Yzzy Posted February 2, 2018 Share Posted February 2, 2018 Hiya, not sure if anyone on here has any experience or advice but.... back in 2003 Mother announced "I got fig trees to grow from stones! I'm going to plant them along the back of the garden" I went nuts and begged her not to, explained how big they grow, how their roots shoot off and sprout new trees everywhere etc etc. Anyway, fell on deaf ears and now I own the house and OH MY GOODNESS!!! Six or could be seven HUGE twisting fig trees now tower over the garden, they've grown through the brick built summer house and ruined it, they've shot up through the lawn... It's a nightmare! Now I am thinking get someone in with a chainsaw and get them down to stumps but will this work? Is the garden doomed? I spent a couple of hours outside last week snipping and sawing off as much as I could reach but the tops of the trees are above roof height! I dread to think how far the roots have spread. This 'problem' is the one thing that could have me hanging up my gloves and saying bye bye to the house. The trunks of these trees are a twisted around each other leaving some about 4 foot wide! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Yzzy Posted February 2, 2018 Author Share Posted February 2, 2018 Here's the above section after I snipped and chopped my short-assed way through it.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Onoff Posted February 2, 2018 Share Posted February 2, 2018 I adopted one my brother wanted rid of. Carefully dug it up and replanted in what must be the ideal spot in our garden. Between the shed and oil tank and backed by a conifer hedge. It loves it and we get tennis ball sized figs if I wrap them early enough to keep the wasps off. Wish I'd known about it rooting though! I thought it was the plum tree shoots coming up next to the oil tank! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Russell griffiths Posted February 2, 2018 Share Posted February 2, 2018 That lot is a lot to deal with but I don’t see it being the reason to abandon the project, it will take two things to put it right time and money are you planning on living here or are you having a tidy up to sell it on. If the house is in poor repair as you said it was, then that row of trees could be only a small percentage on your overall budget. As regards the cost it will be based a lot on access, can the tree blokes get a truck near to the trees so it is easy to remove the rubbish, can you get an excavator near them to grub out the stumps ? cutting them down is fairly easy it’s what you do to get it all clear and back to a reasonable finish that takes the time. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ToughButterCup Posted February 2, 2018 Share Posted February 2, 2018 3 hours ago, Vision Of Heaven said: Hiya, not sure if anyone on here has any experience or advice but.... [...] This 'problem' is the one thing that could have me hanging up my gloves and saying bye bye to the house. The trunks of these trees are a twisted around each other leaving some about 4 foot wide! Persistence. No matter how you feel, no matter what's going on around you. Just Bloody Do It. JBDI 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Yzzy Posted February 2, 2018 Author Share Posted February 2, 2018 YES SIR! ( I think I will be needing many kicks up the padding before December!) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Yzzy Posted February 2, 2018 Author Share Posted February 2, 2018 2 hours ago, Onoff said: I adopted one my brother wanted rid of. Carefully dug it up and replanted in what must be the ideal spot in our garden. Between the shed and oil tank and backed by a conifer hedge. It loves it and we get tennis ball sized figs if I wrap them early enough to keep the wasps off. Wish I'd known about it rooting though! I thought it was the plum tree shoots coming up next to the oil tank! Oh dear! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ToughButterCup Posted February 2, 2018 Share Posted February 2, 2018 2 minutes ago, Vision Of Heaven said: [...] ( I think I will be needing many kicks up the padding before December!) That doesn't mean do it all yourself.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Yzzy Posted February 2, 2018 Author Share Posted February 2, 2018 30 minutes ago, Russell griffiths said: are you planning on living here or are you having a tidy up to sell it on. Live in it hopefully. As regards the cost it will be based a lot on access, can the tree blokes get a truck near to the trees so it is easy to remove the rubbish, Yes 30 minutes ago, Russell griffiths said: can you get an excavator near them to grub out the stumps ? Yes cutting them down is fairly easy it’s what you do to get it all clear and back to a reasonable finish that takes the time. Ok thank you, that give me hope. Someone mentioned Glyphostae or something but I am wanting to keep Bees, Hens and grow fruit trees in that area so am loath to put anything nasty down. Someone else mentioned common table salt, apparently adding loads of that around the roots will kill the trees? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Yzzy Posted February 2, 2018 Author Share Posted February 2, 2018 1 minute ago, recoveringacademic said: That doesn't mean do it all yourself.... I don't mean to... I'm one of these people that rather than sit and explain for 2 hours what I want done I'm already pulling on gloves and half way through it before anyone has asked if I need help. The trees though..... they can be done by someone else... I am scared of chainsaws. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Declan52 Posted February 2, 2018 Share Posted February 2, 2018 If you can cut your way into the trunks drill some holes with the widest wood bit you have and put some diesel into the holes. Keep topping it up and it will poison the tree and make it easier to rip out when the digger arrives. