I have a large area of bushes, which I've chopped down with a brush cutter. I'm now left with the roots and stubble. The trunks of the bushes were up to an inch thick, and there are lots clumped together in places. What's the easiest way to get rid of it all so I can plant a lawn? I know there's "roundup root killer", but presumably it would take years to rot afterwards. I know there's a thing called a stump grinder I could hire, but all the ones I've seen around here have a vertical blade which doesn't look like it's suited to cutting lots of roots, more for a big stump. I was looking for a machine like the one in method 2 of 4, he http://www.wikihow.com/Remove-Tree-Stumps

On 01/09/2015 15:53, Tough Guy no. 1265 wrote:
I have a large area of bushes, which I've chopped down with a brush
cutter. I'm now left with the roots and stubble. The trunks of the
bushes were up to an inch thick, and there are lots clumped together in
places. What's the easiest way to get rid of it all so I can plant a
lawn?

Time and/or a large amount of effort with a scaffold pole and fulcrum.
It would have been a lot easier if you had left a 3-4' thick stem on
each bush to use as a lever after digging down with spade and fork.

I know there's "roundup root killer", but presumably it would
take years to rot afterwards. I know there's a thing called a stump
grinder I could hire, but all the ones I've seen around here have a
vertical blade which doesn't look like it's suited to cutting lots of
roots, more for a big stump. I was looking for a machine like the one
in method 2 of 4, he http://www.wikihow.com/Remove-Tree-Stumps

You can drill in load it with potassium nitrate and wait for it to rot.

--
Regards,
Martin Brown

On Tue, 01 Sep 2015 16:38:18 +0100, Martin Brown wrote:

On 01/09/2015 15:53, Tough Guy no. 1265 wrote:
I have a large area of bushes, which I've chopped down with a brush
cutter. I'm now left with the roots and stubble. The trunks of the
bushes were up to an inch thick, and there are lots clumped together in
places. What's the easiest way to get rid of it all so I can plant a
lawn?

Time and/or a large amount of effort with a scaffold pole and fulcrum.
It would have been a lot easier if you had left a 3-4' thick stem on
each bush to use as a lever after digging down with spade and fork.

I'm looking for a mechanised easy way, there are perhaps 50 bushes.

I know there's "roundup root killer", but presumably it would
take years to rot afterwards. I know there's a thing called a stump
grinder I could hire, but all the ones I've seen around here have a
vertical blade which doesn't look like it's suited to cutting lots of
roots, more for a big stump. I was looking for a machine like the one
in method 2 of 4, he http://www.wikihow.com/Remove-Tree-Stumps

You can drill in load it with potassium nitrate and wait for it to rot.

I don't want to wait for rotting.

I do have the brush cutter which may allow me to chop down into the root a bit. As long as it goes below ground level, anything trying to sprout up later will be cut by the lawn mower.

On Tue, 01 Sep 2015 16:48:00 +0100, Martin wrote:

On Tue, 01 Sep 2015 16:40:12 +0100, "Tough Guy no. 1265" wrote:

On Tue, 01 Sep 2015 16:38:18 +0100, Martin Brown wrote:

On 01/09/2015 15:53, Tough Guy no. 1265 wrote:
I have a large area of bushes, which I've chopped down with a brush
cutter. I'm now left with the roots and stubble. The trunks of the
bushes were up to an inch thick, and there are lots clumped together in
places. What's the easiest way to get rid of it all so I can plant a
lawn?

Time and/or a large amount of effort with a scaffold pole and fulcrum.
It would have been a lot easier if you had left a 3-4' thick stem on
each bush to use as a lever after digging down with spade and fork.

I'm looking for a mechanised easy way, there are perhaps 50 bushes.

Rent a mechanical excavator.

What, like a JCB? That seems a bit over the top. Would a stump grinder accept bush roots or does it only like big solid stumps?

