A Laurel Hedge no more!
Moonlit Hare
Posts: 153
Hello, any suggestions how 2 quite unfit middleaged people with only the weekends for gardening might be able to take out a line of well established laurel stumps?
We've got a couple of other stumps to come out around the garden and we've drilled into them and added neat epsom salts, it seems to be working and rotting down the wood I've certainly not seen any new sprouts thats for sure.
However this line is against next doors fence I'm not sure what she has on the other side, and is exactly where we want to put in some new hazel trees, it's also right next to the new veggie patch so I'm a bit concerned about using anything chemical on it... I'm guessing the old fashioned dig the little monkies out is probably the only option, so any hint's and top tips are more than welcome please.
Thanks in advance
Posts
I can't help you re getting out the stumps, but I wonder if you are aware how big hazel trees can get? We have a red one in the garden about 3 meters high, but it spreads out at the bottom, continually growing new shoots making it wider and wider!
But hazels can be cppiced at any time and the wood can be used as stakes, for weaving fences and for firewood. I think I'd have to put them in round the laurel stumps, can't see anyway I could get them out. Or you could hire the stump grinder if it's not too expensive.
In the sticks near Peterborough
Mattock, time, and elbow grease. I used stump killer on a laurel and an ancient lilac once and ended up effectively sterilising an area of about 3 sq metres for 3 years. Oops! So don't do that. Maybe try to do one every evening and save weekend gardening for fun stuff. You'll get there.