Anyone know about Leylandi?
Question:I've just cut down 3 leylandi trees in my garden to stumps about 6 inches out of the ground. What sort of job am I looking at to dig up the roots? The trunks are 3 - 4 inches across and the trees were about 6 feet tall.
Answers:
3-4 inches across... shouldn't be a problem.
You'll need a mattock an axe and preferably a fencing crowbar with a chisel end.
What you want to do is dig around the roots working backwards with a mattock or spade and cut the roots as you go. Cut a long enough section of the root off for you to be able to get the spade or mattock in deeper to the next roots down and repeat.
I know it's a bit a late now, but it would have been better to have left the stem in place so that you could lever it back and forwards. Your weight leaning on the stem as you cut the roots is the best tool you have.
Basically dig around the stump. Expose the roots. Cut the roots with an axe or mattock spike and then dig further down and cut as you go. A big crowbar underneath can help lever it out.
It's hard work, but rewarding.
Keep digging good for you cutting them down. The should be banned.
An incredibly difficult task to dig up roots like this without specialist machinery. I'd cut the stumps down as near as possible to the ground, criss cross cut them, and leave them to rot.
ps. I'll have the logs for my fire if you like!
At least you will be extremely fit at the end of the job! Seriously, the roots are not very deep but they will extend for a long way horizontally (hence they are a major cause of house subsidence). It's a pity you chopped them to 6" off ground as a taller stump can be used as a lever to rock the root ball ~ never mind as the deed is done.
Good luck
Your basically want to dig about 1ft minimum fo the roots.
Hope this helps!!
you didn`t say why you cut them down;if it`s to plant something there instead,dig as much of the soil away around the roots,and cut through the thick "tap-roots" and (hopefully) remove the stump.Any remainig roots will rot away in time.
try drilling a hole in the stumps an fill the hole with strong bleach they should away in time
almost impossible to remove bu digging,just let nature do it's thing..
You should have left some trunk as a leaver, never mind try acquiring a long strong crowbar, poke it under the roots and place a slab under it to lever out the root.
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