On 01/09/2015 16:40, Tough Guy no. 1265 wrote:
On Tue, 01 Sep 2015 16:38:18 +0100, Martin Brown
wrote:

On 01/09/2015 15:53, Tough Guy no. 1265 wrote:
I have a large area of bushes, which I've chopped down with a brush
cutter. I'm now left with the roots and stubble. The trunks of the
bushes were up to an inch thick, and there are lots clumped together in
places. What's the easiest way to get rid of it all so I can plant a
lawn?

Time and/or a large amount of effort with a scaffold pole and fulcrum.
It would have been a lot easier if you had left a 3-4' thick stem on
each bush to use as a lever after digging down with spade and fork.

I'm looking for a mechanised easy way, there are perhaps 50 bushes.

I know there's "roundup root killer", but presumably it would
take years to rot afterwards. I know there's a thing called a stump
grinder I could hire, but all the ones I've seen around here have a
vertical blade which doesn't look like it's suited to cutting lots of
roots, more for a big stump. I was looking for a machine like the one
in method 2 of 4, he http://www.wikihow.com/Remove-Tree-Stumps

You can drill in load it with potassium nitrate and wait for it to rot.

I don't want to wait for rotting.

I do have the brush cutter which may allow me to chop down into the root
a bit. As long as it goes below ground level, anything trying to sprout
up later will be cut by the lawn mower.


You don't say what sort of bushes you cleared.

On Tue, 01 Sep 2015 17:14:20 +0100, Chris Hogg wrote:

On Tue, 01 Sep 2015 15:53:10 +0100, "Tough Guy no. 1265"
wrote:

I have a large area of bushes, which I've chopped down with a brush cutter. I'm now left with the roots and stubble. The trunks of the bushes were up to an inch thick, and there are lots clumped together in places. What's the easiest way to get rid of it all so I can plant a lawn? I know there's "roundup root killer", but presumably it would take years to rot afterwards. I know there's a thing called a stump grinder I could hire, but all the ones I've seen around here have a vertical blade which doesn't look like it's suited to cutting lots of roots, more for a big stump. I was looking for a machine like the one in method 2 of 4, he http://www.wikihow.com/Remove-Tree-Stumps

You need a grub axe, grub hoe or mattock. Something like this
http://tinyurl.com/ox2kvgk or this http://oi41.tinypic.com/2qnd1d1.jpg
or this http://tinyurl.com/p75jq8n . A few quick swings and the roots
of shrubs of the size you describe are soon removed.

Thanks, that sounds like a possibility.

On Tue, 01 Sep 2015 17:46:48 +0100, David Hill wrote:

On 01/09/2015 16:40, Tough Guy no. 1265 wrote:
On Tue, 01 Sep 2015 16:38:18 +0100, Martin Brown
wrote:

On 01/09/2015 15:53, Tough Guy no. 1265 wrote:
I have a large area of bushes, which I've chopped down with a brush
cutter. I'm now left with the roots and stubble. The trunks of the
bushes were up to an inch thick, and there are lots clumped together in
places. What's the easiest way to get rid of it all so I can plant a
lawn?

Time and/or a large amount of effort with a scaffold pole and fulcrum.
It would have been a lot easier if you had left a 3-4' thick stem on
each bush to use as a lever after digging down with spade and fork.

I'm looking for a mechanised easy way, there are perhaps 50 bushes.

I know there's "roundup root killer", but presumably it would
take years to rot afterwards. I know there's a thing called a stump
grinder I could hire, but all the ones I've seen around here have a
vertical blade which doesn't look like it's suited to cutting lots of
roots, more for a big stump. I was looking for a machine like the one
in method 2 of 4, he http://www.wikihow.com/Remove-Tree-Stumps

You can drill in load it with potassium nitrate and wait for it to rot.

I don't want to wait for rotting.

I do have the brush cutter which may allow me to chop down into the root
a bit. As long as it goes below ground level, anything trying to sprout
up later will be cut by the lawn mower.


