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Shrubs and hedges can take up a lot of space in your yard, but if they lose their shape and beauty, or if you just want to open up your garden and make way for other plants, you may want to remove them. Because most shrubs are living at the roots and will recover, shrub removal is not as easy as chopping them down to the ground. The method of trimming old shrubs to foster new growth is known as rejuvenation pruning. To inhibit new growth, you must remove the shrub roots.
What could be better than sweating bullets in the blazing sun while attempting to remove a monstrously overgrown shrub from your lawn on a Sunday morning?
Anything would probably be preferable, but if you’re a homeowner, yard labour is one of those “joys” that comes with the territory. In reality, the average American spends 150 hours each year slaving away on his or her lawn. That’s about a week’s worth of yard labour, which is certainly more than some people spend on vacation.
Sure, you could hire someone to cut down overgrown plants or bushes in your yard, but I’d rather crawl through the dirt than go into my wallet. Plus, while yard work isn’t usually the most enjoyable exercise, it does provide a feeling of achievement, and it’s not nearly as difficult as it appears.
Follow the steps below to learn how to remove a shrub or bush from your yard. While you can do it alone, it will be much simpler (and faster) if you have one or two additional individuals to assist you.
To begin, drink a large glass of water. Then put your gloves on and use your forearm to clean your brow. Let out a sigh of relief: it’s time to go to work.
Cut the plant’s branches away using your reciprocating saw. While it’s tempting to start at the top and work your way down, especially if your bush is anything like the tangled mass of leaves that had engulfed the side of our house, it’s wiser to start from the bottom and work your way up. You’ll end up yanking and straining to tear a significant part of the bush free from the knotted web of branches if you try to slice it away.
Continue cutting the shrub down until just a few inches of stems are sticking through the ground. Keep a large rubbish pail handy so you can bag the branches as they are trimmed.
Begin digging up the earth around the remaining plant stump with your garden shovel. Continue digging until the plant’s roots are exposed. Remove as much dirt as possible from each root branch using your trowel.
Use either your handsaw or your reciprocating saw to cut through the root, depending on its thickness. Continue slicing your way around the plant stump until you think you’ve cut through all of the root branches.
To pull the plant stump free from the earth, dig beneath it with your garden shovel and push down on the handle. If you have someone with you, they can help pull the stump out by grasping the stems on top of it. If you don’t get to all of the root branches, withdraw your shovel, let the stump fall back into place, and then cut away at the remaining roots before attempting to pull it free again. Shovel the earth back into the hole once you’ve released the stump from the ground.
The guidelines for recycling in your township may be found on the website of your municipality. The trash collectors may take it up if you’re lucky. Because ours only accepts tiny, nicely wrapped bundles of branches, we just brought our four bags to the recycling centre and dropped everything.
Removing ancient, deep, and established roots is something you should consider doing with extra caution and care. You’re not only getting rid of an old, unattractive shrub, but you’re also making room for your new plants.
As you can see, depending on your scenario, both of these strategies are helpful. You must consider and select the most effective and appropriate method for you. If you need to remove a little deep-rooted shrub, you should dig it up manually and do all of the labour, but if it’s a large, old, and established deep-rooted bush, you should utilise your car.
If you’re in a rush to get new plants established and don’t have much time, the second approach is quick and easy. Plus, it’s less sloppy. In any case, the final effect would be the same: you’d have enough room for your new plants.
