|
| i plan to re-do the front yard of our home which is very shady. there are 5 huge, ancient shrubs against the house that i want to cut down to the ground. how do i go about removing the roots, without having to dig them up? please help, as i can't afford to have a landscaper do this to the tune of $650.00. i thought there was some kind of chemical you could pour into the stump after drilling holes in them, to kill the roots. thanks, ;) |
Follow-Up Postings:
|
| you can try using foaming root killer. Or you could try drilling some holes in the roots and pouring some round up on it and let it soak it up. that round up might hurt the ground near it though. If your really don't care about what's going on around that area, gasoline will kill that thing good. A mix of gasoline and motor oil would make that stump shrivel. Dangerous though...and the local police may not like the idea of you pouring gasoline into the ground in your front yard...so do that at your own risk ;) |
|
- Posted by ken_adrian z5 (My Page) on Sun, Apr 24, 11 at 9:15
| you cut the plant to ground level ... and then carefully apply stump killer or 100% roundup to the cambian layer of the trunk .. thats the green edge ... and that will usually KILL THE PLANT ... otherwise.. you wait up to decades for the wood to rot ... nothing is going to make the roots disappear all too fast ... even the drill holes stuff .. if you plan on replanting in the same area.. just get out the shovel .. and a saw.. and go at them.. and remove the cut trunk and a 2 or 3 foot circle of what is in the ground ... yeah.. its hard work.. and that is why the guy wants 650$ to do it.. but it is well within your capability if you put your mind to it .. or hire the neighbor kid ... if you are going to dig them out.. cut the plant to about 3 feet.. and then use the stumps to aid in removal.. as you remove soil ... you rock the thing back and forth.. trying to find the next root .. might change my tune.. if i actually knew what kind of shrubs we are talking about ... good luck ken |
|
| Do NOT pour gasoline or motor oil into the soil, period. That should not even be an option. As far as the other chemicals go, be sure you have a clear understanding of how long you have to wait before planting anything else in the vicinity. Have you checked to see how much it would cost to rent a stump grinder for 1/2 day? |
|
| thanks, everyone, for your suggestions. ken, it is a plant with leaves like a rosemary plant and red berries in the winter. they are just so old, probably at least 30 years and only the tops of the shrubs get green and produce berries. i know this is a vague description, but i will try to google and identify it. thanks, again!! ;) |
|
| Sounds like yaupon holly shrubs. I agree with Ken - just cut close to ground level and then carefully dab some brush killer or roundup on the edges of the stumps because that is where the growing layer is. No need to slop it all over the stump or drill holes and "pour it in the holes". That's just 'overkill' and doesn't even help. |
|
| I just realized, they could be yew shrubs - they have leaves more like rosemary and get red berries. |
|
- Posted by mad_gallica Z5 Eastern NY (My Page) on Mon, Apr 25, 11 at 9:53
| It does sound like yew. Before you go to all the work to get rid of them, research what you are going to replace them with. Yews are one of the very, very, very few evergreens that can handle zone 5 temperatures, a lot of shade, and soil that isn't acidic. As in I've spent more than ten years trying to find something else, and still haven't. It's not a trivial question. If you have acidic soil and wind protection, there are good alternatives, but you have to make that determination first, or you will just end up replanting the yews. Also, yews can be hard pruned and come back quite well. If cut into the non-green part, they will start growing there and fill out. |
|
- Posted by butterfly4u 8 (My Page) on Tue, Apr 26, 11 at 0:15
| Lindalu, Do you know someone with a pickup truck and a chain? Hint Hint. |
|
| as far as i can tell, they are yews. they are coming down today, for $100. i am planning on planting 2 hydrangeas, along with various shade loving woodland plants. i will also have a birdbath, hummingbird feeder and cutesy statues interspersed. hopefully, it will look as good as i plan for it. thanks to all of you, for your suggestions. ;) |
Please Note: Only registered members are able to post messages to this forum. If you are a member, please log in. If you aren't yet a member, join now!
Return to the Shrubs Forum
Instructions
- You must be a registered member and logged in to post messages on our forums.
- Posting is a two-step process. Once you have composed your message, you will be taken to the preview page. You will then have a chance to review the contents and make changes.
- After posting your message, you may need to refresh the forum page in order to see it.
- It is illegal to post copyrighted material without the owner's consent.
- HTML codes are allowed in the message field only.
- No advertising is allowed in any of the forums.
- If you would like to practice posting or uploading photos, please visit our Test forum.
- If you need assistance, please Contact Us and we will be happy to help.