Need bush removal advice

[spinbaby]

This morning I went out with a shovel, foolishly thinking I’d dig up that awkwardly placed lilac bush. Hah! That lilac was apparently planted when the house was built in 1928 and has a huge mass of impenetrable roots. I need something that will cut these roots, which are too awkwardly placed to just cut with a hand saw—no room, too close to the dirt—and too thick for nippers. What’s a good tool for this?

[Sherman A1]

1. A Saws All (Reciprocating Saw) with a 9inch pruning blade

If you don't have one, check your local Harbor Freight and pick up a pack of 9 inch pruning blades.

Use extra caution when using this type of tool as they can jump around a bit and go places not intended (such as legs and arms).

[underpants]

5. Yep. $25-30 at Harbor Freight.

My father in law and I had to replace the drainage for the kitchen sink a few years ago the day before Christmas. We were hosting. 95% gummed up galvanized pipe.

I used the saws all to chop down some bushes at our new house. They were taking up much of the side entrance. Saws all's are great.

[Rorey]

10. That's what I used to remove juniper bushes

The bushes were out of control, and I'm not a fan anyway. I just kept sawing and sawing. Then my then husband decided to "save me" and pull them out with his old Jeep Wagoneer. I can't remember what kind of damage he did to it. He had no patience. By the time we were done our entire large driveway (could park close to six cars) was filled with the bushes. I've never regretted my decision to get rid of them. I replaced them with boxwood shrubs. They're a whole lot easier to keep neat looking.

[safeinOhio]

2. Last week I removed a large very old one.

Folks next door were doing some back hoe work and were kind enough to dig it out with the bucket. I then hooked a chain to it dragged it into the far back yard with a 4X4 to be chopped up. Put an ad on Face Book for anyone that wanted some to come over and get all they wanted for free. One lady showed up and took 3 little shoots.

Good luck.

I needed the spot for a new building and still have 4 or 5 more on my 2 acres.

[Major Nikon]

3. A tree service with a stump grinder

Anything else is going to require a considerable amount of labor.

[dewsgirl]

4. This could have been a GD post from the 2000's.

[underpants]

6. Note - before you dig call your "Miss Utility"

That's what they call it in Virginia. 811. Make sure there's nothing in the area that you don't want to cut.

It may be axe time.

[Unbelievable]

7. The last time I wanted a Bush removed

I voted in a Clinton... . .






Sorry.

[safeinOhio]

8. You win.

[Botany]

9. Do you want to get rid of it or transplant it? I'm in the biz.

If you just want to get rid of it saw it off @ ground level and paint the cross section w/glyphosate
using a foam paint brush. If You don't want to use the chemical cover the stump w/black plastic and
then cover the plastic w/mulch or compost. If you want to remove the whole thing roots and all 3 ideas:

1) hire a landscaper

2) hire somebody with a small stump grinder

3) if you want to dig it out yourself get a good spade, some loppers, a pruning saw, a shovel,
an ax, and a wheel barrow. If you want you can transplant some roots and you can get a new lilac.
Give yourself time. It will be hard work.

[Rorey]

12. Question for the expert

I had some big trees cut down in front of a little rental house I own. My neighbor, who is in that "biz", sort of, did it and we decided together to go ahead and leave the stumps about three feet high because the house is on a corner and it's in an area where there are occasionally out-of-control drivers. (In fact, my last tenant's car was crashed into by a hit and run driver.) We figured maybe the stumps would be a bit of a protective barrier. Ideally I'd have some big boulders put in, but it's not in my budget right now. Tree removal was about $2,000 so it made quite a dent in my profit from that rental.

Anyway.....The roots on these large stumps are above ground and a mess. Is it possible to somehow remove a lot of them without taking out the stumps?

I really don't want to spend a whole lot more money on this place at this time. That last tenant died in the house and wasn't discovered for up to 10 days. It's been quite an experience getting that house back into pre-trauma condition so I can rent it out again.

[Botany]

13. Are the stumps in the lawn?

Any way you can post a picture of them? If you want send me a message through DU's pmial
and I could send you my email and you can send me a picture that way.

what part of the country do you live in?


Sometimes you can leave the old stumps and roots in place and they are very beneficial
to our native insects, birds, pollinators, and the environment.

BTW a good old saying, "the cheapest person spends the most to begin with."

[Rorey]

14. I'll try to remember to get a pic.

I'm in Colorado. The stumps are at the edge of the lawn, just past the sprinkler system.

Those trees had been a problem all along, but my then husband kept putting off removing them. We got divorced this year and after a very windy day some huge limbs crashed down. I had to pay to have that mess all chopped up and hauled away and decided that enough was enough, so I had the trees cut down. Even more important than the cost of the cleanup, I was afraid that someone would get hurt.

That old saying is so true. It was well worth the money, IMO, to prevent future problems and expenses. I'm pretty frugal. I am doing most of the reconstruction of that little rental to recoup my insurance deductible, and to save money overall. While I'm very sad that my favorite tenant died, and the entire experience has been a huge challenge, I'm learning a whole lot and becoming a stronger, better person.

[spinbaby]

15. That may be what I wind up doing

Black plastic and a lot of mulch.

[hibbing]

16. Enjoyed this dialogue n/t

[Ferrets are Cool]

11. Not one word FAC, not one word.