Hi all, I'm new here so if this is not the forum to ask this, apologies in
advance.

I recently purchased a new home that has the most hideous overgrown yews at
the front foundation. This was the big thing long ago I guess. Anyway, I
want them completely gone and the area transformed to small accents plants
and bedding. My question is this, I plan to hack them down and then either
dig up the roots or kill them with round up. These yews (10 in all) are
anywhere from 3Hx3W to 5Hx8W, and so I am wondering how big the root systems
will be? I wouldn't want to have huge gaping holes close to the house for
too long as we are into the rainy season here in St Louis. Any advice
appreciated.

Maggie

Here's what I did with my overgrown bushes, including yews: I put up signs
and advertised "free shrubs, you dig". I got rid of at least 25 shrubs and
2 50 foot long privet hedges that way and never had to lift a finger. I
watched while they labored!

"MaGGie" wrote in message
...
Hi all, I'm new here so if this is not the forum to ask this, apologies in
advance.

I recently purchased a new home that has the most hideous overgrown yews
at
the front foundation. This was the big thing long ago I guess. Anyway, I
want them completely gone and the area transformed to small accents plants
and bedding. My question is this, I plan to hack them down and then either
dig up the roots or kill them with round up. These yews (10 in all) are
anywhere from 3Hx3W to 5Hx8W, and so I am wondering how big the root
systems
will be? I wouldn't want to have huge gaping holes close to the house for
too long as we are into the rainy season here in St Louis. Any advice
appreciated.

Maggie

"MaGGie" expounded:


I recently purchased a new home that has the most hideous overgrown yews at
the front foundation. This was the big thing long ago I guess. Anyway, I
want them completely gone and the area transformed to small accents plants
and bedding. My question is this, I plan to hack them down and then either
dig up the roots or kill them with round up. These yews (10 in all) are
anywhere from 3Hx3W to 5Hx8W, and so I am wondering how big the root systems
will be? I wouldn't want to have huge gaping holes close to the house for
too long as we are into the rainy season here in St Louis. Any advice
appreciated.

Cut them off to the ground. As far as getting the roots out, good
luck. I killed four yews about 20 years ago. Had a backhoe out there
once and had three of the stumps pulled, but one was too close to the
foundation. It's still out there. Just as solid as the day I cut it
down. So unless you've got a backhoe.......
--
Ann, Gardening in zone 6a
Just south of Boston, MA
********************************

MaGGie wrote:

Hi all, I'm new here so if this is not the forum to ask this, apologies in
advance.

I recently purchased a new home that has the most hideous overgrown yews at
the front foundation. This was the big thing long ago I guess. Anyway, I
want them completely gone and the area transformed to small accents plants
and bedding. My question is this, I plan to hack them down and then either
dig up the roots or kill them with round up. These yews (10 in all) are
anywhere from 3Hx3W to 5Hx8W, and so I am wondering how big the root systems
will be? I wouldn't want to have huge gaping holes close to the house for
too long as we are into the rainy season here in St Louis. Any advice
appreciated.


OK, here's an alternative.. You'll robably hate it, but its just a
suggestion..

Yew is one of the few, if only conifers that will resprout from hard
pruning.. Why not cut them RIGHT back.. let them regrow and topiarise
them or something,.. that way you ahve the best of both worlds..
manageable item of interest AND you can still have bedding etc in front
of them..

I personally think bedding is a waste of time leftover from the
victorian era. And only suited to Town Hall flowerbeds and other areas
of civic pride..
But there ya go. Tha's just me :-p

Jim

I had basically the same problem. I cut the yews down as much as possible,
removing all branches and cutting the stumps to ground level for the smaller
ones. When they regrew from the stumps I just pulled off the shoots. In two
years the growth from the stumps stopped.

-- beeky

MaGGie wrote:

Hi all, I'm new here so if this is not the forum to ask this, apologies in
advance.

I recently purchased a new home that has the most hideous overgrown yews at
the front foundation. This was the big thing long ago I guess. Anyway, I
want them completely gone and the area transformed to small accents plants
and bedding. My question is this, I plan to hack them down and then either
dig up the roots or kill them with round up. These yews (10 in all) are
anywhere from 3Hx3W to 5Hx8W, and so I am wondering how big the root systems
will be? I wouldn't want to have huge gaping holes close to the house for
too long as we are into the rainy season here in St Louis. Any advice
appreciated.

