Land Clearing for Pasture in the Texas Hill Country: Restoring Grasses After Cedar
- Dustin Gass
- Jul 9
- 6 min read
Land Clearing for Pasture in the Texas Hill Country: Restoring Grasses After Cedar
Cedar doesn't announce itself. It moves in a few trees at a time, then one day a rancher looks out and the pasture that used to run cattle or hold deer is a solid green wall. Land clearing for pasture in the Texas Hill Country isn't just about opening up a view — done right, it's the first step in getting grass, water, and grazing capacity back on a property that's spent decades losing all three to Ashe juniper (cedar).
Table of Contents
Root Pull vs. Forestry Mulching: Which Clearing Method Grows Grass Faster
Grass Restoration After Clearing: What Actually Determines Success
Frequently Asked Questions: Land Clearing for Pasture
How long does it take for native grass to come back after cedar clearing?
Is forestry mulching or root pulling better for pasture restoration?
Can I clear cedar for pasture myself with a skid steer or brush hog?
How much does land clearing for pasture cost in the Hill Country?
Should I clear all the cedar on my property, or leave some standing?
What Cedar Really Does to Hill Country Pasture Over Time
Ashe juniper (Juniperus ashei) — what most Texans just call cedar — is not native to the Texas Hill Country, though it's well established in our region. Left unmanaged, it behaves like an invasive species.
A mature cedar can pull 30-40 gallons of water a day out of thin Edwards Plateau soils, and its dense canopy blocks enough sunlight that understory grasses simply stop growing.
Texas A&M research has linked large-scale cedar removal to stream flow increases of up to 50% in some Texas Hill Country watersheds — water that would otherwise never reach the grass roots or the stock tank.
The upside is that most of this damage isn't permanent. Native grass seed banks can sit dormant under cedar canopy for decades and still come back once sunlight and rain reach the soil again.
Root Pull vs. Forestry Mulching: Which Clearing Method Grows Grass Faster
Cedar removal for pasture restoration in the Texas Hill Country comes down to two practical methods, and the right one depends on the property's soil depth, slope, and how fast the landowner wants grass back.
Root and Stump Pull
Pulling cedar out by the root removes any chance of resprouting and leaves open, bare ground that native grasses can recolonize quickly once seed and rain show up. The tradeoff is exposed soil — on the thin, rocky soils common across Comal and Blanco counties, that bare ground is vulnerable to erosion until grass cover reestablishes.
Forestry Mulching
Forestry mulching grinds standing cedar into a mulch layer left on the ground, which protects thin Texas Hill Country soils from erosion and helps suppress cedar regrowth as it breaks down. It's the better choice on sloped pasture or thin-soil sites where bare ground would wash out. It does slow initial grass germination in the first season compared to open, root-pulled ground — a tradeoff most ranchers accept in exchange for erosion protection. Forestry mulching also remains the right call for right-of-ways, fencelines, and ranch roads where regrowth control matters more than grass establishment.
Neither method is automatically "right" — the call should be made on a site-by-site basis.
LandPrep.com walks every pasture before quoting a clearing method, checking slope percentage, existing grass cover, and how close the property sits to a drainage or stock tank that bare-ground erosion could silt in downstream.
Native Grasses to Expect Once Cedar Is Gone
Once sunlight reaches the soil, Texas Hill Country landowners typically see native pasture grasses return within one to two growing seasons, rainfall depending.
Little bluestem, sideoats grama, and Texas cupgrass are among the first to reestablish — all deep-rooted species adapted to poor, rocky soils, and all valuable for erosion control and grazing alike. Wildflowers and native forbs often follow close behind, which is part of why cleared Hill Country pasture also tends to draw more deer and turkey activity.
For landowners managing for wildlife rather than cattle, the same clearing opens up forage and cover for deer and turkey without eliminating the cedar entirely — leaving scattered cedar brakes intact for cover while opening the rest to grass is a common compromise on hunting leases and wildlife-managed acreage across the Texas Hill Country.
