Especially when it comes to larger plants in the garden, removing them is often a challenge. And then the question arises: Is it even allowed to remove trees, bushes and entire hedges?
If you have purchased a new property and want to remove a disturbing hedge, there are a few things to consider. How do you proceed step by step?
When is it allowed to remove hedge bushes?
When can you remove hedges?In general, you can easily remove hedge bushes on your private property if you want to. However, as you may already know, more radical pruning measures on trees are prohibited between March and October. Of course, this also applies if you want to completely remove a hedge. Birds could nest and breed in it, but you should not disturb them under any circumstances.
If you would like to remove your hedge outside of the permitted period, an exemption is required. However, this is only given to you in an emergency, namely if the plants, for examplehave an illness, which could spread to other garden plants or pose another danger. Before an exception is approved, the situation is first checked.
Remove hedges on your own property
Whether you want to remove a dead hedge or replace an old one with new shrubs (or not at all), the way to get rid of all parts of the plant is always the same.
Remove branches and twigs
The end goal is to remove the entire plant including roots. But to do this, you first have to work your way there.
- Accordingly, start cutting off branches and twigs little by little. Pruning shears are ideal for this purpose. For thinner branches you can also use regular secateurs. Particularly stubborn branches can also be sawed off.
- First remove the middle parts of the plant, at a height of around one and a half meters, and then all the twigs and branches underneath.
- Then shorten the main trunk to one and a half meters, i.e. where you started cutting off the branches. If the trunk is still sticking out of the ground, you can easily grab it later for further steps.
- Now you can move on to the roots.
Dig the stump and roots out of the ground
The more difficult part is removing the roots from the hedge. Since it is quite time-consuming and energy-consuming, many people decide to have them professionally excavated by specialized companies. However, if you would rather try it yourself, you have the following options:
The good old tools are still best:
- crowbar
- spade
Yes, it will be tiring with these devices, but you should have already known in advance that removing a hedge yourself will not be child's play.
- First you can move the root or stump back and forth vigorously. In this way you loosen the soil around it.
- You can also use the spade to loosen it up. This allows you to remove the soil straight away, exposing the stump and roots.
- Thinner roots can be easily cut through with a spade in this step.
- Plants that don't have deep roots or are already partially rotten (e.g. when you remove a dead or very old hedge) can sometimes even be pulled out after this step. If not:
- Also use a spade or a crowbar to try to grab the stump and its roots from below and lift it out of the ground.
- You can also work your way piecemeal.
- It is best to pierce the remaining root pieces or cut them in order to injure them sufficiently so that they can no longer sprout.
Practical trick:If you have a sturdy tree nearby, you can enlist its help to pull the hedge plants out of the ground. “Cable winch” is the magic word. Tie a strap to the trunk of the hedge plant and loop the other end around the selected tree. Now you can use all your strength to pull out the plant.
How to deal with a tree stumpfind out here.
You can remove hedges with machines
Of course, digging up hedge plants is particularly quick and easy with robust machines that you don't even have to buy separately, but can also rent. However, in contrast to the devices mentioned above, they have some disadvantages.
- Remove hedge with mini excavator
In itself, the small excavator is a good alternative to a spade, which saves a lot of time and energy. However, if you choose this option, be aware that it will likely compact the soil significantly, making future gardening work more difficult. Afterwards it may be necessary to loosen the soil again and quite deeply.
- Insert the root cutter
With the stump grinder you can adjust the depth, so you should be aware in advance whether and what you want to plant afterwards. This means you can only remove the roots to the necessary depth and save time. The tiller removes the majority of the underground plant parts from the ground. What remains will rot on its own over time and should not cause any further disruption.
- Fire is not suitable!
Some people believe that they can use fire to make their work easier. But especially when you remove plants that are still alive, you can assume that they are still far too moist and will, at best, produce tons of smoke when you light them. Even dead roots are usually still too wet due to the moist soil that surrounds them.
Finally, take care of the floor
If you want to plant new plants later, you should prepare the soil well. Loosen it and remove any plant residues that are now visible. Feel free to mix in hummus too. Depending on the previous plant, the pH value of the soil might no longer be as optimal.Therefore, measure itas a precaution and take appropriate measures to compensate for it.
