Shrub removal question?

[Stratosman]

Okay time to correct some previous owner landscape malfunctions....

Here is the deal. In the boulevard between the sidewalk and the street they planted it with those low spreading evergreen shrubs, not sure of the name...anyway, it looks like [PoorWordUsage] and there are always weeds growing up through them. So we want to rip them out and bring a little black dirt in and sod so it looks normal again....anyway, pretty much all the utilities run through there including Xcels main feed so I am afraid to rip them out with the roots probably tangled around everything.

Is it a viable option to just spray roundup on them, let them die and dry for a week or so then just scrape them off, breaking them from their roots with the skid loader bucket, then scrape out a few inches of dirt and prep for clean fill, then sod...?

Any other ideas? Thanks.

[pureinsanity]

Okay time to correct some previous owner landscape malfunctions....

Here is the deal. In the boulevard between the sidewalk and the street they planted it with those low spreading evergreen shrubs, not sure of the name...anyway, it looks like [PoorWordUsage] and there are always weeds growing up through them. So we want to rip them out and bring a little black dirt in and sod so it looks normal again....anyway, pretty much all the utilities run through there including Xcels main feed so I am afraid to rip them out with the roots probably tangled around everything.

Is it a viable option to just spray roundup on them, let them die and dry for a week or so then just scrape them off, breaking them from their roots with the skid loader bucket, then scrape out a few inches of dirt and prep for clean fill, then sod...?

Any other ideas? Thanks.

Junipers??

Call and get everything marked. Call before you dig! If they are junipers you might be in for a real treat depending how old they are I wouldn't recommend using the skid loader to break off at the roots. I would cut them off so they are manageable so you can see what you are doing and start digging carefully. Odds are about the only thing you will hit when diggign would be cable, everything else SHOULD be deep enough, but still be careful.

If they do come out and mark things for you at least you will know where the utilities actually are. You might be in the clear to wrap a chain out and pull them out with the skid.

Worst comes to works. Cut them off above ground and use a brush killer to rot the stumps. (this method takes a long time)

[pureinsanity]

Oh and if they are junipers, where gloves. they don't feel great on the hands

[Stratosman]

It's marked as of today.....

Thanks!

[Powerstroke]

I would dig a little pothole by hand to locate the utility if you can. Most utilities try to keep their lines at 18" deep or lower. There is no hazard in trying to find the depth of the utility. That's what the contractors do.

Once you know how deep you can work you can decide how you want to approach the project. You may be able to rip them out with a chain.

PS, I offer this advice as a city utility worker. We dig in the blvd and right-of-way all the time. Getting a locate is the number one thing you can do. You've taken that step so the rest should be self-explanatory.

[Steve Foss]

The utility question basically being answered, I'd recommend getting out as much of that root system as possible. Younger juniper plants can be dug out by hand with a spade. Older plants may need a combination of digging and jerking out with a chain and a pickup.

I've done quite a number of such removals.

If you're planting shrubs/flowers in the area after removal, getting the bigger roots out isn't as critical. But since you're going to convert to lawn, if they are old roots and you leave the larger roots in the bed will collapse over time as the roots rot away, and you can end up with depressions in the lawn.