Either dig around it and grub out the roots with an axe, or get an excavator. It would have been easier to remove by hand if you had left some stem to lever it out with. The internet thinks they have shallow roots, so it might not be as bad as you think.
jock_fae_leith
Mattock. Don’t hit your shins.
trailoftears123
Although they look formidable-they are actually much easier than say a cherry laurel (total bar-stewards).
With a clump like that,just start attacking it with a mattock from the outer edges-it will come out stump by stump. A large fencing bar is also helpful to do some prying and give leverage too.
gentle_gardener
Even after you remove the bulk of roots, you’ll need to continue to hack back any new sprouts that will grow from pieces of roots left. This is why they’re so invasive in our woodlands.
4 Comments
Either dig around it and grub out the roots with an axe, or get an excavator. It would have been easier to remove by hand if you had left some stem to lever it out with. The internet thinks they have shallow roots, so it might not be as bad as you think.
Mattock. Don’t hit your shins.
Although they look formidable-they are actually much easier than say a cherry laurel (total bar-stewards).
With a clump like that,just start attacking it with a mattock from the outer edges-it will come out stump by stump. A large fencing bar is also helpful to do some prying and give leverage too.
Even after you remove the bulk of roots, you’ll need to continue to hack back any new sprouts that will grow from pieces of roots left. This is why they’re so invasive in our woodlands.