Tree destruction inc roots - best way?

Rosa_Damascena

As it says in the title. Is grinding a stump down enough to kill tree roots permanently or is some further measure required? I can't risk my new foundations being compromised by an errant vine.

FreeBear

Most trees will be dead once pruned at ground level. Grinding out the stump makes the job neater and reduces the risk of Honey Fungus taking hold.

There are one or two trees that will throw up suckers from the root - Lilac & False Acacia spring to mind. If you do get suckers popping up, they are easily knocked back with a sharp spade. Your tree surgeon will be able to advise if there is a chance of suckers sprouting from the roots.

Rosa_Damascena

The offending trees are beech and holly which is particularly problematic. Will grinding be enough?

The complicating factor is that they are on the other side of my fence so I won't see any signs of regrowth until the damage is done. So I need a solution that gets it right first time. 

koalakoala

I was told to put copper nails in the stump

Rosa_Damascena

Top Google hit when searching for "do copper na (ils kill trees)" reads thus:
Yes, friends, let an old Ranger reveal a terrible truth – copper nails do not kill trees. ... Driving a copper nail into a tree does nothing. You might kill a tree if you bought enough copper nails to make a pile big enough to hide the tree, but short of that you're wasting your time.25 Jun 2006

FreeBear

Rosa_Damascena said: The offending trees are beech and holly which is particularly problematic. Will grinding be enough?

I grubbed out a fairly mature holly last year and much of the root system was left in. Absolutely no sign of suckers popping up, so I think you'll be safe with that one.

Beech can propagate via suckers, but the root system is vulnerable to fungal attack. With the stump being ground out, that would expose fresh root and give any fungus an easy path of attack. So again, I don't think you need to worry about that one either.

Rosa_Damascena

Thanks FB. There is one other offender lurking in there on my side of the boundary: rhus. I didn't see it last year but it was a botheration the previous 2, hence I cut it back severely. Does that not spread from the roots?

TELLIT01

With the holly you will definitely need to get as much of the stump ground away as possible.  About 8 years ago we had a number of trees removed, including a holly.  We later discovered that the holly had actually been cut to ground level and the stump covered to hide it.  Long story short, we now have a holly tree about 10 feet tall which has regrown from the stump.

Rosa_Damascena

TELLIT01 said:

With the holly you will definitely need to get as much of the stump ground away as possible.  About 8 years ago we had a number of trees removed, including a holly.  We later discovered that the holly had actually been cut to ground level and the stump covered to hide it.  Long story short, we now have a holly tree about 10 feet tall which has regrown from the stump.

     
Am I the only one who frets about roots affecting their property? No one in their right mind actually plants a holly tree, I blame the previous owners who were bird lovers.

Apodemus

You could use a stump killer or plugs like these: https://www.green-tech.co.uk/weed-killer-and-pesticides/total-weed-control/ecoplug-max-tree-stump-killer  Not a cheap solution, though!

Grenage

Rosa_Damascena said:

     
Am I the only one who frets about roots affecting their property? No one in their right mind actually plants a holly tree, I blame the previous owners who were bird lovers.

It depends on the soil type to some degree.  I've got a holly tree about two and a half feet from my house, and two others little more than three.