Popping out bushes?

[fishheadbob]

I did some mature boxwoods a few years back and it was a miserable job. When mature their roots are fibrous and intertwined. if you can yank them with a chain then great. Mine didn't come out without a lot of struggle. Wound up digging the roots out with a strong loader.

 

[2manyrocks]

The soil may have enough moisture in it this time of year to make it easier to pull them out than in the dry of summer, but it may be rough on the lawn.

 

[bearthebruce]

Have you considered cutting them down and then stump grinding? I did that with my 200' long 6' tall overgrown hedge. Rented a walk behind stump grinder (Stump Grinder Walk-Behind | Sunbelt Rentals) to chew it all up. Planted new right after grinding. The chips were mixed with the soil. So far, everything is happy.

 

[Blue Mule]

Have you considered cutting them down and then stump grinding? I did that with my 200' long 6' tall overgrown hedge. Rented a walk behind stump grinder (Stump Grinder Walk-Behind | Sunbelt Rentals) to chew it all up. Planted new right after grinding. The chips were mixed with the soil. So far, everything is happy.

That will be plan B. If the Workmaster 40 doesn't have enough rear end to get the job done I'll just cut 'em down and grind on them later this spring.

 

[Bansil]

It wouldn't hurt to get a couple old plastic 1 gallon buckets, drill a 3/8 hole about 1/2 in from the bottom.
Place the bucket with the hole on the upper side and pour a gallon or 2 of water the hole will let it soak in, move the bucket and water a 2nd and 3rd bush when you tackle the 1st one, depending on soil type it might help.

 

[old and tired]

Good luck... boxwood roots are far tougher than you think. I ripped a 3 point top hitch out of a tractor (6 bolts), trying to pull up a small 3x3 boxwood. Granted it was a cheap Chinese tractor...

Lots of axe work, cutting roots and hand digging deep down and was able to yank it out with a Dodge Ram 2500, pulling hard. These boxwoods were very, very old.

 

[319Quahog]

I'd suggest pulling them out with a chain attached to the drawbar so you are pulling from the lowest point available. Smokeydog posted this grabber he made from 2" pipe. I made one and will attest to it being able to grab brush without slipping.

Front-End Loader - Danuser Intimdator

Used on Kubota B26 plucking trees and brush. Some trees removed along the wooded driveway 20’ tall. Privet and Russian olives clumps easily pulled up. Small tractor gives great maneuverability and sight near fences and buildings. Easily pulled trees growing in the blueberry patch with surgical...

www.tractorbynet.com

I just made one of those and tried it out. Slick. The thing works.

Now I regret that part of the yard is too muddy to put my tractor on or I'd do more ripping out little trees.

 

[Gem99ultra]

Good luck... boxwood roots are far tougher than you think. I ripped a 3 point top hitch out of a tractor (6 bolts), trying to pull up a small 3x3 boxwood. Granted it was a cheap Chinese tractor...

Lots of axe work, cutting roots and hand digging deep down and was able to yank it out with a Dodge Ram 2500, pulling hard. These boxwoods were very, very old.

I second that info... My experience was removing about 10 of mature box woods at work one day. I had access to one of our 5,000# fork lifts. Ha! That sounded quick and easy, but it proved to be far from it.

My imagination was to pull the forks close to each other and simply 'pluck' them out. Nah - it proved to be a lot more work than anyone would have thought. Possible, but not quick and easy by a long shot. I'm guessing that there's some root cutting in fishheadbob's future.

 

[old and tired]

Found a photo of removing the "massive" boxwood stumps... and right before the bolts stripped out of the back of the Nortac dozer!

 

[TripleS]

Good luck... boxwood roots are far tougher than you think. I ripped a 3 point top hitch out of a tractor (6 bolts), trying to pull up a small 3x3 boxwood. Granted it was a cheap Chinese tractor...

Lots of axe work, cutting roots and hand digging deep down and was able to yank it out with a Dodge Ram 2500, pulling hard. These boxwoods were very, very old.

Found a photo of removing the "massive" boxwood stumps... and right before the bolts stripped out of the back of the Nortac dozer!

I've never seen anyone put a hoe on a dozer. Pretty slick!!