A beautiful old dears happy place.

benny79

Hi Folks,

Bit of a newbie here when it comes to gardening but I decided to sort out my mums back garden as she is 76 now and always was a very out going person but sadly she needs a knee replacement which brings a lot of pain so cant really walk far at all even and now with everything (covid 19) obviously cant leave the house not that she does much these days.. I am a only child so obviously she relies on me a lot.

So her garden is a bit of a mess bit nothing a bit of hard work and imagination will sort out
I have spend the last 2 weeks trimming her hedging its about 15 ft high runs down either side. I never got a chance to do it last year so it was very over grown plus bear in mind I hate gardening (sorry). But this is when I decided with the lock down and me on short time I will take it out once and for all and do the garden up! Turn a negative into a positive so to speak. You can have nice gardens with little maintenance.

So I have spent the last 2 weeks cutting out the hedge on 1 side with a lobber (have to say was shocked how well a lobber worked ..lol...) and also cut down a fairly big tree with a chainsaw and I actually enjoyed it! Wont enjoy dragging it all through the house doe. As she has no side entrance.. (house is in Drimnagh) but a mate has a truck and is going to help get rid of it with me.

Can anyone advise how to get rid of the roots of the hedge? I was told you dig them out but the hedge is down 40+ years Id be there forever! Surely there is a handier way?

I was thinking I might get a professional in to do this? Ive to clear the hedge then take the other side down and depose of that.. Then tackle roots.. but the more I do the more I can spend on fence, materials plants etc..

Thing is I wouldn't have much money as I have my own house and kids to look after. (I live in Kildare) but your mum is your mum and to be honest its bringing me great joy in these strange times knowing I am going to bring some joy for her in her later years..

So any help would be must appreciated

Day Lewin

Well done you, and it is very good karma to take care of your mam.

The garden must be a lot brighter and more spacious already?
I don't know how to get rid of roots without a helluva lot of work:
- but what about letting them re-grow a bit, (like probably next year) and then when new little bushes have grown, zap THOSE with a dose of heavy weedkiller and that will probably kill the roots as well?

Another way I've heard is to drill holes in the woodeny part of roots that is left, and pour a little bit of Diesel into them. Certain death, though not very nice.

Wanderer19

White vinegar, bit of washing up liquid and salt sprayed on the roots will kill anything in touching distance. But will take a while.

Alternatively, cut the hedges to waist high and trim the branches, then it's easier to dig up the roots.

benny79

Cheers Ive heard that with the diesel alright also someone told me they got some sort of weed killer and just kept spraying the roots after they cut the hedging like over sprayed and they were gone in 2 months..

Like if you do the diesel or the vinegar how long will it take roughly? cas to be honest when all is calm in the world again I obviously wouldn't have as must time.

So I have to cut down hedge (half way there)

Remove Hedge

Get rid of roots.

Re concrete slab/patio at extension as its cracked (mate is helping me with this)

Erect a fence down both sides (were hedge was) paint it was thinking the panel fencing as think thats cheapest.

Landscape back garden flower bed with sleepers got a good idea of Pinterest

Paint shed at end of garden to spruce it up and clear it out and maybe paint back of house.

Also have to cut down steel fencing from when we had german shepherds when I was a kid but that shouldnt take me long and remove

Wanderer19

I don't know about the diesel, but the vinegar starts working straight away. Especially on nice dry days like this. Do it over a few days. Be warned that you won't grow anything there after.

Lots of plans, sounds great

magicbastarder

what sort of hedge is it? you may not need to kill the roots if it's leylandii.
and don't use diesel in the garden.

benny79

Haven't a clue mate the standard hedging that was in gardens years ago! Small leaves .. lots of branches some are 50mm thick in middle base!

Does the dump charge a fee for taking this? As I will hav a couple of truck loads.. garden is about 12/14 fence panels long.. and it's nearly 15 ft high

FrancieBrady

magicbastarder wrote: »

what sort of hedge is it? you may not need to kill the roots if it's leylandii.
and don't use diesel in the garden.

I think it's illegal to purposely spill diesel anyway, is it not? Should be, if not. Horrible stuff.

benny79

Was trying to upload a picture of it off my phone but it's saying file to big not sure how you do it.

SEPT 23 1989

Roundup

benny79

[IMG-]20200407_185721.jpg[\IMG-]

benny79

[img*]20200407_185721.jpg[\img]

FrancieBrady

benny79 wrote: »

[IMG-]20200407_185721.jpg[\IMG-]

When you click on reply, below the message window you will see 'Manage attachments', click that and a new window will open and you can upload the pic there.
Then when it attaches you will see a link under the message window...click the link and your picture will open in a new tab...copy the url of that tab and use the 'insert image' function above the message window.

