tree/shrub roots

[Monkeyboy]

Hi,

I have cut down some really large shrubs that were in the garden and had outgrown their space. However I couldn't dig the roots out, they are just too big and after breaking a fork on them I gave up! Does anyone know what's the best way to get them out? Is there anything I can do to loosen them or get them to die back naturally? I've got some plants I'd like to put in the gaps but I can't do anything until I've sorted the roots out.

Thanks,

Monkeyboy

[CarolineG]

Hi,

Unless you're in a desperate hurry to get them out and are prepared to get a digger involved your best bet is to leave them for at least a couple of weeks. They should start to dry up and retract, making them looser and hopefully easier to shift. I think you might be able to buy some stuff which helps to kill off the root systems, so might be worth having a look in your local garden centre, otherwise it's brute force or a mini-digger to get rid of them once and for all.

Best of luck, and think of the gym membership you are saving while you toil in the garden!

CarolineG

[Monkeyboy]

Quick update - we managed to get all of the roots out eventually! I did leave them for about 3 weeks, and after a bout of rain they were definitely a lot looser. It was still a hard job to dig them out, but with two of us working on it and levering one side while cutting through the big tap roots on the other we finally got rid of them.

I've now planted some replacement shrubs in the spaces which will hopefully remain a more manageable size....

Cheers, Monkeyboy