How to remove old rose bush?

akeehan

I’ve recently moved into a new house and a lot of the planting is now over grown. I’ve cut back a rose/bramble to a stump but now I need to get the stump out! 
The roots are well established and going under the paving. Has anyone advice on removing it? Should I use a root killer? 
I have an Acer to in its place so I was reluctant to put chemicals in the ground. 

Hampshire_Hog

If you don't want to use chemicals then just dig down and around cutting the roots off as you go, get in and under the main stem with a bit of effort you will be able to get it out.
Once you have the main root out you can dig over the area and remove any remaining bits.

akeehan

Thanks Hampshire_Hog, is it a problem if I miss some of the roots and they get left in the ground? There's one in particular, it's going under the paving.   

Lyn

I dug one out like that, it didn’t grow again from the roots I had to leave in.

treehugger80

you need a crown of a rose to grow back, if you leave some roots in they won't regrow

akeehan

Oh great! Thanks Lyn and Treehungger80, that's good to know, I'll just hack away and get it out!

Nollie

I dug out a rambling rose last year, definitely got the main rootball out and thought I got all the roots (dug a big deep hole, backfilled with new earth and compost to plant a replacement rose there). Yesterday I saw the old rambler had sent up a new shoot next to the new rose - could tell it was the old one because the foliage was very different. Traced and dug out the long root it was attached too. If its a wild rose type, maybe they do that??

B3

I eventually murdered the rambling rector by cutting it down to  a few inches above ground level and rubbing off the shoots whenever I saw them. The short stump meant that I knew where they were going to be. It took two or three years but no real effort. 

Hampshire_Hog

I've done the same with old buddleias before B3 as you say can take a little time but does work.