Hope that makes sense.

benny79

No sorry mate. when I go into manage attachments click on file upload just says file is to big it's not giving me url..

Day Lewin

Sounds like Lonicera Nitida

Was it this stuff, benny?

https://greenleafnurseries.co.nz/product/lonicera-nitida-hardy-evergreen-hedge-topiary-sun-shade-2/

if it was, you don't need to poison the roots. Just chop it to ground level. If it regrows, then the vinegar or a spade will get rid.

If the bush was Privet (slightly bigger leaves in lighter green) then it will be more inclined to re-grow but still fairly mangeable.

FrancieBrady

benny79 wrote: »

No sorry mate. when I go into manage attachments click on file upload just says file is to big it's not giving me url..

Use you photo editing software to make it smaller in file size...reduce it to 75-100 dpi
Just in case you don't know...open software, load photo and in the software look for tool to 'resample' or function like that...there will be a box to enter size. Save the file with a new name and try again.
Or upload it to Imgur...copy link and paste here
https://imgur.com/upload?beta

benny79

I think this might work now

looksee

That's not a great deal better - the golden bush seems to be privet, not sure what the dark on in front is, probably privet.

And can we do a bit less of the 'old dears' please? I am almost your mum's age and I would bet there are a good few more on the site who are similar and would not describe themselves as 'old dears'.

benny79

looksee wrote: »

That's not a great deal better - the golden bush seems to be privet, not sure what the dark on in front is, probably privet.

And can we do a bit less of the 'old dears' please? I am almost your mum's age and I would bet there are a good few more on the site who are similar and would not describe themselves as 'old dears'.

Both bushes hedging is the same.. Sorry if you took offence to the old dear. It was just a heading to strike some interest in the thread. It was a throw away comment. Like the way I would still get called son by neighbours ..

Day Lewin

benny79 wrote: »

Both bushes hedging is the same.. Sorry if you took offence to the old dear. It was just a heading to strike some interest in the thread. It was a throw away comment. Like the way I would still get called son by neighbours ..

Its is very clear that your Mum is very dear to you. 💓­­
(I have grandies: and no offense taken!)

And yes, all overgrown privet. It is famous for being a very hungry plant and will have used up all the goodness in the soil, long ago.
You may still not need to dig up all the roots though - slice 'em off at ground level and see what's left.

benny79

Any ideas on how best to depose of hedging? I will have to take it through house as theres no side entrance.. but a mate of mine has a small dumper truck. I rang Dublin city council and a few dumps and they all said I would have to cut it up and put in skip bags and bring it to dump. That would take ages and @ €15 a bag would cost a fortune!

FlipperThePriest

Rent or buy a garden shredder? You could then bag it on site, save you dragging stuff through the house. Cheap enough to buy...

https://www.screwfix.ie/c/outdoor-gardening/garden-shredders/cat840618?cm_sp=managedredirect-_-outdoorgardening-_-gardenshredder

benny79

That not take like forever

FlipperThePriest

Sure if it was easy, everyone would be at it.

Day Lewin

benny79 wrote: »

That not take like forever

No, not at all. Its like a giant blender - and great fun to use:

It looks something like a concrete mixer: Electric, I seem to recall. Plug it in with outdoor safety precautions.
You just feed branches and twigs in the top and shredded crumbly stuff comes out the spout. We had one once (it got stolen, eventually) - it cost about 300 quid, twenty five years ago - at a time when we had some money, lol

Best toy ever. And reduced branches (up to about, as wide as a woman's wrist) to bags of mulch incredibly quickly.
Noisy, mind.
But so useful!

FlipperThePriest

I bought one in Argos last year, fairly handy but I reached its limitations fairly quickly with the stuff I was putting through it. Having said that, I did stay under the recommended diameter but it couldn't cope. Bit of plastic broke off, and I just brought it back.

I'd say if you spent the bit extra you'd get a decent one and get through stuff no probs.

Argos Model: https://www.argos.ie/static/Product/partNumber/6048695/Trail/searchtext%3EGARDEN+SHREDDER.htm

looksee

I got a shredder and was terrified of it It was one of the cheapo Lidl ones. Anyway I started using it and discovered that it is very satisfying and theraputic, and other people came to the same conclusion, I didn't actually do much shredding but a lot got done! They do an amazing job on brambles and anything that is not too leafy, we are clearing an over-grown acre and it is coping nobly!

FrancieBrady

I keep thinking of Fargo whenever I see one! :eek::D