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Old 18-04-2004, 12:02 AM
Jaques d'Alltrades
 
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Default Gardening newbie with wilderness to clear

The message
from (Robert E A Harvey) contains these words:

"jeffrey PREST" hack@saw01961.[REMOVE THIS]fsnet.co.uk wrote in
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Two questions. First, what is best for getting rid of a tough shrub root
adjacent to bathroom wall that refuses to be cut or yanked out?


If you aren't frightneed by violent chemicals, try to get hold of a
stump killer containing ammonium sulphamate ("Amcide" or "Root Out").
Other solutions involve drilling the top and putting in crystals of
various types, or even copper nails.


Banging in copper nails only kills it - slowly. They won't help to
remove it. Boring a hole in the stump and pouring in a little sulphuric
acid will, though. (Battery acid will do)

Oh look:
http://www.rhs.org.uk/advice/profile...ree_stumps.asp

Or you could just chop it off at ground level, and chop off any shoots
that come up for a year or so. That should deal with it, unless you
are unlucky enough to get honey fungus.


Or lucky - useful in Chinese-style cooking, and the young caps pickle nicely.

I now just want to know the best way to kill off any
remaining weeds in the soil around it.


Most soil-acting weedkillers can get into water courses, and probably
won't do much for dormant seeds. A comon one is DICHLOBENIL, a
benzonitrile, but it's pretty nasty stuff. Glyphosphate and Roundup
are contact weedkillers, not what you are asking for, but less harmful
as they are destroyed in the soil.


Have you thought of using a flamethrower? You can hire them easily
enough: they're like a big blowlamp-on-a-stick.

--
Rusty
Open the creaking gate to make a horrid.squeak, then lower the foobar.
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