Semi-new homeowner looking for advice! We have these incredibly annoying Holly bushes that basically separate our back patio area from the rest of our yard. Presumably they were for privacy but we’re installing a fence tomorrow so that’s not an issue anymore. There’s a few reasons I hate these :
1) we have a toddler who now thinks it’s funny to pretend to eat the (what I have learned are) toxic berries because I told him not to
2) these leaves hurt
3) I have to go outside at night now to see if there’s a deer or something before I let my dog go pee, because I can’t see past the bushes!
We have a landscaper for clean up and mowing, etc, who said he would just cut them as short as they can go with a sawzall and put mulch, because he has no idea how deep the roots are (they’ve clearly been here for a while). I actually have a sawzall, am I crazy to attempt this myself? Am I devaluing my house by getting rid of these 4?
by AdventurousFish2920
9 Comments
a chain saw. Do I win?
Two ways to get rid of them, I’m sure you can figure this out. Cut them down or rip them out.
Cut them back then loosen up the soil and attach to a truck and yank ‘em out. No truck, start digging.
I agree. Cut them a short as possible. Then mulch the area. If you don’t like it after a year remove it.
I’d cut them off but leave about 24″ of trunk to work with, then dig/chop/pull the stumps out.
Water very good day before . Then cut off all the limbs leave the center trunk one alone . Peel back the soil above and around the roots . Cut the roots back with electric saws all. Take your center trunk and rock it back fouth . Cut the rest of roots your done .
Trim with loppers as much as possible. Use a pruning saw (or sawzall) for branches the loppers won’t get. Removing the stump is the only hard part and there are quite a few options for that. Dig a 1-2ft radius around the stump as much as you can. Use a sawzall to cut away all roots. Pry and dig out stump with shovel or pick axe. If that doesn’t work you can try a truck chain to pull it out. If that’s not an option you use a stump killer which will completely kill it and accelerate decomposition
Flame or Farthower
By keeping them. Trim and train