Topic: Advice Please

[Hosta]

We have had two conifer trees cut down but the roots and stump are still there. They were very close to front wall and its difficult to dig them out. Was thinking we could cut the stump down so it wasnt above the soil and kill the roots. How do you kill the roots? Do the roots need killing? We plan to lay turf over where they were, will this work? Nothing grew beneath them before - apart from jaggy weeds !!
These trees has been in ground about 16yrs and were fairly large - not sure of the size of roots.

Your advice would be appreciated, thanks.

[shirlton]

You can buy a tree stump killer that you paint on. Wether or not it will kill large conifer roots I don't know. Someone else will probably be more helpful.

[Tee Gee]

A few years ago I was faced with the same problem and what I did was to plant a shrub as close as I could to the stump which was cut down to ground level.

This is that shrub now!



If this had failed I had planned on sitting a planter on the stump and making a feature of it.

Perhaps you can think along these lines until it rots away on its own accord!

[steve76]

Get down to your local hire centre and hire a stump grinder......... that will work ;)

[Baccy Man]

A conifer would not normally regrow once it has been cut down to ground level so no need to kill the roots. If you want to remove the stumps you may have to invest in a wire saw or a hand chainsaw to cut through the roots to avoid damage to the wall.

[Hosta]

I know I wouldnt get anything planted near the stump, the roots are solid.

Was thinking if we got the stump cut to below ground level and severed the roots and then just left them in and put a layer of say 2 or 3 inches of soil over them that laying turf over the whole thing may work ?  What does anyone think of that crazy plan ?

Failing that, its gonna just have to be the hard way and getting out the saw/axe/chemicals etc  :-\

[Bjerreby]

You didn't tell us how close to the ground they are cut Hosta.

You can always use stumps as a feature. I grow sweet peas up an old pear tree stump, and I think it is very appealing combining the new, the old, and the dead.

[Hosta]

Sorry - at the moment the stump is about 3ft tall.  We left it that height thinking we could maybe put rope round it and tie to motor and pull it out LOL - think it would prob just pull the wall over with it !!

[Palustris]

Axe, saw, sharp spade and sweat (probably a bit of blood too!). Been there done that, hard work. Dig, cut, rock until stump is out, forget about the small roots.

[Kepouros]

A method that we used to use in my youth, and speed was not of the essence, was to cut off the stump at ground level, and then drill as many holes as possible downwards as deeply as  possible.  These were then filled with sodium chlorate to which just enough water was added to dissolve it  The holes were topped up again the same way at regular intervals for up to a year, when a small fire was lit on top of the stump, and stump and main roots slowly burned away.

Mind you, it`s quite possible that EU have made sodium chlorate completely uninflammable by now, or that it`s been banned by `Elf and Safety, or (worse) made the subject of a stealth tax.

[landimad]

We had a 35footer in the garden and this was a blighter to shift.
The roots spread for about ten feet out and the tap root went down a good 10 to 15 feet. Grubbing out was the only way to be sure that we got all of it out.

[Heartysoup]

I'm in a simliar situation to Hosta, but mine's a Silver Birch of about 30ft.

So, is it okay to leave a stump and roots ?  Has this got any Honey Fungus implications ?

[Tee Gee]

Mind you, it`s quite possible that EU have made sodium chlorate completely uninflammable by now, or that it`s been banned by `Elf and Safety, or (worse) made the subject of a stealth tax.

It is to be banned in 2010

[GrannieAnnie]

If they're cedar trees you can wait til doomsday and the trunk and roots will still be there.
We took one down 20 years ago and the roots are still intact.

I like the root grinding method best.