I cut down a redbud shurb. How do I kill the roots? It is to close to the house to set on fire?
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Answers:
cut criss crosses into the base and drill a couple of holes. spray heavily with roundup.
Did the shrub have a main stem, like a trunk? If it did, this will work. Go to a hardware store or buiding supply store and ask for a few copper nails (these are used for nailing flashing on copper roofing). Drive a few copper nails into the stump where you cut it. i don't know the science behind it, but the copper is toxic to the plant. The stump, along with the roots, will die, and you should be able to take it out with a shovel within a year or so.
You may have already killed the roots, although some plants have a pretty hardy nature. If it not among other plants that you don't want to lose you can dump regular table salt on the stump and surrounding soil. Desolve it in some water and pour around the stump. Salting the ground can kill other plants and grass in the area, so use this as a last resort and be prepared for a dead area. There are also commercial stump removal products, but they are aimed at tree size stumps. If the roots are close to the surface, rake back as much soil as you can then use a small saw or pruning loppers to cut roots around the main or taproot. This is the safest and usually works. Rake the soil back and water for a couple of weeks to make sure the root doesn't start growing again.
Use a vegetation killer.
Drill a hole into the center and pour straight round up into the root.
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