Grass Restoration After Clearing: What Actually Determines Success
Grass restoration after clearing in Texas isn't automatic. Whether native seed comes back on its own or needs supplemental reseeding depends on how long the cedar had been established and how much bare, compacted ground the clearing work left behind. A short deferment from grazing after clearing gives new grass a chance to establish roots before cattle or wildlife pressure hits it.
Live oak mottes should be protected during clearing, not treated as part of the cedar problem — they're some of the most valuable habitat and shade structure on a Texas Hill Country property, and LandPrep.com flags every one before equipment moves in.
Any pruning cuts made near live oaks during clearing need to be sealed the same day to reduce oak wilt risk; for the full oak wilt prevention protocol, see LandPrep.com's dedicated oak wilt post.
LandPrep.com also runs a free tree protection program on every clearing job to make sure oaks and other desirable trees are marked and fenced off before cedar removal begins.
Clearing cedar also tends to raise land value on its own. Buyers looking at Texas Hill Country acreage increasingly favor cleared, grass-covered pasture over cedar-choked ground, since it saves them the clearing cost and shows the property is already producing grazing or habitat value rather than just cedar cover.
Get a Free Land Clearing Estimate: CLICK HERE
The Right Clear Is Step One
Clearing cedar is the first move, not the whole plan. What happens next — grading, reseeding, drainage, or converting cleared ground into a build site — depends on decisions made during the clearing itself.
LandPrep.com plans every pasture clearing job with the next step already in mind, whether that's grazing, wildlife habitat, or future site prep.
You don't have to be a range management expert — you just need to hire a clearing crew that asks the right questions before starting.
Ask any contractor:
Will you protect and flag live oak mottes before clearing begins?
Are you root-pulling or forestry mulching, and why is that the right call for my slope and soil?
What's your plan for erosion control on bare ground until grass reestablishes?
If they don't have clear answers, hire someone else.
LandPrep.com serves Comal, Blanco, Kendall, and surrounding counties — Contact Dustin to receive a FREE pasture clearing estimate.
Frequently Asked Questions: Land Clearing for Pasture
How long does it take for native grass to come back after cedar clearing?
Most Texas Hill Country properties see visible native grass return within one to two growing seasons after clearing, assuming normal rainfall. Sites with long-dormant seed banks and good sun exposure often recover fastest.
Do I need to reseed after clearing cedar for pasture?
Not always. Where cedar cover wasn't total or the seed bank is intact, native grasses frequently return on their own. Heavily compacted or long-cedared ground may need supplemental native seed to speed recovery — a site walk after clearing is the best way to tell which situation applies.
Is forestry mulching or root pulling better for pasture restoration?
It depends on slope and soil depth. Root pulling opens bare ground for faster grass recolonization but risks erosion on thin or sloped soils. Forestry mulching protects the soil and suppresses regrowth but slows first-season grass germination slightly. Most Texas Hill Country pasture jobs favor mulching on sloped ground and root pulling on flatter, deeper-soil sites.
Will clearing cedar hurt my live oaks?
It shouldn't, if the crew flags and protects them first. LandPrep.com runs a free tree protection program on every job specifically to keep live oaks and other desirable trees out of harm's way during cedar removal.
Can I clear cedar for pasture myself with a skid steer or brush hog?
Small, scattered cedar can be managed with rented equipment, but larger stands or sloped terrain raise the erosion and oak-protection stakes fast. Most landowners find it's not worth the equipment cost and risk once the job goes beyond a few acres of light cover.
How much does land clearing for pasture cost in the Hill Country?
Cost depends on cedar density, terrain, and clearing method — a site walk is the only reliable way to scope it. Contact LandPrep.com for a free estimate specific to your acreage and cover density.
Should I clear all the cedar on my property, or leave some standing?
Not necessarily. Many landowners deliberately leave scattered cedar brakes for wildlife cover, windbreaks, or property-line screening while opening up the bulk of the pasture for grass. LandPrep.com can map out a selective clearing plan rather than defaulting to a clear-cut approach.
