I have a question. What would be the best tool for removing large tree roots that have shown themselves on the surface? It makes it a nightmare attempting to run a walk behind mower over there, but it seems like it would be a ton of work to use just a hand + pick axe to get them all up

I've attached some pictures to show:


1, 2, and 3 are all roots, 4 is where I've dug up just one using an axe (took about ~20 minutes)

10/29/2008 10:43:00 AM

Unless you have to dig the roots out, rent a little grinder.



Just grind 'em.

10/29/2008 10:46:57 AM

When I used to have to do this at my parents house I used a firemans axe, just dug around it a bit and one big swing would go through any that werent huge.

10/29/2008 10:51:44 AM

^ That was my experience too and I was using a regular ax from Home Depot. After I chop each end it is usually pretty easy to pry up in the middle. It took me maybe 3 minutes per root the last time I did it although they weren't as pronounced as the ones in Drovkin's pics.

[Edited on October 29, 2008 at 10:58 AM. Reason : l]

10/29/2008 10:58:11 AM

unless you rent a piece of equipment then it looks like an afternoon of shovel and axe work is in your future.

10/29/2008 11:01:22 AM

stump grinder, ftw

10/29/2008 11:46:13 AM

stump grinder. rented it, they delivered. good stuff.

10/29/2008 12:09:51 PM

Yeah, the small ones are just a swing away from coming out, but some of these are extremely thick

would home depot have a rental like that?

and i'm assuming a grinder will just completely eat up the ground as well? I don't have much grass I could transplant over there, I might need a small bag of grass seed or something

10/29/2008 1:23:50 PM

why would you dig/axe it out when you could have fun with a stump grinder?

10/29/2008 1:36:46 PM

Cause I'm cheap

10/29/2008 1:38:06 PM

i had to remove a whole hillside of 10 year old juniper with just an axe and a shovel

it sucked, get the grinder

10/29/2008 1:38:17 PM

Why don't you just pay a strengthy wolfwebber like $10 an hour to remove them? You can't be that cheap (I hope.)

10/29/2008 1:55:17 PM

axe/shovel combo is what I've used.

10/29/2008 2:48:42 PM

yeah $10 an hour is cheap - my father owns a stump grinding business and he charges over $100 an hour

10/29/2008 3:19:14 PM

not many twwers in greensboro

10/29/2008 3:27:54 PM

A mattock would do the job well.

10/29/2008 9:59:29 PM

I assume there isn't a live tree attached to these.

Gotta ask.

10/29/2008 10:26:48 PM

Chief brings up an excellent point. Depending on the kind of tree and how many roots you remove, your tree may come falling down on to your property/house the next time a big storm comes through.

Then again I'm overly cautious.

10/29/2008 10:43:26 PM

1. Chainsaw + tree
2. Stump grinder + roots

10/29/2008 11:02:52 PM

^^ well:

1) I'm assuming that most trees have roots that spread out, and don't just remain on the surface. We've had quite a few heavy winds since I've lived here, and if these surface roots were all that was holding it, it would have toppled

2) It's my neighbor's tree. (S)he has not once made an effort to speak to us when we moved in, and honestly I've yet to ever see him or her since i've lived here. Some of the roots were going under my driveway, and I cut those quickly to keep from destroying my DW.

Sure this makes me a bad neighbor, but these roots are huge, on my property, and I doubt (s)he would help out in any way.

10/30/2008 7:34:36 AM

your assumption that all trees have deep roots is wrong. what kind of tree is it?

10/30/2008 1:55:43 PM

Looks like a pine tree which would have a ginormous tap root.

10/30/2008 2:50:02 PM

90+% of all tree roots are within the top 18" of ground.
There are a few exceptions like the tap roots on longleaf pines.

Cutting those roots could kill the tree, but if you don't give a crap about your neighbor then that's no big deal.

If it were up to me I'd dig around it with a pulaski, rinse the root with water, and then cut it loose with a chainsaw. If they're big roots I'd hook them up to my truck and pull them out.

I'm too cheap to rent a grinder, especially knowing I can do it for no cost.

Pulaski ftw

10/30/2008 4:54:58 PM

^ Don't have a chainsaw ; don't have a truck to hook them up to ; wouldn't want to hook them up to a truck, because i believe some of them lead under my driveway/foundation of the house

i would rather just grind it all up

10/30/2008 5:00:07 PM

again, what kind of tree is it

10/30/2008 5:02:01 PM

< strengthy wolfwebber near g borro every weekend. Holla atcha boy.

10/30/2008 5:03:17 PM

Quote :

"^ Don't have a chainsaw ; don't have a truck to hook them up to ; wouldn't want to hook them up to a truck, because i believe some of them lead under my driveway/foundation of the house i would rather just grind it all up"

You don't need a chainsaw, the other end of a pulaski or an axe works. You don't need a truck if the roots aren't big, remember you did cut the roots loose...

Grinding's definately the easiest if you dont mind renting one.

10/31/2008 4:16:47 PM