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MikeGrahamT21 Posted February 2, 2018 Share Posted February 2, 2018 Get some tree stump killer, same as above, drill holes into it, and keep putting it in, eventually it will get the idea and die, but don't expect overnight results. Also if you can peel a bit of the bark away and get some down there too, that will likely speed things up a little. Dig a trench all the way around the tree(s) (if you can, not sure it one side is neighbours), and sever an roots you find, should also give you an idea of where the offshoots may pop up. Then it'll just be a case of digging up the smaller ones as and when they pop up. A digger is likely to be your friend for the trench, there will be a hell of a lot of roots from that set! 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ToughButterCup Posted February 2, 2018 Share Posted February 2, 2018 1 hour ago, Vision Of Heaven said: [...] before anyone has asked if I need help. [...] Why should they? Why don't you arrange it? Demand it? Encourage it? 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nickfromwales Posted February 2, 2018 Share Posted February 2, 2018 I'd have thought the neighbour will shit a brick when they know what's growing so say nowt. Just ask permission to 'prune' the 'bushes' . Probably one down from Japanese Knotweed and also a mortgage killer if anyone looks at buying yours or next door. Kill this quickly and quietly. ? 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MikeGrahamT21 Posted February 2, 2018 Share Posted February 2, 2018 Oh as for your glyphosate worries, as long as it goes in the tree and not on the ground you'll be fine, even if it does go on the ground it will wash away over the months and years ahead. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MikeGrahamT21 Posted February 2, 2018 Share Posted February 2, 2018 (edited) Just had a look online for you, apparently Ficus are particularly sensitive to the herbicide triclopyr, which is available in several products in the UK. Also any wood boring you do to inject this stuff, make sure it goes in instantly, as ficus heal rapidly, and wear gloves! Its highly irritant latex which comes out in the white sap. Edited February 2, 2018 by MikeGrahamT21 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nickfromwales Posted February 2, 2018 Share Posted February 2, 2018 Shall I rename the thread "day of the triffids"? 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MikeGrahamT21 Posted February 2, 2018 Share Posted February 2, 2018 I had nightmares after watching that when it was on the TV! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Yzzy Posted February 2, 2018 Author Share Posted February 2, 2018 The neighbours directly behind us should either know by now as the leaves are pretty unmistakable, not to mention the fruit..... and if they haven't guessed then they are dim t be honest! They don't have a garden, they have a yard full of various 'project' cars that never seem to move and they walk about in string vests and trousers that seem to be always teasing onlookers with white hairy buttocks!! Thanks for all the tips... I will try what I can and kill the beasts, will take some better photos and keep a prognosis report going... lol !!! 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Yzzy Posted February 2, 2018 Author Share Posted February 2, 2018 4 minutes ago, MikeGrahamT21 said: Just had a look online for you, apparently Ficus are particularly sensitive to the herbicide triclopyr, which is available in several products in the UK. Also any wood boring you do to inject this stuff, make sure it goes in instantly, as ficus heal rapidly, and wear gloves! Its highly irritant latex which comes out in the white sap. Oohhhh excellent! Cheers. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MikeGrahamT21 Posted February 2, 2018 Share Posted February 2, 2018 Whatever you do, plan your attack and go in with intent! 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MikeGrahamT21 Posted February 2, 2018 Share Posted February 2, 2018 Link for the article regarding Triclopyr: http://homeguides.sfgate.com/chemical-kill-ficus-roots-62378.html 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Russell griffiths Posted February 2, 2018 Share Posted February 2, 2018 I’m not sure why all the comments on killing these figs. You want to remove them, not leave them there but dead get them cut down and get the stumps either ground out, or grubbed out with an excavator, then you can treat any new growth that may come back with a herbicide. What is is the point of having a dead tree stood up in the air. And as for drilling holes and filling with diesel, that’s not exactly the most environmentally sound idea, ?? 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ToughButterCup Posted February 2, 2018 Share Posted February 2, 2018 No @Russell griffiths, yer lass wants them dead but gently so . She wants nun o' this digger-based brutality. That way, the poor Figgin' thing doesn't stand a chance. I mean, where's your caring side, eh? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nickfromwales Posted February 2, 2018 Share Posted February 2, 2018 17 minutes ago, Russell griffiths said: I’m not sure why all the comments on killing these figs. You want to remove them, not leave them there but dead get them cut down and get the stumps either ground out, or grubbed out with an excavator, then you can treat any new growth that may come back with a herbicide. What is is the point of having a dead tree stood up in the air. And as for drilling holes and filling with diesel, that’s not exactly the most environmentally sound idea, ?? If you don't kill the entire root network by letting the plant transport the poison throughout you'll spend forever chasing new growth. You don't leave a dead tree behind, it gets removed when the job is done ☠️? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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