I’m rushing to get as much Quila (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Quila) out of the trees as possible. The strategy of the quila is simple. Try to overshadow everything else, including the trees. The result would be a monotonous and impenetrable sea of Quila. I try to stop that at a few places. To keep track of it some pictures before and after my treatment.

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Use poison

Some people say that there is a poison to kill bamboo. I don’t like poison. Also Bamboo has a very quick reaction. If it is cut, the channels that are bleeding are closed in 20 minutes. I also have the idea that if there is a poison that strong to kill bamboo, it will kill a lot more then just that.
The last thing I say about poison is that you might win a battle but not the war. And how many casualties will be there amongst the other plants and animals that you want to keep?

Think ahead, it is like a checkers-game

Look at the structure. You have only a certain amount of cuts with the machete an hour. Place them strategically. Cut the main stems. And then cut the branches where they might hook.
It is one thing to kill the Quila but it is another job to liberate the trees of all the Quila that tries to suffocate them. You have to take it out of the trees. It is like taking the mainsail down. You should do it upwind, with as less friction as possible.

Cut precise, don’t waist energy

Quila has several grades of hardness. The young shoots you cut easily. The dead ones can be like rock or very brittle. The yellow ones are the toughest. They usually take two or three hits, if the machete is very sharp. Precision works better then force.

Use poison

Some people say that there is a poison to kill bamboo. I don’t like poison. Also Bamboo has a very quick reaction. If it is cut, the channels that are bleeding are closed in 20 minutes. I also have the idea that if there is a poison that strong to kill bamboo, it will kill a lot more then just that.
The last thing I say about poison is that you might win a battle but not the war. And how many casualties will be there amongst the other plants and animals that you want to keep?

Think ahead, it is like a checkers-game

Look at the structure. You have only a certain amount of cuts with the machete an hour. Place them strategically. Cut the main stems. And then cut the branches where they might hook.
It is one thing to kill the Quila but it is another job to liberate the trees of all the Quila that tries to suffocate them. You have to take it out of the trees. It is like taking the mainsail down. You should do it upwind, with as less friction as possible.

Cut precise, don’t waist energy

Quila has several grades of hardness. The young shoots you cut easily. The dead ones can be like rock or very brittle. The yellow ones are the toughest. They usually take two or three hits, if the machete is very sharp. Precision works better then force.

Sharpening the poles

Look at the color of the sawdust. And this pole was more then 10 years buried in the ground at the site it is cut. Chile has an amazing amount of wonderful trees.

A miraculous way of organizing

In the beginning everybody was walking around, but after half an hour each person had found his job to do.

400 meters of barbed wire

h4.  hand pile

The wood, once more

The tree where the wood comes from is called Rauli Pellin or just Pellin.

Finish

Precise at 17.00 hours we were ready. A sunny afternoon well spend. Only the cows protested, as they can not go any more to there favorite Quila bushes to eat from them.