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How long (and difficult) will it be to dig out established privet and hawthorn shrubs?

davidgvallancexT0yK6_4davidgvallancexT0yK6_4 Posts: 11
in Problem solving
Someone on Facebook is getting rid of their hedge, a mix of privet and hawthorn. I offered to take it and due to some miscommunication assumed they'd be digging it out. Unfortunately, that's not the case.

How long do you think it would take someone to dig out an established privet shrub? (Maybe 1.5m high x 1m long x 50cm wide.)
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  • LynLyn Posts: 23,190
    Just that one,  it would take about half an hour, or less,  you’ll need to cut it down first by at least half for it to establish in its new home, then get a pick axe to it.

    Gardening on the wild, windy west side of Dartmoor. 

  • davidgvallancexT0yK6_4davidgvallancexT0yK6_4 Posts: 11
    Well, it's a little more than one. It's around... 10 meters of them? But half an hour is totally achieveable. I've got all day and hopefully some help! Thanks, Lyn!
  • LynLyn Posts: 23,190
    But that’s only for one,   I don’t think the root of each one will be 1 mt wide.  definitely not on private and hawthorn.
    two pickaxes are better than one,  make sure you cut them back before you start.  
    Dig your ground over in preparation for them and tread them in and water well.
    Gardening on the wild, windy west side of Dartmoor. 

  • davidgvallancexT0yK6_4davidgvallancexT0yK6_4 Posts: 11
    Thanks, Lyn! You're making this feel much more achievable. I've looked at a bunch of transplanting guides and they all mention cutting back new growth. However, few mention how to prep the ground. I was going to buy some compost to enrich the soil with. Is that sufficient? Should I add anything to promote new root growth?

    (P.S. I'm in Scotland so they'll definitely be watered well!)
  • LynLyn Posts: 23,190
    Depends how bad your land is David,  they are two hedging plants that will grow anywhere,  you can just dig a hole bigger than the root,  then poke holes out from that in all directions, just so the roots can spread easily,  plonk it in,  back fill,  Sprinkle some bone meal around the edge,  not down the hole,  lightly fork it in. Tread down,  and job done.
    Definitely cut back though, as the new roots will need to establish and too much top growth will stop them doing that,  they can’t make root and top growth.

     


    Gardening on the wild, windy west side of Dartmoor. 

  • RedwingRedwing Posts: 1,511
    This sounds like quite a big job and should only be done in the dormant season.  No chance of it succeeding now, IMO.
    Based in Sussex, I garden to encourage as many birds to my garden as possible.
  • LynLyn Posts: 23,190
    edited May 2022
    You’re  not like us then,  things get shifted when we want them shifted. 
    The plants  only just getting going now. 
    If David doesn’t have a go, the owner will take them to the tip,  anything’s worth a go. 
    Gardening on the wild, windy west side of Dartmoor. 

  • robairdmacraignilrobairdmacraignil Posts: 782
    Sounds to me like it would be a lot of work to get damaged plants. Young bare root hedge plants usually available between October and March to cover 10metres of hedge length would cost here between 18 and 70 euro depending on what proportion of white thorn and privet you wanted to use and would be supplied to you ready to plant. The cost for the hedge seller to dig out the established one they have would normally factor in the cost of a digger hire for the day and would generally be not advised to be done now to avoid disturbing nesting birds and would very likely in my opinion end up killing most of the plants.

    Happy gardening!
    https://www.youtube.com/user/sustainableveg/videos
  • davidgvallancexT0yK6_4davidgvallancexT0yK6_4 Posts: 11
    Thanks, Redwing and robairdmacraignil.I appreciate the dose of pragmatism. However, the reality is, the hedges are getting dug up. Either I pitch in, pay a couple quid for the courier, and give it a go... or someone else digs them up and they go to landfill. I've watched videos and read accounts of successful transplants in the non-dormant season so it is possible.

    Unfortunately, the 70 euro bare root plant isn't an option for our desired purposes, although it is something we considered.
  • davidgvallancexT0yK6_4davidgvallancexT0yK6_4 Posts: 11
    Update time! (And no gloating from you pragmatic folk please.)

    The ground was rocky and partially concreted. Although the hedges were reasonably short, they were old. Perhaps 20/30/40 years old. The root systems were immense. The soil was bone dry. The shrubs, both above and below ground, had become endlessly intertwined.

    After three hours, I had extracted just one shrub, which didn't come with anywhere near a large enough root ball. Unfortunately, I called it a day there and have gone back to the drawing board.

    Thank you all for your advice. I'll consider this a lesson learned.
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