I've just cut down a huge shrub on my lawn, what can I use to kill the root system that's still there?

Question

Will it make it easier to dig up the roots and will it affect the grass surrounding it? How long would I need to wait before being able to grow new grass in that area?

Answer 1

Buy roundup, drill a hole in the stump and inject the stuff in, it kills the roots so it wont grow back. Stump grinders a bloody expensive.

Answer 2

Yes, you need to ensure you have killed the shrub before it starts to sprout into your lawn.
I believe a ferrous sulphate mixture used to be poured into a hole in the shrub stump, with dramatic results. I have found that the lawn will start to grow in the once, dry area, but only after some good digging and soil replacement before seeding or turf.
On the other hand, when the weather improves, and depending on the kind of shrub it is, you could dig up the root system over a week or two. Then remake the lawn, or set to beds for the Summer. New fitness regime started, perhaps!

Answer 3

First choice is to dig up or pull up the root system.If that is not feasible wait till the plant begins to grow again and when it has lots of leaves and is doing well Spray the leaves with brush killer.Have you any idea what the shrub was ?Would someone love to have it ?If so they might dig it up now and plant it in their own yard .If this is going to be a lawn area mowing will be a problem if the stems are not level with the soil.

Answer 4

It really depends what kind of shrub it was. An evergreen is quite acidic in it's droppings of needles and pieces of branches etc. If it was an evergreen, take some of the soil away and replace it with rich good stuff and toss on the seed for grass. Most other shrubs are no problem usually, just level out the ground with a loose mix of topsoil and toss away.

Answer 5

Dig up the roots completely. Don't use any chemicals, that's the worst thing you can do for the grass and soil. Then you can put down grass sod over damaged grass areas.

Answer 6

You need to call a stump grinder but a cheap method that was recommended to me at Home Depot was to drill many holes in the root and the stump and then putting root-x on it. It seemed to work but sometimes down the road there is the possibility of the stump rotting and creating sink holes as it did for me!

Answer 7

TRY using a copper nail, its a old remedy of killing off the route to trees - hammer some nails into the base of the shrub - and it should kill it off in no time and then once dead and rotten you can probably just yank it out

Answer 8

have someone with a stump grinder come by its a hell of a lot faster and neater .you wont have to worry about killing other shrubs and plants eather

Answer 9

bleach, better to dig the root up, it took me 4 months to dig my privets out

Answer 10

try drilling holes in root above ground and fill with creosote or sodium chloride