With slow growth, tree roots lull the gardener into safety and unnoticed turn into a nuisance. As a tree stump with epically long root strands, it takes decades to decompose. Individual specimens grow boldly over the property line, lifting paving stones or causing expensive structural damage. Sooner or later every amateur gardener is faced with the question: How do you remove tree roots? This guide explains how to do it right.
How to effectively remove tree roots?
Tree roots can be removed by digging, milling, composting or allowing them to die. Manual digging for smaller roots and machine milling for larger roots are particularly effective, as these methods allow removal in a short time and make room for new garden designs.
- Good methods for removing tree roots include digging, milling, composting and allowing them to die.
- Excessively long roots can be shortened from a safe distance to the tree that corresponds to 8 times the trunk diameter.
- Specialized companies dispose of large tree roots in green waste containers. Small tree roots accept composting works.
How do you remove tree roots? – Options at a glance
Tree removal is just the prologue to removing a tree from the garden. The remaining stump with its extensively long tree roots represents the real challenge. In fact, the natural decomposition process in the wood takes up to 10 years. During this time, tree roots continue to grow and cause serious damage. It is not possible to create beds or sow lawns on root-rich ground. By removing all tree roots, the way is clear for a new garden design. If individual tree roots are giving you a headache, a courageous root pruning will solve the problem. The following table summarizes common options for expertly removing tree roots:
| Method | Procedure | Advantage | Disadvantage |
|---|---|---|---|
| Remove manually | dig up | cost-effective | exercising |
| Machine Remove | milling | uncomplicated | expensive |
| Accelerate decomposition | cut open, sprinkle compost | organic | tedious |
| Let die | Introduce s alt | reliable | tedious |
| Shorten | cut off excessively long roots | Tree remains preserved | Follow-up treatment required |
Burning is not recommended if you want to remove tree roots. This method poses numerous risks for people, animals and nature. Using a drill, saw or ax, the wood is opened up to the ground in several places. A special mixture of petroleum and s altpeter is filled into the cracks or holes. This paste is ignited to cause the tree stump and roots to burn out from the inside out. With this method, which is harmful to the climate and the environment, there is a risk that the fire will continue to burn uncontrollably as a smoldering fire underground. Furthermore, the charred wooden parts do not rot or only rot very slowly.
The following video provides a compact overview of proven methods on how to properly remove tree roots:
Baumstumpf selbst entfernen (Praktische Tipps)
Removing tree roots manually – step-by-step instructions
Tree roots with a stump up to 30 centimeters in diameter can be removed by hand. The required tools are part of the standard equipment in the hobby garden. The following instructions explain step by step how you can skillfully remove tree roots with a generous portion of elbow grease:
Tool and material requirements
- sharp spade
- Water hose or pressure washer
- Ax or root saw
- Winch, pulley or jack
- Work gloves
Step-by-step instructions
- Fell down a tree down to a stump 1.50 m high
- expose all tree roots with a spade and a sharp jet of water
- Sever fine roots while digging
- cut thick tree roots with an ax or root saw
- Move tree stump back and forth with both hands
- lift the stump out of the ground using a winch, pulley or jack
- dig up remaining tree root pieces
- Fill the hole in the ground with a mixture of topsoil and compost
If you have a milling machine available, you can alternatively chop up the tree stump and the tree roots without any digging work on site. The practical device for removing tree roots is simply attached and instantly transforms the wood into mulch. Because investing in an expensive stump grinder is not worth it for hobby gardeners, numerous machine rental companies offer the equipment for rent at a reasonable daily rate.
Removing a tree root manually is a strenuous task
Let tree roots die off
Are strenuous excavation work anathema to you? Alternatively, with a lot of patience and the right remedy, you can let tree roots die off. The following two methods work without chemical poison and have proven to be excellent in hobby gardens:
Accelerate decomposition – compost tree roots
Saw the tree stump directly above the ground. Take a chainsaw and cut the stump in a checkerboard pattern. Use a wood drill to drill deep holes into the wood in several places at the tree roots. Fill the openings with fresh compost. The fungal spores and microorganisms contained therein immediately get to work and decompose the wood. The addition of compost accelerator works wonders and supplies the busy microorganisms with new energy.
Destroy tree roots with s alt
Tree roots have an aversion to certain types of s alt. Epsom s alt, also known as epsomite, and rock s alt dissolve wood into its components in no time. In order for the s alt to have its destructive effect, drill holes in the tree roots at a distance of 1-2 centimeters that reach down to the ground. Fill the openings two-thirds full with the s alt. Then seal the drill holes with liquid candle wax. Cover tree roots and stump with a black tarpaulin to further accelerate the decomposition process.
