Hedges - how to remove stumps

Okay, ongoing saga about the sister's new house...

Having got her central heating working, to a fashion, thanks to the help and advise from this group, attention has turned to the garden.

In its time, with the previous owner, the garden was revered as a place of beauty. The rear boundary was a fine example of hedgerow used to separate the neighbours. As is the way of the world, maintenance became a problem as the owner grew old, and the hedge fell into disrepair.

At the time that the owner died, the hedges were cut down by one neighbour to the extent that there is now only 12-18" of stump above ground. The hedges were obviously mature (the stumps are bloody thick) and closely spaced.

Sister wants to secure the property to allow her dogs to roam in the garden (the small enclosed "yard" is getting a bit deep in dog-shit, and she wants them to have greater freedom).

So, to the problem:

To fence in the garden requires the removal of all or part of the stumps.

To my mind, the easiest way would be to cut to ground level and using some chemical to kill the plant by pouring onto the remaining stump. The question is - is there any such chemical easily available?

The best, and by far the most difficult solution - to dig out the stumps, root and all. This is difficult since the neighbour has erected a series of rented-out garages along the property boundary. I'd expect the hedge roots to extend underneath the garages.

My sister is open to option 1 - to cut/kill roots, effectively loosing maybe 1ft/18" of the boundary and erecting a fence inwards of the property. Is this a sensible approach?

As the winter months close in, any opinion / experience would be gratefully received.

Mike

Reply to
Mike Dodd
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It depends on the size and agility of the dogs (mine would be adequately contained by the stumps!) but, if possible, I'd be tempted to put up temporary fencing and see what grew in the spring. Good hedges are nearly always better than fences and there may be some rapid growth that will form a good barrier. Removing tree stumps is a hell of a job and a long line of such *will* require far more power than you expect - think of tractors (plural). And you aren't likely to get any further with chemicals.

When was the hedge cut down? And try a gardening group (or Gardeners' Question Time!)

Reply to
John Cartmell

dog-shit, and

Sounds like your sister needs to invest in a shovel....

Reply to
:::Jerry::::

Why not just let the rented garage walls form a natural boundary and just fence along the sides for now ?

Reply to
Colin Wilson

Put a row of fenceposts down the hedgeline, (along the property boundary if possible), re-fence it, and allow the hedge to grow back again.

'Pigwire', from agricultural merchants, is probably the cheapest fencing. You can recognise it as having mainly large squares, but with small ones down the bottom (to stop piglets getting through). Pigwire is about 3ft high so you may need to overlap it if the dogs are agile.

Reply to
Tony Williams

In message , Mike Dodd writes

first question is the hedge regrowing again? If not then assuming it was cut at least a year ago the stumps are most likely conifer and are dead anyway. But yes to answer the second one you can get stuff to kill off cut the reaming stumps. Root out/Deep Root/SBK Brushwood Killer are names that spring to mind, dunno if they are all suitable though.

Yeah but you don't need to dig out that much of the root do you? how big are the stumps?

I guess so, are the garages continuos? could they act as the 'garden wall' - for now at least? Or if there are gaps could they be filled, fence over?

Reply to
chris French

The message from Tony Williams contains these words:

Personally I would go for the option that uses the back of the garages as part of the fencing.

I know that as sheep netting. Comes in 50 metre rolls. Can't see any particular reason why it can't be fixed directly to the back of the garages and with 50m to play with there should be enough to give 2 runs and double the nominal height.

Reply to
Roger

...and use it on the dogs.

Reply to
Matt

If it is recorded I would merely put the fencewire down the legal boundary. Bum cover in case of future disputes. That might (or might not) be directly at the back of the garages.

Walking the parish I like to clock who has fitted it upside down, not realising what the smaller holes are for.

Reply to
Tony Williams

Hi,

Try asking on and googling the archives of misc.rural

cheers, Pete.

Reply to
Pete C

I have used sodium chlorate to kill stumps up to 30cm across. Drill large downward sloping holes using a flat drill about wine cork size. Spoon in some crystals and cork up. Leave for six months. Small stumps are usually rotted by then and can be kicked over and out. Reminds me that I've got a couple to do.

BTW don't ask for sugar at the same time as the chlorate!! Remember that the Whitehall mafia just passed the 28 day law.

Peter Scott

Reply to
Peter Scott

The message from Tony Williams contains these words:

And their farm gates? :-)

Reply to
Roger

Hmmm, but that'd shift the stumps, though :)

Reply to
Mike Dodd

In article , Mike Dodd writes

This would be my choice but would be a lot of work, appropriate tools would be spade, pickaxe & (best of all) mattock:

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Reply to
fred

:--)

Reply to
Tony Williams

options - in no order

1) grind them down - local tree surgeion will do this for you 2) dig a hole by hand, and hack them out 3) tie 4x4 to the stump and drive - the roots may be too big for this 4) mini digger - the most fun option. 5) put a rockery over the top

Rick

Reply to
Rick

If the roots/stumps are still "live" and assuming the hedge formed the boundary line, then simply drive posts in the hedge line in approprate gaps. Stretch a taught wire at suitable heights between them to form a support for a netting fence which you should erect as accurately as possible to keep to the line. On the protected side (away from the dogs) plant 12" to 18" Hawthorn rooted cuttings (obtainable from a local garden centre or Henleys, Market Weighton, near York. The netting will provide short term enclosure and the replacement hedge will grow over a few years to form a sound and secure boundary. Alternative varieties of hedging may also be employed but for security something with sharp bits is best. Holly (slow to establish), Blackthorn, etc. a garden centre can give advice here but avoid dogwood as its a swine to keep in shape when it gets going

Reply to
John

Thanks to all who've replied, I'll pass the options on to my sister.

Regards

Mike

Reply to
Mike Dodd

| > If the roots/stumps are still "live" and assuming the hedge formed the | > boundary line, then simply drive posts in the hedge line in approprate gaps.

Killing live roots/stumps is not difficult. Cut down to a little above ground level with a more or less horizontal cut. Drill as many large holes as you can in the stumps. Fill the holes with garden soil, and let the bacteria/fungi do the work. If any shoots appear next year, use glyphosate.

Reply to
Dave Fawthrop

If any shoots appear next year it will indicate that you really should have give the hedge the chance to be a proper hedge again. ;-(

Reply to
John Cartmell

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