Tree roots on fence line

[Makeitgo]

Hi all

I took down a sycamore tree 6 years ago which left a stump (outlined in yellow in picture). The stump is elliptical, about 21" x 16" (so round equivalent, maybe 18 " diameter?).

I need to dig a hole for a 4" timber fence post next to it, right where its lateral roots are. I've been digging round and under the roots to clear the way for cutting them out with a recip saw which has been OK so far, but still got some big roots to get through. So, I was considering getting hold of a chisel ended digging bar to inflict some brute force and ignorance on it.

Has anyone successfully made a 12” post hole (blue cross in picture) this close to a tree before with big roots like these? Do you reckon a digging bar would get through them or am I just being naive. I was looking at a blade/tamper head circa 8KG bar and giving it some welly. Any thoughts?

Cheers

 

[foxhole]

I used a recip saw to cut out roots , but when tree presented fence problem I adjust the fence run to avoid it , much easier than removing roots .

 

[pcaouolte]

I doubt that a digging bar will make much impression on them. Recip saw is the way to go.

 

[Makeitgo]

Thanks foxhole. I did a recce to find an easier post spacing, but the whole fence line has roots/stumps from downed trees on it. Plan "A" was to nuke the stump with a grinder, but there's actually a BT phone multicore that the tree has grown round embedded in the stump. It's a heads you loose, tails you loose one this is.

 

[Makeitgo]

Cheers Pcaouolte, I thought a couple of people might say that.

 

[pcaouolte]

I would have suggested a big axe but then I noticed the conduit and thought that might not be the best idea.

 

[Makeitgo]

I know, not easy to get a good swing at the bar steward. It's probably got acid blood that would burn It's way though several floors of a deep space freighter ship too : - )

 

[scbk]

First off try and relocate the post. If you get a post in the ground there, when the stump rots away in 10 years time the post might become loose.

To dig through roots like that the extra tools I would have with me would be:
Petrol cut off saw with carbide cluster blade
4 1/2" angle grinder with carbide cluster blade
SDS max drill, with a wide chisel sharpened with a grinder
Fencing bar with a root cutter blade

 

[Makeitgo]

scbk, thank you, that's talking turkey. I just can't see a way of relocating posts, but as you say it looks like I need to increase my armoury. I've got access to a Hilti TE 14 which is SDS, do you think that would help with a sharpened chisel bit? Thanks for the other sugestions they sound good to me.

 

[Makeitgo]

Thanks for your input all, none of you told me I was wasting my time, so I persevered and now it’s done.

I couldn’t see myself getting hold of a cut off saw although it would have been interesting to use, so I got a Roughneck 17lb Post-Hole Digger – pretty much what scbk suggested. Holy cow that bar gives you a work out.

Just some tips for whoever might read this post in the future:

The digger is basically 5ft long heavy bar with a chisel end 2½” across. It has an axe like cutting edge on its end but with around 8kg of weight behind it. The edge has what I understand to be a splitting axe or maul profile (nose cone of a V2 rocket shape but less pointy) rather than a wood chisel shape. This means that when cutting across the root grain, you need to put your back into it. I eventually discovered that if you hit the root in line with the grain, this tool is devastating. Hit roots both orientations in turn for substantial results.

I used a spearfishing technique with the bar after I’d got used to picking a target and being able to hit it (didn’t want to hit the BT cable). This is possible after practice because you are looking along the bar as you drive it in, whereas swinging an axe I think can be a bit wilder.

When faced with a load of big roots, clear all the soil off all the ones you can see, then start cutting them. Dig under roots you can see to get to know their structure and how they’re connected. You might see a root that looks like it’s really deep from top to bottom, but the chances are it’s not and it actually round. What you might see is a root that has a load of clay and pebbles packed underneath it. Remove this and the root will look a lot more capable of being cut. There is a lot of trowel work here but it’s worth it.

A baby 15” mattock is also invaluable to chip away soil and stones from the roots and a 4ft aligning pry bar to get where the mattock can’t go. To sum up, if you hit roots with a post hole digger long enough, they will give in. A stunning tool, but you will ache the next day : - )

 

[DiyNutJob]

Digging with a crowbar worked for me. Then drill and jigsaw for the roots.

 

[Makeitgo]

Digging with a crowbar worked for me. Then drill and jigsaw for the roots.

Crowbar, yeah. It was the pointy end of my 4ft bar that was great for digging around roots to find the meat of the root. Interesting that you should say that about using a drill. To start with I was sometimes using a long 22mm flat wood drill bit to put an 8" hole in the roots to be able to get my recip saw in to cut from the middle out. Cheers DNJ.

 

[DiyNutJob]

A 1.5 foot bar has greater precision and need less effort when loosening the soil. The long heavy bars are meant for attacking the roots directly. Power tools are better for that. An SDS chisel could work for this. I only have a low power normal drill. So, I have to use normal bit and drill from multiple directions.