Annoying shrub

[Grand58742]

Okay, so does anyone have a good way, other than digging and cutting it out, of taking out a boxwood? (I think it's a boxwood...not up on the plants identification very well). Not a little one, but big honking ornamental boxwood that's been allowed to just take over the place. Working on digging it out, but good grief! What a pain and how can there be that many roots coming out of the darn thing?!?!?!?!

Can't drag it out which would be my first choice (sits in the backyard and the path goes right over my sewer line which doesn't run that deep and hasn't settled from being replaced). So there's that idea...

Don't want to use defoliant on it since it'll kill everything else within reach as well.

Any ideas before I resort to gasoline and hope the wind doesn't shift?

[Matt In Oklahoma]

air support? LOL
Can you winch it straight up by using a tree or framework? Maybe use the ridin mower for a ligheter on the sewer line more gentle controlled pull than say me doing a tractor pull style yank using the truck of death and power chip
you need help holler and i'll bring the shovels and mattock over

[Grand58742]

No other tree close enough. Have one about 20 feet away or so. And this thing would tear my riding mower apart lol.

When I say take over, it took over.

[qrprat77]

You got a picture of the situation?
I've got a couple ideas, but need a better idea of the size of this thing.

[miked2345]

I just pulled out a 20 ft tall "shrub" last week... (Some kind of evergreen thingy..) I used a hand winch with several feet of cable... Looped one end around a large tree trunk, the other end around the shrub, about 6 feet up the trunk, and started winching the handle - and praying the tree would stay in the ground. It finally came out, though the thought occurred to me that if the cable broke, the back-lash woulda' probably taken my head off!

[BioG8r]

You CAN use roundup or other glyphosate product - - - just use a small mop to dab it on the bush foliage ONLY. It only kills what it touches it will not harm the other greenery if it doesn't drip on it. You should wait about a week then cut the bush off at ground level, the roots will die of and decompose on their own.

BioG8r - An Ag Teacher/licensed spray applicator.

[Grand58742]

You CAN use roundup or other glyphosate product - - - just use a small mop to dab it on the bush foliage ONLY. It only kills what it touches it will not harm the other greenery if it doesn't drip on it. You should wait about a week then cut the bush off at ground level, the roots will die of and decompose on their own.

BioG8r - An Ag Teacher/licensed spray applicator.

Thanks, I'll give that a try on the others. I do however, want rid of the roots/stumps to be able to replant grass in that area. Hence why I'm going to the trouble of cutting it out. But lesson learned here, thanks.

[SeldomSeenSlim]

For mesquite around the house I pour the mix into a mason jar and dip branches in it. Unlike BioG8r I'm not trained at all in this stuff and anything that can kill mesquite scares me to just spray all willy nilly around the place. I was recommended 2,4-D and also cautioned that it is powerful. Which it is.

[All Talk]

Chainsaw near ground level, rented stump grinder to chew out roots down about 6 inches or so. Cart out/away most of the grindings (as these are mostly wood). Fill hole with topsoil. Seed. Water. Mow.

[PerryJeff]

Don't want to use defoliant on it since it'll kill everything else within reach as well.

You could use "Tordon" www.dowagro.com/ca/prod/tordon-22k.htm you cut off and put on the stumps. All the farm stores sell it around here in quart bottle with red dye in it and squirt top $12. It is used to kill weed trees, just cut follage off and pour on the cut end. do it every evening for 4-5 nights and will kill real well. I like to leave a couple foot of stump on so you have something to attach to pull out.