Root to destruction

I passed my ex boses house today and found him with a bit of a problem. Actually a rather large problem.
I gotta larf....
First picture you can see the size of the 35 year old flowering cherry root that he planted...well, 35 years ago.
You can see the size of by the hammer resting on the trunk!
Three big problems Just to the right of the trunk and underneath is his house gas supply.
Check the big tap root going to the left and under his boundary.
Just there and underneath is his house water supply!


This second picture shows that tap root going under his fence and his neigbors concrete drive.. (Just look at the size of it!)

He was asking my advise......... I declined...and wished him luck.
robert

 

A tough job, but do-able. Good luck to him and whoever he gets in to give him a hand!! :D

 

Nasty..... No easy answer other than a hard day with a pick , bar and bow saw. A tirfor or jackle and ground anchor to put some tension on it and pull up or expose any roots directly underneath that cant be easily cut.

 

Awww, fun fun fun (joking joking). I had several stumps in this garden and one with huge roots like that ( a robinia, God help me). It was a whole week of fun with saw and hachet and every swear word ever invented in the italian language (it's a fruitful language for that). Best wishes.

 

Progress as of today. He is getting there!

 

Slow but sure he is getting there

 

Hopefully theyl be no vertical tap roots..... itll be satisfiyng once the last roots cut lol !!

 

Great job!!!

 

Scary, the neighbours at the back of us have a lovely cherry tree planted up right close to the fence.
we can already see one exposed root that always gets shaved by the lawnmower.
It's a way away from the house but makes me wonder if thsi is exhausting the nuterients from the soil in my vege. patch.

 

You are right to be concerned.
Many years ago I had one in my front lawn, and for years I was shaving the very shallow roots with the mower. It had to go before it got to big because it appeared one of the roots was heading for the house. This proved to be the case when I got around to removing it. the biggest root had reached the house.
robert