read papers on it's degradation and theoretically, it should be fine - but I've also heard some horror stories, anecdotal I know, but enough to give me pause.

I would be OK with spot treating like bushdoctor outlined. If you could combine the chipping and cardboard ideas that would be a lot of work, but that's a more permanent solution (heavy chip mulching around your young trees will help retain moisture, reduce weeds and last several years).
 
hambones said:
If you don't have heavy equipment, herbicides will be your best bet. When applied responsibly, most are not too terrible and breakdown faster than most people think. As much as I hate glyphosate, it actually breaks down rather quickly in the grand scheme of things and is not a terrible option. Crossbow from Southern ag (2,4d and triclopyr) is a reasonably priced woody shrub killer that I've had good success with. My father has lots of brush filled with deer ticks and it did a great job of knocking the brush back enough to keep the critters further away from where he needs to get. Unfortunately most herbicides require active growth for uptake so this time of year is not ideal.

Definitely never burn any of the urushiol producing plants (poison ivy, oak, sumac). When I was 15 my best friend's younger brother cleared a lot of property, burned it and apparently sat down wind. 2/3 of his body was covered in a ridiculous, itchy,swollen rash, not what you would get from merely touching it, but worse. He had to wear gym shorts for a week because he had what amounted to a large, itchy, grapefruit hanging around in the worst possible place...
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Yea you can even breathe in poison and get it on your lungs. I worked for a tree care company one summer during college where we cleared right of ways for the power company. I don’t think I went 10 days without poison.
 
superdave336 said:
Lots of good options and things to consider. It might be a combination of things I use. I unfortunately already have poison ivy or something. Had it most of this year it seems like….lol. Soon as I get it gone I go back and end up getting it again no matter how hard I try not to. By the way if one doesn’t know, cedar trees can also give you a rash.
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So can walnuts
 
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