You've got to laugh!

[TheMitchells]

At my bungalow, we are looking to remove a box hedge as it is not looking nice and box blight is in the area.  I intend to replace it with a 3 ft fence and then in auturn, add a new hedge, using bare rooted, probably hornbeam.  the fence will give some privacy while the hedge gets established.  It should be much better in the long term than the box.

however, when i tried to get the box plants out, it was harder than I'd hoped.  I managed the end three plants but it took 2 of us an hour and was very hard work. they have been there for about 15 years so, while not very tall, they have rooted quite well.

so we are looking for quotes from local landscapers to remove it for me.  The chap who came today suggested £90 a metre!!  when we declined, he dropped it to £65 but as there is 15m, thats nearly a thousand pounds to take it out and get rid of the hedge.  Amazing! 😆

 

I now plan to hire a mini digger and do it myself.😁

 

[Conor]

Yeah mini digger and a few runs to local recycling centre. Job done for a couple hundred quid.

[TheMitchells]

28 minutes ago, Conor said:

Yeah mini digger and a few runs to local recycling centre. Job done for a couple hundred quid.

thats what i am hoping.  should be fun - if i can get the hubby off the mini digger so i can have a go!

 

[Conor]

30 minutes ago, TheMitchells said:

thats what i am hoping.  should be fun - if i can get the hubby off the mini digger so i can have a go!

 

Insist. It's great fun!

[joe90]

You will love it, I almost did not want to sell my JCB after the build, my best “toy” ever 👍

[Thorfun]

sorry to be put a downer on this digger love fest but diggers are in very short supply at the moment. if you're going to hire one make enquiries very early to avoid disappointment. 🙂 

[Jilly]

I quite like the box...

[Marvin]

We can see the gardener's amongst us. Box has small shallow weak roots. 

 

My guess would be fork and spade work.

[PeterW]

1 hour ago, Thorfun said:

sorry to be put a downer on this digger love fest but diggers are in very short supply at the moment. if you're going to hire one make enquiries very early to avoid disappointment. 🙂

 

eh ..???

 

not sure where in the U.K. you are but I can get one I. 25-48 hours and that’s  micro, 1t and 1.5t machines. And that’s from 3 or 4 suppliers in the East Midlands - £55/65 a day plus VAT. Go to the bigger places such as A Plant and HSS and they aren’t bothered for 1 day hires so either price out or say no stock .. 

 

 

[Radian]

6 minutes ago, Jilly said:

I quite like the box...

I do too. I get out my auto-levelling 3D Laser and trim ours until it's a sharp as a masonry wall. Could do without box blight though 😬

[Thorfun]

Just now, PeterW said:

 

eh ..???

 

not sure where in the U.K. you are but I can get one I. 25-48 hours and that’s  micro, 1t and 1.5t machines. And that’s from 3 or 4 suppliers in the East Midlands - £55/65 a day plus VAT. Go to the bigger places such as A Plant and HSS and they aren’t bothered for 1 day hires so either price out or say no stock .. 

 

 

south east. was speaking to local hire place and they're completely out at the moment. also got a friend who's looking to buy a smaller digger but can't find any. 

 

but, and you're right to pull me up on this, I've not searched extensively as I own one and don't need to hire one! I should've caveated my post with the fact I hadn't done extensive searching on the subject. sorry.

 

[PeterW]

Agree on the second hand plant market - it’s mental. Saw an 18 month old Kubota go through auction (not eBay…) for £1200 more than it’s original sale price. I know that there are supply issues for the smaller machines as they come in from abroad so everyone is hanging on to what they have got. 

[Radian]

On 04/05/2022 at 19:38, Radian said:

I do too. I get out my auto-levelling 3D Laser and trim ours until it's a sharp as a masonry wall. Could do without box blight though 😬

 

Lawn slopes away from the house by 1:30 on this side: Can never decide whether to cut the top of the hedge to follow the slope or remain level?

[Mr Punter]

5 minutes ago, Radian said:

Can never decide whether to cut the top of the hedge to follow the slope or remain level?

 

How you have done it looks good.

[Radian]

33 minutes ago, Mr Punter said:

 

How you have done it looks good.

Thanks. That section of hedge was lucky to survive the excavation for our garden room foundations!

[bassanclan]

On 04/05/2022 at 19:25, Jilly said:

I quite like the box...

Me too!

[PeterW]

8 hours ago, Radian said:

Thanks. That section of hedge was lucky to survive the excavation for our garden room foundations!

Did you go through a pipe or is that surface water ..?!

[Onoff]

10 hours ago, Radian said:

 

Lawn slopes away from the house by 1:30 on this side: Can never decide whether to cut the top of the hedge to follow the slope or remain level?

 

You sure it's not more like 1:30.25 or something?

[Radian]

1 hour ago, PeterW said:

Did you go through a pipe or is that surface water ..?!

Bit of both really. The broken pipe cutting the corner was an old clay pipe field drain. There were several of these, one which must have been cut through by the house foundations. Might explain why I used to see so much water at the bottom of the cavity walls. The 2.5m deep trench for this new extension filled with water overnight! Before we got the concrete pour we had to line with OSB as the lawn just kept landsliding in.

[Radian]

1 hour ago, Onoff said:

 

You sure it's not more like 1:30.25 or something?

 

Don't know. Fortunately I don't suffer from OCD or anything like that. 😁

[TheMitchells]

On 04/05/2022 at 19:33, Marvin said:

We can see the gardener's amongst us. Box has small shallow weak roots. 

 

My guess would be fork and spade work.

Tried that and it was very hard work.  After an hour of hard work, we had taken out 3 (1 metre) and there is another 15 m to go.  I have better things to spend my time on - like a mini digger!