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Dig out

mariastantonmariastanton Posts: 5
in Problem solving
I have this bush it's grown under the fence from the neighbour s. It's very dense and twiggy and has very small what looks like apples on it. It's encroaching on my lawn. I have. Tried all kinds I just can't dig it out.any advice would be appreciated. Thanks

Posts

  • BobTheGardenerBobTheGardener Posts: 11,385
    edited January 2022
    It sounds like Chaenomeles (Japanese quince), many of which can spread by suckering, where roots send up new shoots some distance away from the shrub.  You will need to dig down along the fence line and cut off the horizontal roots if you want to remove it, then put a vertical root barrier in to stop it coming back.  I love them for their lovely late winter flowers but they are very thorny, so not good in the wrong place.

    A trowel in the hand is worth a thousand lost under a bush.
  • mariastantonmariastanton Posts: 5
    Believe me I've tried I'll give it another go tomorrow while the ground is still wet. Thanks
  • PosyPosy Posts: 3,601
    I agree with Bob. You need to dig quite a wide strip because the roots spread out in all directions, but they are not usually very deep. The main problem is that they will come back so you will have to repeat the operation regularly. I love them, too, but I appreciate your problem.
  • BobTheGardenerBobTheGardener Posts: 11,385
    edited January 2022
    The roots are very tough, so you may not be able to cut through them with a spade.  My tool of choice for situations like this is a mattock.  I would use it to dig as narrow a trench as I could (probably about 6-8" wide) and about a foot deep, along that section of fence, then use a good quality root barrier such as the ones recommended for bamboo, or builders 'visqueen' damp-proof membrane or similar.

    A trowel in the hand is worth a thousand lost under a bush.
  • mariastantonmariastanton Posts: 5
    Ive been using one of them, I was thinking of getting a root saw, I've tried a reciprocating saw but it's too twiggy and wouldn't cut it.  Ill post how I get on 
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