David G

Mission Accomplished ! Finally finished removing the stump, very happy indeed. During the digging process I was suspicious that some roots were growing beneath the foundations to the retaining wall. This was later confirmed when I was trying to use the farmers jack to push the stump away from the wall. I was using so much force the shear bolt to the jack snapped. As the roots were impossible to get at using a mattock, I instead used a 5 ft. chisel digging bar to break these roots. Eventually with a huge sense of relief the stump came away.

I think poisoning the stump will take to long. I'm almost there now. With the help of a farmers jack and winch the stump will hopefully be forced out. Some of the wood I will be using to make wooden border fencing for the garden, maybe some wooden coasters as Christmas presents. There are a several logs 10cm - 18cm diameter and 24cm in length that are left over. I might leave them by the driveway entrance for anyone to pick up.

Thank you very much for the advice everyone. I have been using a scorpion saw and axe to cut the roots. Due to the earth being very stony, the saw is blunting rather rapidly, and at £10 per blade this is an expensive problem. To solve this I have ordered online a Makita reciprocating saw as the blades are much cheaper. For a job like this you definitely need a lot of willpower. When I've given up on willpower the stump grinder will be the next course of action.

Hello everyone. Just cut down the tree using an electric chainsaw. Thought it would be better to do it sooner than later. The problem now is removing the stump which is next to a small retaining wall. I have spent hours removing roots and earth, but the stump has not moved. Hiring a stump grinder should complete the task. Can I anyone tell me if this is the best course of action to take ? cheers.

Thank you very much for the replies. I do like trees as they are nice to look at and are very good for the environment. This type of tree however will need to be removed. I shall wait until the leaves come off in autumn before removing the tree. The tree trunk is slightly angled into the garden rather than into the neighbours gardens which will help when felling the tree. Tying a rope around the tree and attaching it to two stakes should also help. What is strange is that I've already chopped down a number of unsightly shrubs in the garden already including a very large Leylandii tree right next to Norway maple, why would a gardener plant these trees in the first place ? The good news from all this is the garden is looking a lot tidier, the greenhouse is now accessible and I have become quite skilled at pulling out stumps using a farm jack, a superb tool for this job.

Thank you for the reply. I've just looked on Wikipedia for more information regarding this tree. It says the tree can grow to a height of between 20 to 30 meters, and the trunk can be up to 1.5 meters in diameter. Wow ! I like trees but I'm not sure I want one this size.

Hello there Just moved into a new house and at the bottom of the garden is a tree that I am unable to identify. I would like to know how high this tree will grow. If there is anywhere out there who knows the name of this tree I would be greatly appreciated . Cheers.