Is unnecessary tree vegetation hindering your garden plans, causing you to have to remove tree roots? Find out below how you can do this without professional help!
If you want to remove tree roots for future landscaping or other reasons, there are a few ways to do so. On a property it often happens that root trees or tree stumps block garden paths or become an irritating sight. Although trees are essential elements in the garden for living things as well as natural oxygen producers, sooner or later they dry out and rot. Additionally, an old tree stump can attract unwanted pests to the garden. Fortunately, you don't have to be a professional to complete this seemingly difficult task. Here is a simple guide that can help you get rid of such obstacles in the garden area.
What should you consider before removing a tree root?
Although the tree canopy can also be problematic, most concerns relate to how to remove the tree root. If the area of your site allows, you can eliminate the tree's root system using special equipment. However, your garden shouldfull of cropsIf you have to remove a heavily branched tree root, alternative methods should be used. For this purpose you should first use thefelling tree, as deep as possible to make removal of its root system easier. Before you do this, you should do some intermediate work:
- Determine the age of the tree – This is the first and most important step that helps better locate the location of the root system. The roots of trees that are, for example, 10 years old are 4 meters in diameter. Logically, the workload increases with older root systems.
- Recognize the type of tree – The second equally important step is to identify the type of treetree stump to be removedor the tree to be felled. For example, mountain ash can develop fewer lateral roots than oak, making it easier for you to remove such tree roots.
- Try to keep access to the tree clear to make your job easier. Make room for special equipment when doing tree root removal with a pulley.
What Common Tree Root Removal Methods Can You Use?
The root system of a tree can reach a diameter of up to 9 meters. In addition, this can make the garden soil unsuitable for new plants. This is because old roots clog it and only allow weeds to grow. Allowing the tree stump to rot on its own with its roots is not a rational idea. This may take a few years, even if you speed up the process. Therefore, to get more usable space, it is important to do it right by considering the following options.
Burn the tree stump and remove its tree root
This is one of the quickest and easiest methods that requires little effort. However, you may not be allowed to do this, although it is important to be aware of any potential dangers. Tree stumps are usually dry, which is why their roots can quickly ignite and spread the fire to surrounding garden areas or buildings. This is especially true if the combustion occurs in dry, windy weather.
- Talk to your neighbors first to prevent any risks and inform the relevant authorities about your plans.
- Then, get a large and unusable metal basin or trough when removing a tree root so that the burn cannot cause damage.
- Drill a small hole in the upper part of the tank for ventilation and oxygen supply and cover the stump with it.
- Light the wood and ensure that the glowing remains of the tree do not reach outside the perimeter to prevent possible fire hazards.
Dig up the root system and uproot the tree stump by soaking in with a pulley
Another option is to make a trench around the root system. This should look like a circle with the appropriate circumference. However, for this method, depending on the extent, you will need physical strength and possibly helpers to swing the tree stump and cut off the bare roots with an axe.
- If it is impossible to remove the tree stump using human power, you can create a backwater drain or a drainage ditch in the garden.
- You can then insert the mouth directly under the tree stump.
- After a while, try to move the stump with intense movements to expose the roots. The water should run over the entire area.
- Only after you have exposed the side roots can you remove the tree root, although you can also use a crowbar.
- In addition, it can be much easier to excavate the stump using a special pulling device or a pulley. However, you may need a tractor for this, as this would probably not work with a car.
- You may also be able to hire a service provider for this purpose, as such companies have suitable clearance vehicles. Costs may arise when removing tree roots in this way.
Can a tree root be removed with salt?
Another tried and tested method is to use salt to remove moisture from the tree stump. This allows you to accelerate the drying out and therefore the death of the stump with the root system attached to it.
- The disadvantage of this approach is that salt remains in the soil for a very long time and can spread to other areas of the garden after rainfall. This could accordingly damage other garden plants.
- However, you can minimize the risk of collateral damage by drilling vertical holes in the stump and sprinkling the salt into each hole.
Can you remove the tree root with vinegar or use magnesium sulfate?
Acetic acid also acts as a drying agent and, in contrast to salt, is kinder to the environment. However, to enhance the effect of using vinegar, you may need to use the home remedy several times to completely get rid of the roots.
- Try this method by pouring distilled white vinegar directly onto the freshly cut part of the stump.
- Otherwise, like the salt method, you can drill vertical holes at the top when the stump is dry. However, when watering, make sure nothing gets onto neighboring plants.
- When it comes to Epsom salt or magnesium sulfate, this product is even more environmentally friendly than vinegar or normal salt. Simply spread large amounts of it on the top and around the roots of the stump.
- Since this can result in new shoots, you should cut them off occasionally, which makes this method a little slower than the others.
How to remove a tree root by using potassium nitrate?
Last but not least, you can try to eliminate a tree trunk by the roots by fertilizing it with potassium nitrate. Such fertilizer should contain potassium and nitrogen. These are two vital minerals for plants, although too many of them prevent the plant from absorbing other important vitamins and minerals. However, this method can also be detrimental as excess fertilizer could seep into the soil and potentially contaminate groundwater.
- First, when fertilizing the tree stump in this way, make sure you have direct access to its roots and the center of the tree.
- Then drill several 12-inch holes in the stump, about 1 inch apart and about 4 inches from the edge of the tree trunk.
- It is also important to make holes on the sides of the stump to allow ventilation and thereby accelerate the rotting process.
- First place the special potassium nitrate granules in each hole and let it work.
- It should take about two months before you can remove the stump and its tree root. To do this, use an ax and remove the tree trunk by cutting it into small pieces.
- You can then dig up the tree roots, although this method works better with old tree stumps. If the tree trunk is still wet and has a strong root system, it would not be easy to remove.
Urea also contributes to the rapid rotting of the stump and all you need to do is wrap it tightly with plastic wrap. The use of table salt helps to get rid of rhizomes, which allows you to deal with oyster mushroom in a natural way. To do this, you need to drill holes in advance and fill them with mycelium. Then cover them with moss and leaves so that they can work more quickly. The fungi suck out all the nutrients the tree root can remove, at maximum speed. However, with such biological approaches you need to be patient as it can usually take up to 2 years. However, after that there will be no trace of the stump and you will also get a large harvest of oyster mushrooms.
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