Haha yeah it feels like it’s 90% rocks xD is there an easy test you can do that helps identify the soil? I know last winter it didn’t get particularly boggy other than some dimple spots in my garden but the rest was generally fine underfoot. When digging in the past it’s generally been fine other than for the rocks I won’t lie! One final thing sorry! I was just out scoping out order to start cutting down this weekend and checking for any nests in the first tree I plan. And I’ve found the following vine/ivy growing in and around some of the trees.. an app I have suggested it’s Russian ivy.. google suggests this is a right pain to remove, are there any tips for how to best get rid if it is? I’ve also found so what was suggested as cherry laurel under there
I don't have russian vine so I can't ID the leaves for you, but if that's what it is, it's also known as mile-a-minute vine, for good reason!. Probably the competition with the conifers has been keeping it in check but don't leave any roots in there. If it's rooted close to the conifers it might come out with them, assuming you're taking the roots out and not leaving the stumps in the ground.
Yeah I'll be getting as much of the roots out as I can. Those I can't I'll have to leave mind. I've never seen it flower, which I've seen its meant to? But the base of the stems are "woody" and then the progressively go to green to a red tinge at the tip. I'd like to say its not knotweed at least as the leaves are in clumps rather than alternating etc. That and its growing up the trees and a few have poked out above in the corner that I can see. It may well be coming from a bit of land a small substation sits on towards the back of the garden mind as I get ivy growing up the back of my fence panels.
"One final thing sorry!" No need to apologise, we're here to help, whatever the question. I've never tested the soil in any of my gardens past or present, I identify by eye, sorry! Perhaps one of our friends here can help you with that. If the vine returns then try painting a weedkiller on the foliage, something like SBK should work. It's up to you whether you keep the laurel or not but they tend to be a bit thuggish and take over. I don't like laurels and have a number in my garden of 11 months. But they will gradually disappear when I have the time.
Hi there me again sorry! So far I've got 2 down fully out of the ground... but its a right pain in the backside with all the intertwined roots etc. To speed things up I've been debating hiring a stump grinder.. But I just want to make sure that would still be okay with the plan to plant something else there early-mid next year after leaving the soil to recover (with manure)? I believe (please correct me if wrong!) it would be cut the stump to just above ground level, then grind it down to a bit below the soil line. Pack the remains with the chippings then cover with the manure/toilsoil mix and the roots left should slowly die? Then those roots "arms" that are closer to the surface I can cut and dig out a bit as best I can. Would this still leave me in the position to plant something ontop / next to (if I mark where the rootball used to sit and not plant directly ontop of course!) Unrelated to the above, but the vine I mentioned last time has now infact flowered and does look like Russian vine! so there's that question sorted.. just need to access the area it's coming from but right now trees are there!
Stump grinders are nasty vicious bits of kit, they also need a fair amount of muscle. If you hire one make sure you wear all the safety equipment provided and make sure other people keep out of the way. They really don't like stones either. Perhaps get somebody in to grind them out when you have got them all down and out of the way. I had a number of stumps ground out the other year. I raked up all the chippings and stacked them up to rot down and dug a lot of compost in over the winter, dug it again in spring and then began planting, the remains of the stumps were still there and needed to be worked around. Over the past couple of years these remains have softened and and rotted to some extent.
Yeah I've heard they can be a bit of an beast to handle. Looking locally the going rate is ~£150 a tree to grind.. for what I have its over £2,000 With my garden being rocky.. digging the last root out I ended up removing ~3 full bricks.. it may be best to just crack on digging them out.. going rate so far has been ~5 hours of digging per tree. But this is removing the main rootball and leaving some of the deeper roots in place.
I did find that leaving 6 ft or so of stump made getting the rootball out easier as you had a lever. Once out cut the 6 ft off and dispose of both bits. 3 years ago it cost about £2000 + VAT to have 8 Leylandii felled, stumps ground out and some other work was done on other trees.
Hi there back again sorry! Making progress with this all but back now to ask about the neighbours tree and trimming it back slightly at least the lower branches I can reach. However I'm aware the law says I can do this, and must ask them if they want their branches back before disposing etc. However I've also read that if I did cut branches on my side and they ignore it / leave it and it causes an imbalance and the tree falls I can then be liable? Is there an "easy" way to be sure of what I can / can't cut back? I know I can't just trim direclty up the boundry (legally yes but pratically its not plausable) and I know it can be hard just from the photo there but trimming the lower branches that overhang should be okay right? As much as I like trees I wont lie this huge connifer sucks, its dropped dead leaves on my garden killing most things under it, under heavy wind it has a hell of sway which makes me nervous I wont lie (moreso as their other connifer of similar size (albeit 1 trunk vs 4) fell in a storm... and then the canopy as a whole does take up quite alot of space I won't lie. I would speak to them about it, but the neighbour is renting and barely answers the door to anyone from what I've experienced and being a renter I'm not sure really what they can do about it (and the rest of the garden from what I can see is pretty much ignored)
Might be an idea to see if you contact the landlord or letting agent and raise concerns about the tree being a threat to your property and their property.
Agree, I would write to the landlord & agent requesting assurance that they have necessary insurance and if possible, a copy of it. This will raise the profile and hopefully they will choose to take the steps you require; removal; as the low cost option.
Thanks, I think I've managed to find the company who manages it so shall try speak to them next week now. I'll be honest I likely over exagerated the sway as it is more the branches that sway than the trunk.. its more just how vast the canopy is and the fact the tree next to it of a similar height (smaller canopy) fell in 2023. That and its a connifer it's grown out a fair bit since I moved in (and I've trimmed bits back in the past to deal with the fencing)
Don't tell them that, mention the other one that fell though and just be concerned about the bigger one that sways.
Conifers don't have particularly deep roots, and it'll be more exposed to wind without its neighbour (just sayin'......).
Thanks I'll aim to get in touch with them soon and see what they say. Back to my garden mind! The trees are now all out, a local company quoted a really good deal to get rid if everything including stump grinding. Which saves me a alot of digging and tip runs.. The next step of course is the well-rotted manure to help the soil, but at the back of the garden the current soil line is pretty much in line with the bottom of the fence panels and the last thing I want to do is damage them.. (I do have to replace ~6.5 in total mind as they're either mismatched or damaged). Just as a sanity check for my plans, once the stumps are ground I was going to look at digging the soil ~3-4 inches across the board and then mix in the manure on top? This way the level of the soil to the fence panels won't change but should still hopefully get the soil ready for hedge growing next year - Currently looking at Laurel / Privet / Beech and mixing in some more wildlife friendly stuff like Holly/dogwood possibly hawthorn? I do have cat mind so would be looking at something that wouldn't do damage to her.
