hedge roots

[anshutz1]

Hi Folks, taking out a mixed hedge to put some fencing in. Real struggle to remove roots. Brought a 4 tonne hand winch to hook up on my series 3 landy. Quetion is what do i use to attach winch hook to roots? looked on bay for chains, swr and straps.... Which would, if any be best? looked in local agriculture trype store, but chain silly prices...

 

[spandit]

Seems a great shame to rip out a mixed hedge - don't know how sympathetic the others on this forum may be to your plight. Is there no other way - cut and lay, for example?

 

[Chiseller]

I'm sure I was once told a mixed hedge was a sign of true age ? And there is a method to dating it ? I concur....a shame

Ps, imo a 4 ton pull aint gunna do jack

Sent from my E10i using Tapatalk

 

[toilet digger]

hi
is there any particular reason why a fence has to replace a hedge?
is there livestock to be installed? dependant on the age and density of the hedgeline, a stock proof barrier can be implemented using one of the dozen or so regional styles, which may well be cheaper. if you need a laying contracter i can put you in touch or contact the National Hedgelaying Society.
regards jamie.

 

[Adze]

A four ton pull and a landy will only get the very smallest stuff out, tried that with a leylandii and my defender. You'll need a JCB with a back hoe to make any real difference to the bigger stuff.

As has been said - leave it in and lay it. A properly laid hedge is a marvelous thing and looks better than any fence.

 

[miles888]

hey folks miles888
what type of hedge? hawthorne, leylandi ?, is it the garden concrete type posts n stuff to replace
or the post n wire stock fence, or restock like for like exsisting hedge?
winch wont do it, you have to dig out the roots by hand or get hold of a stump grinder.
if hedge is metre wide say you need to remove a metre section left n right of the hedge as the roots go far

 

[spandit]

I've got a thick leylandii hedge down our drive. It's not dogproof so I've stapled stock fencing directly to it

 

[Adze]

I've got a thick leylandii hedge down our drive. It's not dogproof so I've stapled stock fencing directly to it

Should have used copper staples

 

[Toddy]

Off Topic.........but sort of relevant.

Why copper staples ? I thought copper, in concentration, was toxic as it corrodes ?

cheers,
M

 

[Adze]

Off Topic.........but sort of relevant.

Why copper staples ? I thought copper, in concentration, was toxic as it corrodes ?

cheers,
M

Indeed it is Toddy... It's a Leylandii hedge

 

[spandit]

Indeed it is Toddy... It's a Leylandii hedge

In fairness, I've tried buying a strip of land off the council to plant a mixed hedge so I can remove the leylandii - enjoy the privacy so can't just rip it down. The trimmings are fun to burn!

 

[Toddy]

Ah

That said though; Leylandii makes a good hedge and it's amazing how many wee birds coorie in to them over winter, and make nests in them later, so it's not 'all' bad. It's lovely timber too.
It's not even horrible to handle, just don't let it get growing too tall.
My neighbour did......eight feet from my kitchen window and his hedge was six feet above the roof gables when I finally persuaded him to have it cut back. He's still not pleased it never came again from the stumps. He'd planted it five years before we moved in here, so I didn't have much leverage to say it really, really, should have been pruned from the second year on.

M

 

[Adze]

Very few birds will nest in it, although it's great for sparrows to pick the spiders out of through the colder months. I'd disagree about the timber, it's horrid to carve, virtually impossible to split and takes years to season properly for firewood. It does smell nice when burned and I can't disagree about the growth rate - the previous occupants of our house planted a 'dwarf' one in the front garden which turned out not to be so dwarf. It was about 16 feet high when we moved in and was over the roof line when I cut it down 2 years ago, only 2 years after we moved in.

We're going to replace it and the two others, now all removed, with hazel and a small fence. Sure, it won't cut out anywhere near as much light, but with a little luck the nuts will taste a bit nicer.

 

[spandit]

virtually impossible to split

I use a chunk as my splitting block for that reason! If you hit it hard enough with a maul it splits fine, though (although not on a paved patio as you'll smash the slabs )

 

[Toddy]

There are a few carvings/turnings on the forum from it, and it's a nice clean wood for food stuffs.

The leylandii that we took down had nine nests in one tree alone. From magpies to blackbirds, and a couple of wee ones I wasn't sure of. We have three along the side fence that we keep pruned and the robin and the blackbird are both building in it just now. There's a lot of bluetit activity in them too, but I'm not sure if they're nesting. The dunnock keeps nipping upwards into them too.

The bottom curved branches make good firebows just the right shape........I don't like the huge brushshaft ones, I use the smaller ones.

cheers,
Toddy