A gardening DIY question

Q 1 In next doors garden, right at the left hand side, at the bottom, is a tree, whose roots are pushing up the final 2 paving slabs of the path that runs to our back gate.

If I lift the paving, how can I cut back the roots to let the paving down a few inches to allow me to open the gate? I have already taken about 3 to 4 inches off the wooden gate.

Q 2 A similar problem, I have had some of those dreaded Leylandii cut down earlier this year and there are stumps about 2 to 3 inches sticking out of the ground (about 4 inches in diameter.) How can I cut these down, or should I just put a membrane down with pebbles on top to match the rest of the garden and let nature take its course?

Dave

Reply to
Dave
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I usually use a decent spade and a little effort.

To speed up the natural rotting process drill down into the stumps with a large drill bit, water will collect and hasten the job. I did this when I moved into my present address, 12 months later the stumps either crumbled or lifted with ease.

Reply to
Nitromax®

With an old saw and a sharp axe - the timber isn't very hard, although it usually clogs up the saw after a short while because of the high moisture content, which is where the axe comes in...

dig around each stump and cut off another 4 - 6 inches, then pull the soil over and wait for nature to take it's course, or you could split them with the axe first, which makes cutting them with the saw easier.

Reply to
Phil L

Trouble with that idea is that at my age, I don't have that much grunt for that amount of effort. :-(( I'm looking at reducing the thickness of the roots by about 4 to 6 inches. Still, I could get the *angle grinder* out to sharpen the spade and see what I can do. :-)

Thanks, I had over looked that. The man that cut them down said that they would rot readily.

Dave

Reply to
Dave

I like that :-) Thanks

Dave

Reply to
Dave

Stumps...

I pull out stumps with a winch, lots of digging and axing, and an aluminium scaffold bar for a handle (and best to leave 4 or 5 feet above ground to tie the cable to the top and get leverage (i learnt that by experience))

Some say if you cut it with a hollow in the stump then rain water collects there and helps it rot.

or drill a hole and pour in some Stump Killer chemical

Or as they say leave it underground and hope it doesnt spring back to life.

[g]
Reply to
george (dicegeorge)

I've seen pros use sds chisels to remove roots. It looked like hard work but at least you're not on your knees.

Reply to
Stuart Noble

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