Maggie

"MaGGie" expounded:


I recently purchased a new home that has the most hideous overgrown yews at
the front foundation. This was the big thing long ago I guess. Anyway, I
want them completely gone and the area transformed to small accents plants
and bedding. My question is this, I plan to hack them down and then either
dig up the roots or kill them with round up. These yews (10 in all) are
anywhere from 3Hx3W to 5Hx8W, and so I am wondering how big the root systems
will be? I wouldn't want to have huge gaping holes close to the house for
too long as we are into the rainy season here in St Louis. Any advice
appreciated.

Cut them off to the ground. As far as getting the roots out, good
luck. I killed four yews about 20 years ago. Had a backhoe out there
once and had three of the stumps pulled, but one was too close to the
foundation. It's still out there. Just as solid as the day I cut it
down. So unless you've got a backhoe.......
--
Ann, Gardening in zone 6a
Just south of Boston, MA
********************************

MaGGie wrote:

Hi all, I'm new here so if this is not the forum to ask this, apologies in
advance.

I recently purchased a new home that has the most hideous overgrown yews at
the front foundation. This was the big thing long ago I guess. Anyway, I
want them completely gone and the area transformed to small accents plants
and bedding. My question is this, I plan to hack them down and then either
dig up the roots or kill them with round up. These yews (10 in all) are
anywhere from 3Hx3W to 5Hx8W, and so I am wondering how big the root systems
will be? I wouldn't want to have huge gaping holes close to the house for
too long as we are into the rainy season here in St Louis. Any advice
appreciated.


OK, here's an alternative.. You'll robably hate it, but its just a
suggestion..

Yew is one of the few, if only conifers that will resprout from hard
pruning.. Why not cut them RIGHT back.. let them regrow and topiarise
them or something,.. that way you ahve the best of both worlds..
manageable item of interest AND you can still have bedding etc in front
of them..

I personally think bedding is a waste of time leftover from the
victorian era. And only suited to Town Hall flowerbeds and other areas
of civic pride..
But there ya go. Tha's just me :-p

Jim

Here's what I did with my overgrown bushes, including yews: I put up signs
and advertised "free shrubs, you dig". I got rid of at least 25 shrubs and
2 50 foot long privet hedges that way and never had to lift a finger. I
watched while they labored!


I had the same experience with some sapling oaks--nice Virginia Oaks, but in
the wrong place. At a nursery, you miight pay $700--1400 depending on the
size!
zemedelec

I had basically the same problem. I cut the yews down as much as possible,
removing all branches and cutting the stumps to ground level for the smaller
ones. When they regrew from the stumps I just pulled off the shoots. In two
years the growth from the stumps stopped.

-- beeky

MaGGie wrote:

Hi all, I'm new here so if this is not the forum to ask this, apologies in
advance.

I recently purchased a new home that has the most hideous overgrown yews at
the front foundation. This was the big thing long ago I guess. Anyway, I
want them completely gone and the area transformed to small accents plants
and bedding. My question is this, I plan to hack them down and then either
dig up the roots or kill them with round up. These yews (10 in all) are
anywhere from 3Hx3W to 5Hx8W, and so I am wondering how big the root systems
will be? I wouldn't want to have huge gaping holes close to the house for
too long as we are into the rainy season here in St Louis. Any advice
appreciated.

Maggie

Thanks for all the suggestions about my yew questions. Guess I'll just cut
them down and keep it up until they give up 8^]).

Maggie

"Betsy" -0 wrote in message
...
Here's what I did with my overgrown bushes, including yews: I put up
signs
and advertised "free shrubs, you dig". I got rid of at least 25 shrubs
and
2 50 foot long privet hedges that way and never had to lift a finger. I
watched while they labored!

Don't think I would do that as I'm gone frequently but I like the way you
think.

Maggie

Here's what I did with my overgrown bushes, including yews: I put up signs
and advertised "free shrubs, you dig". I got rid of at least 25 shrubs and
2 50 foot long privet hedges that way and never had to lift a finger. I
watched while they labored!


I had the same experience with some sapling oaks--nice Virginia Oaks, but in
the wrong place. At a nursery, you miight pay $700--1400 depending on the
size!
zemedelec

Thanks for all the suggestions about my yew questions. Guess I'll just cut
them down and keep it up until they give up 8^]).

Maggie

"Betsy" -0 wrote in message
...
Here's what I did with my overgrown bushes, including yews: I put up
signs
and advertised "free shrubs, you dig". I got rid of at least 25 shrubs
and
2 50 foot long privet hedges that way and never had to lift a finger. I
watched while they labored!

Don't think I would do that as I'm gone frequently but I like the way you
think.

Maggie