Short problem roots
Stubborn roots can be shortened in the ground
Sometimes damage occurs due to isolated, excessively long root strands. Tree roots usually push up the pavement of paths and areas, creating dangerous tripping hazards. In this case, the entire tree including stump and roots does not have to go. It is enough to cut the roots of the problem. The best tool is a special saw for tree roots, which you can buy from specialist retailers with or without an electric drive. A tried and tested rule of thumb shows how far away from the trunk you can shorten a problem root. The following short instructions explain how to properly shorten a tree root:
Apply rule of thumb
- Place a ruler at the tree root
- Rule of thumb: trunk diameter x 8=minimum distance of the interface to the trunk
- Mark interface
Please note: A tree is doomed if it loses more than a quarter of its root mass in one fell swoop.
Short tree roots
- Exposing tree roots with a spade
- Cut off the measured root strand with a root saw or pruning shears
- Process and smooth the cut with a sharp knife (please disinfect the blade in advance)
- treat damaged tree roots
- fill the exposed root strand, ideally with ripe, sifted compost soil and water
Treat damaged tree roots with a wound closure agent, also known as tree wax. From a diameter of 2 centimeters, this follow-up treatment is advisable to support the healing process. It is important to note that you only apply the agent to the edges of the wound and leave the center of the cut untreated.
Disposing of tree roots – tips & tricks
Large tree roots take up a lot of storage space in the garden that is not available for beds and seats. If you don't want to wait for the root residue to dissolve on its own, you can choose from these disposal options:
- Instruct a specialist company to deliver and remove a green waste container
- Shrink or chop tree roots and transport them to the composting plant with your own trailer
- Foresters in the village ask about a permitted place to place dead wood
As long as you take care of the disposal yourself, there are little or no costs. However, if you have a specialist company transport a green waste container to and from you, the disposal will cost an average of 200 euros for a 3 cubic meter container.
Excursus
Taboo in the natural garden – chemical agents
For hobby gardeners with natural gardens, chemical agents against tree roots are not an option. Killing tree roots with acid can, in the worst case scenario, affect the entire garden. Myriads of hard-working microorganisms lose their lives under the influence of hydrochloric acid. Deadly toxic effects on irreplaceable soil organisms when copper sulfate is used to cause tree roots to die.
Decorate tree roots instead of throwing them away
A tree stump can also be planted decoratively
Creative hobby gardeners don't buy expensive decorative tree roots. Under her imaginative perspective, discarded tree roots become representative planters with natural charm. The following ideas may inspire you to create floral root art in the garden:
- Place a planter with seasonal flowers on the tree stump
- Decorate tree roots with succulents, evergreens, ivy or nasturtiums
- Hollow out the tree stump and thick roots, fill in potting soil and plant geraniums, petunias or marigolds
Instead of removing tree roots from the lawn, make a virtue of necessity and plant the root strands with grass. To do this, cover the roots with a 10 centimeter thick layer of compost and sand. Lay pieces of rolled turf over it or sow lawn seeds.
Tip
Structural damage caused by tree roots is poison for a good neighborhood. Experts at R+V Versicherung for neighbor law expressly point out that tree owners are liable for damage caused by tree roots on the neighboring property. If the roots in question are not removed within a reasonable period of time, the damaged neighbor may cut the tree roots themselves and bill the tree owner for the effort.
Frequently asked questions
Can you remove tree roots with s alt?
Yes, you can do this with Epsom s alt or rock s alt. Drill holes in the tree roots 1 to 2 centimeters apart that reach the ground. Fill the openings two-thirds full with s alt. Then seal the holes, for example with liquid wax. By additionally covering the root strands with dark foil, you can further accelerate the decomposition process in the wood. By the way, normal table s alt is not suitable for causing tree roots to die.
How do tree roots rot faster?
With the help of compost accelerators, tree roots rot faster
So that tree roots rot more quickly, microorganisms and fungi provide valuable help. Open the wood to the ground in several places. Fill the openings with a mixture of semi-rotted compost and compost accelerator. Every spring, refresh the organic filling until the tree roots have dissolved happily.
Who removes tree roots? How much will it cost to remove it?
Specialized gardening and landscaping companies have the necessary know-how and adequate machinery to properly remove tree roots. On average, you can expect an hourly rate of 90 to 110 euros. Arrival and departure usually cost around 50 euros. Grinding with a stump grinder removes a normal-sized tree stump with roots within 60 minutes, so the work costs around 140 to 160 euros. Excavation with a mini excavator can be completed within 45 minutes, but costs 170 to 210 euros because the stump and tree roots then have to be disposed of.
Tip
Deadwood is a source of life. This also applies to discarded tree roots. Thick, long root strands are perfect as a soil layer for a deadwood hedge. When you fill a raised bed with compost soil, shredded tree roots are the first filling stage to prevent the formation of waterlogging.
