Stump removal + new trees

Hi - I recently felled 5 leylandii trees which were growing in a row by a boundary in my garden with the plan to manure the soil, leave that particular patch of land to rest over winter, and then plant some saplings of different types of smaller trees next year.

I paid a reputable company to come and remove the stumps but they have left great big roots in the soil maybe 5" from the surface and it's impossible to dig in the manure properly.

Does anyone know if this is normal and or whether I should expect them to remove the larger roots.

Also, does anyone know if saplings will grow where there are still large roots from the trees before. Will the roots rot down quickly or will they be there for a good while? What can I do to encourage the roots to break down?

Thanks!

 

Hi Rider

When I moved into my current house, I had some small to medium trees felled and the stumps ground out. Grinding the stumps prevents the tree from sprouting again and removes any signs of the stump but the root systems are still there underground. I think that's normal unless you specify a more radical approach e.g. to have the stumps winched out or dug out with an excavator, depending on size, Even then, some roots would remain because they're so extensive and it'll be years before they rot away.

I'm afraid you've got quite a bit of extra work to clear a space for your new trees.

 

Sorry Rider, I don't think you can expect the company to remove the roots unless it was specified in the contract. The job would probably involve the use of heavy earth moving equipment and digging up the whole area with a JCB or similar. The roots will take years to break down and rot enough to be diggable.
We had a similar situation and just had to get round it by digging about to find pockets that were diggable between roots and planting there. Everything couldn't go in the spaces we had earmarked for them but it worked well enough. Good luck.

 

Hi Rider.

When I last dug along the bed next to the dreaded Leylandii, I decided I'd had enough of roots getting in the way, so I chopped them off. Obviously I didn't get them all, as some will be ver deep and some will be in next door's (neglected) garden.

It was hard work but it only took me a day. Armed with a good saw for the chunky roots, and a pair of beefy tree loppers for everything less than about 3 inches think, and a spade to expose them, off I went. I dug to expose the roots, dug along them following them out from the tree, chopped it off at the tree end, then using brute force and ignorance I just dragged them out. Even though I'd dug the soil off them, it is still a bit of an effort because fibrous roots still lead off it into the soil. Hard work in the short term but it's saved me a lot of effort going forward because I no longer have to keep digging round them.

 

get one of these http://www.toolstation.com/shop/Gro...attock+Head+227kg+Grubbing/d250/sd3179/p89960

and you will get through the roots.

The mattock has a curved blade for digging and the axe blade for cutting. an essential tool.

I would also suggest safety boots and goggles

 

Hi rider we had a large Tree removed this year and what everyone said above is spot on.. We used (or hub did) chopping axe, Spade, Saw's, anything that was bad enough to chop those Mothers up
When we couldn't get the Big Babies out we called for help..






Good Luck and happy gardening

 

OOOOH! Has bean, the Mattock, one of my most favourite tools. Providing you keep the blades sharp. and I mean sharp, and manage not to hit any bricks or concrete - I've done both - it'll chop through roots beautifully. Not quite like a knife through butter, but close to. It's hard on the back, makes you sweat but is by far the best way to get stubborn roots out. That and a sharp spade to expose them and you're away.

Good luck rider:gnthb:.

Chris

 

Its also a good way to maintain muscle tone. When I used to do lots of pickaxing when I was a bit younger I was never as fit and strong before or since

I have a couple of words of warning about using picks and mattocks though for anyone who hasn't used one though. Firstly, and this one is important, they can bounce if you hit something hard but springy, like a part dislodged tree root. If like me you swing them up and over head height on the stroke, you should always come down at a slight angle so that any rebound doesn't take the axe straight to your head. I.e the line on the downward stroke should lead more or less from your right shoulder (assuming you're right handed) to in front of your feet, so that any rebound takes it past your left shoulder rather to your head. The other thing that would make me reluctant to use one in the garden close to the house is that I don't know where or how far down the drains and water pipes are, although I think its a safe bet that they are not in the roots of established trees

 

Jings Clueless. that's brilliant :lollol:
Somewhere in another world I gained an elementary pass in mechanics
I knew nothing about it but just applied a formula and Voila :D
I'm trying to visualise the formula for your description :flag:
But well done, I'm sure it's a pass :D

 

Hey guys - thanks for all your replies - they have helped alleviate my disappointment that I'd had half a job done. I guess it's just a case of getting on with the job. My boyfriend actually broke his grubbing mattock trying to get out the roots and now we're down to using axes and trying to dig around the roots with a spade. See pic:



Thanks again,

Claire

 

I remember a Garfield cartoon pic on the wall of our physics lab back in my school days. The illustration showed Garfield serving a tennis ball at a brick wall, and the ball comes stright back and gives him a black eye. The caption read "Every action has an equal and opposite reaction".

I also remember hitting a persistent Gorse root with my pickaxe, being tired at the time and losing my strength and concentration a bit. I came straight down, breaking my own rule, with the rebound nearly braking my head. Luckily I managed to get my head out the way, but I could easily have ended up with the pointy end of the pick stuck in my head. That would be an embarrassing way to die:(

 

:gnthb:

Ahem. Stump grinding is an optional extra when it comes to tree work and can be costly. As stated previously unless it was specifically part of the job spec then you won't be seeing the firm again anytime soon.

Nope, there's nothing like digging out the everspreading and everpresent leylandii roots. if I were you I'd plant elsewhere until the root has been cut out/rotted away/been blown out.

 

Just wanted to let you guys know the outcome. The company came back a third time this week and ground out many of the larger roots. I've been out this afternoon and have been able to dig some manure in. There are still some roots left of but I'd say that from the surface down, there's probably a foot of soil/manure/small wood chippings

So now to choose those replacement trees ...