You don't say what sort of bushes you cleared.

I don't know what they're called, as it wasn't me who planted them. They were 3 or 4 foot tall, slow growing (about a foot a year), might have got taller if they weren't trimmed annually. At the base the trunks were an inch thick.

On 01/09/2015 17:59, Tough Guy no. 1265 wrote:

/Remove-Tree-Stumps

You need a grub axe, grub hoe or mattock. Something like this
http://tinyurl.com/ox2kvgk or this http://oi41.tinypic.com/2qnd1d1.jpg
or this http://tinyurl.com/p75jq8n . A few quick swings and the roots
of shrubs of the size you describe are soon removed.

Thanks, that sounds like a possibility.

+1 for a mattock
Mine was purchased from toolsatan

http://tinyurl.com/pkx3fzx

As the description says: "Horizontal chisel end for grubbing, vertical
chisel end for chopping."

I've had mine for a couple of years but its something I wish I'd known
about decades ago. It will still be hard work but a LOT easier than any
other man effort method I've tried for getting medium size shrubs out of
the ground.

You will find it easier if you sharpen the business end of the blade.

--
mailto: news {at} admac {dot] myzen {dot} co {dot} uk

On 02/09/2015 19:04, alan_m wrote:


You will find it easier if you sharpen the business end of the blade.


http://www3.telus.net/shebang/mattock.html

--
mailto: news {at} admac {dot] myzen {dot} co {dot} uk

A Mattock... Had one for years which I inherited from my father. Must be close on a hundred years old. Worth its weight in gold. Need to keep the cutting edges sharp and there shouldn't be any trouble cutting through those small roots.

From: "Chris Hogg"

On Tue, 01 Sep 2015 15:53:10 +0100, "Tough Guy no. 1265"
wrote:

I have a large area of bushes, which I've chopped down with a brush cutter. I'm now left with the roots and stubble. The trunks of the bushes were up to an inch thick, and there are lots clumped together in places. What's the easiest way to get rid of it all so I can plant a lawn? I know there's "roundup root killer", but presumably it would take years to rot afterwards. I know there's a thing called a stump grinder I could hire, but all the ones I've seen around here have a vertical blade which doesn't look like it's suited to cutting lots of roots, more for a big stump. I was looking for a machine like the one in method 2 of 4, he http://www.wikihow.com/Remove-Tree-Stumps

You need a grub axe, grub hoe or mattock. Something like this
http://tinyurl.com/ox2kvgk or this http://oi41.tinypic.com/2qnd1d1.jpg
or this http://tinyurl.com/p75jq8n . A few quick swings and the roots
of shrubs of the size you describe are soon removed.

I've got myself a brush cutter and changed the blade on the end to something like you'd see on a bench saw, and removed the safety guard. Oh my god it cuts through anything!

--
What's a Scotsman's cure for seasickness?
He hangs his head over the side of the boat with a pound coin between his teeth!

On Sunday, 4 October 2015 16:09:38 UTC+1, Tough Guy no. 1265 wrote:

I've got myself a brush cutter and changed the blade on the end to
something like you'd see on a bench saw, and removed the safety guard.
Oh my god it cuts through anything!

Legs, fingers, structural timbers, necks, dogs, fenceposts, family members...

On Fri, 09 Oct 2015 09:31:46 +0100, wrote:

On Sunday, 4 October 2015 16:09:38 UTC+1, Tough Guy no. 1265 wrote:

I've got myself a brush cutter and changed the blade on the end to
something like you'd see on a bench saw, and removed the safety guard.
Oh my god it cuts through anything!

Legs, fingers, structural timbers, necks, dogs, fenceposts, family members...

It did take down fence posts easily. Just don't stand next to me while I'm doing it, as if it jams, the thing flicks to the right.

--
Ederacinism - sexual pleasure derived from the thought of tearing out one's sex organs by the roots.