[Help] Gardeners Question Time.

[Stat Brother]

I think a GQT thread might prove quite popular.

Those of you who are professional and keen amateur gardeners (even lawn movers like Lamie can join in!) might like to help those of us who'd rather go to work than step outside the back door.




That said, the first question is rather counter intuitive and probably isn't a great place to start.


My garden is blighted by this monstrosity and I want it gone:-



It's about 20-30 ft tall, the circumference at the base is 4ft.

The worst thing about it is the one in the garden behind that's about twice the size!


I'm confident I can send the boy up a ladder to saw the branches off.
But how should I tackle the remaining 10ft high trunk, with rudimentary tools, ie - no chainsaw.

I'm assuming digging it out isn't an option.

 

[Titanic]

 

[essbee1]

Make sure there are no birds nesting before maybe?

 

[Mr Bridger]

Mad mad world

 

[LamieRobertson]

I’ve got a chainsaw ...but uncertain if I can use it.....anyway if you have plenty of time on your hands going the digging route couple of months should be sorted ...you’d have a rather large hole after mind

It’s soft wood ...use a bread knife?

 

[Pogue Mahone]

I think a GQT thread might prove quite popular.

Those of you who are professional and keen amateur gardeners (even lawn movers like Lamie can join in!) might like to help those of us who'd rather go to work than step outside the back door.




That said, the first question is rather counter intuitive and probably isn't a great place to start.


My garden is blighted by this monstrosity and I want it gone:-

View attachment 121405

It's about 20-30 ft tall, the circumference at the base is 4ft.

The worst thing about it is the one in the garden behind that's about twice the size!


I'm confident I can send the boy up a ladder to saw the branches off.
But how should I tackle the remaining 10ft high trunk, with rudimentary tools, ie - no chainsaw.

I'm assuming digging it out isn't an option.

Monstrosity!?

That's a bloody nice tree.

Each to his own...

 

[timbha]

I was once told that knocking a copper nail in a tree would poison and kill it. Wasn’t told how long it would take though.

 

[Goldstone1976]

That's easy enough - a 5 minute job

 

[Beach Hut]

https://nortr3nixy.nimpr.uk/showthread.php?375657-Gardeners%92-Question-Time&highlight=gardeners

Why not just use the original thread

 

[Weststander]

Make sure there are no birds nesting before maybe?

This.

March to August isn’t a good time to take down trees or thick shrubbery, unless you’re absolutely certain there are no active nests.

 

[Stat Brother]

I’ve got a chainsaw ...but uncertain if I can use it.....anyway if you have plenty of time on your hands going the digging route couple of months should be sorted ...you’d have a rather large hole after mind

As I thought.

I might just cut the branches off then throw a rug over it or something, that's always been my go too move with other stuff I don't want to deal with.

 

[LamieRobertson]

As I thought.

I might just cut the branches off then throw a rug over it or something, that's always been my go too move with other stuff I don't want to deal with.

As a thought you could consider tidying it up by removing the dead flower/seed pods

 

[WATFORD zero]

I've just got to say that I have a chainsaw and it's the best boy's toy ever.

Sorry, can't help with the question, but I quite like it

 

[Stat Brother]

Monstrosity!?

That's a bloody nice tree.

Each to his own...

It's like owning a perpetually moulting Old English Sheepdog.

The 'fronds' can't be mowed and they don't 'mulch' either.
If it had been planted on the other side of the garden so most of the carnage went over the fence it wouldn't be a problem now.

There's a tidy bush next to it dying, one of those ones that goes red.
Soon I'm going to have fence issues.

Hence it's got to go.

Plus, as said it's clearly a 'grower', having turned into that from a twig in a little over 10 years.

 

[vegster]

I think a GQT thread might prove quite popular.

Those of you who are professional and keen amateur gardeners (even lawn movers like Lamie can join in!) might like to help those of us who'd rather go to work than step outside the back door.




That said, the first question is rather counter intuitive and probably isn't a great place to start.


My garden is blighted by this monstrosity and I want it gone:-

View attachment 121405

It's about 20-30 ft tall, the circumference at the base is 4ft.

The worst thing about it is the one in the garden behind that's about twice the size!


I'm confident I can send the boy up a ladder to saw the branches off.
But how should I tackle the remaining 10ft high trunk, with rudimentary tools, ie - no chainsaw.

I'm assuming digging it out isn't an option.

I'd rethink this until you are sure we have a much longer lockdown.

 

[LamieRobertson]

It's like owning a perpetually moulting Old English Sheepdog.

The 'fronds' can't be mowed and they don't 'mulch' either.
If it had been planted on the other side of the garden so most of the carnage went over the fence it wouldn't be a problem now.

There's a tidy bush next to it dying, one of those ones that goes red.
Soon I'm going to have fence issues.

Hence it's got to go.

Plus, as said it's clearly a 'grower', having turned into that from a twig in a little over 10 years.

Never seen a twig turn into a tree before..best keep it ..unique

 

[wellquickwoody]

I think a GQT thread might prove quite popular.

Those of you who are professional and keen amateur gardeners (even lawn movers like Lamie can join in!) might like to help those of us who'd rather go to work than step outside the back door.




That said, the first question is rather counter intuitive and probably isn't a great place to start.


My garden is blighted by this monstrosity and I want it gone:-

View attachment 121405

It's about 20-30 ft tall, the circumference at the base is 4ft.

The worst thing about it is the one in the garden behind that's about twice the size!


I'm confident I can send the boy up a ladder to saw the branches off.
But how should I tackle the remaining 10ft high trunk, with rudimentary tools, ie - no chainsaw.

I'm assuming digging it out isn't an option.

That is a Cordyline Indivisa. Big old buggers and almost certain to regrow if you just remove the top without removing the trunk and root system, which will require a stump grinder, with no guarantee of success. I would take out the top and sixty per cent of the trunk to start with. I would then drill about twenty holes into the remaining trunk at an angle of about 45 degrees downwards. I would space these out evenly around the trunk and from top to bottom. I would then use the strongest weed killer available and fill each hole to the brim (maybe 50-100 mm deep) monthly for a year. Then do whatever you can to get the stump out. Slow but you will not get regrowth.

Oh, the weed killer should be used neat.

 

[Stat Brother]

Never seen a twig turn into a tree before..best keep it ..unique

If I remember rightly, when planted, it looked like a wooden spoon had been thrown out of the window and it had managed to land upright.
That was about 12 years ago.

 

[Weststander]

I've just got to say that I have a chainsaw and it's the best boy's toy ever.

Sorry, can't help with the question, but I quite like it

Incredibly dangerous too. Hardly any amateurs wear the correct gear.

Take care.
Dad

 

[LamieRobertson]

Incredibly dangerous too. Hardly any amateurs wear the correct gear.

Take care.
Dad

I very rarely use mine and if I do constantly check the chain tension.....meanwhile still dithering over whether I can work or not