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cotoneaster bush

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JEN22
JEN22 Posts: 612 Forumite
in Gardening
I have a Cotoneaster bush up the side of the house


want to remove it.


Does it have large roots?


Could I cut the stumps to ground level and then treat with something?

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  • andymandy
    andymandy Posts: 274 Forumite
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    I had a cotoneaster in my garden against a wall and I cut it down to about a foot off the ground. I dug a shallow trench round it and poured in SBK brushwood killer. It took a while and I'm not sure if you can get SBK now. I kept wriggling the trunk to loosen the soil until it finally came out
  • firefox1956
    firefox1956 Posts: 1,548 Forumite
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    I have a feeling SBK Brushwood Killer was banned a few years ago or one of its ingredients was.
    Oh tell a lie you can still buy it........
    http://www.vitax.co.uk/home-garden/sbk-brushwood-killer/
    HTH
  • JEN22
    JEN22 Posts: 612 Forumite
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    Thanks guys


    How long did it take to rot the roots
  • DaftyDuck
    DaftyDuck Posts: 4,609 Forumite
    Combo Breaker First Post First Anniversary
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    Most cotoneasters have fairly shallow roots, and they snap quite readily. With a bit of elbow grease, and preferably an old pair of secateurs or small saw, you should be able to hack off enough of the roots to be able o pull the root stump out. The stump itself will reshoot readily; the roots will not.
  • JEN22
    JEN22 Posts: 612 Forumite
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    Cant seem to pull the stump out at all
  • DaftyDuck
    DaftyDuck Posts: 4,609 Forumite
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    It's just brute force, helped by snipping roots/using a spade/pickaxe/handy friend....

    Like this!

    Hedge.jpg

    I'm halfway through getting this hedge out - determination is the key.

    Try and snip or saw through as many roots as you can. Whack away with a spade. saw through any other roots you expose. Use any kind of lever you have - spade, pickaxe, whatever. Just keep at it, and you'll win.

    By the way, I'm middle-aged, not large (to say the least), and not fit. The above just took perseverance and time!
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