How to Remove Old Established Shrubs (Digging Out Well Anchored Plants) 

Jim, I really enjoyed this video... mostly because of the memory it brought back. When my husband & I were newly weds and bought our current home there were huge old junipers used as foundation plants which we decided to remove. Well after we had removed all of the limbs from the first juniper by hand... we then chopped, dug, chopped and dug some more with ax, shovel and pick-ax to a depth of about 3 ft into the ground (on 3 sides). Well the stupid thing still wouldn't budge so my sweetheart (in his infinite wisdom) decided to hook up his little Ford Ranger pickup to the stump with a log chain. Needless to say, every time he gunned the ranger and reached the end of the chain ...our little pickup would spring back toward the house like it was on a bungee cord. By this time I was laughing uncontrollably, all we had managed to do was tear the crap out of our lawn but the stump hadn't budged at all. When I finally stopped laughing I suggested that we deep soak the root-ball for a while and then try again. After what seemed like an eternity we finally managed to 'pull' that stump out ...and we were both splattered from head to toe with mud! Then came the water fight!!!! Thank you for reminding me of that nearly 50 year old memory!

My Dad always yelled at me as a kid while he was teaching me to do things like this so I never learned. Thank You so much for these videos they helped a lot.

This video is intended for someone who doesn't have access to the fifty different pieces of equipment that can be used to do this. I have landscaped or farmed my whole life. Sometimes, because of finances, or the plant breaks off to the ground, or the location of the plant you have to get your hands dirty.

I'm a 26 y/o 110 lbs 5’1” female so what he says is true! Don't pay outrageous amount to do this!!! I Just pulled out the 1st of 4 shrubs that are about that same size using this procedure and tool suggestion and it made fairly quick work of it!!! thanks!!!

The landscaper charging me 800 to remove plants. I went to Home Depot bought tools to remove plants spent $100 and did it my self. Now I have extra 700 :D

Very easily removed 4 very old, gnarly sage shrubs with my handy reciprocating saw .Stuck the blade into the ground and circled each plant, cutting through the roots, and pulled out the stumps. Fast. Easy.

Those hollies looked perfect under the porch!

I’m exhausted just watching! 😆. The five 50 year old hollies in front of my house may be staying there a bit longer. Enjoyed the vid!

Thanks for giving me the confidence to tackle my shrub removal on my own!

I had pulled out two massive bushes with really long anchored roots yesterday and it was definitely a test of will. Only now did I decide to see how others have done it and I am glad to see that there was no magic shortcut. Just takes time patience and a lot of elbow grease.

This was a very well made, professional and helpful video. You were succinct and to the point. You speeded up the labor part of trimming off the leafy branches. I get so weary of amateur RU-vid videos where the narrator just rambles on and on repeating himself and giving unnecessary information. Thank you so much!

Thanks for the video and the tip on the trenching shovel! My husband and I have a few ~25 year old boxwoods to pull out tomorrow and watching this helped me feel confident that we can do it ourselves!

Thank you for all the tips. I was not looking forward to removing some overgrown 50 year old bushes. Anxious to let the house get more light.

Thanks for sharing this helpful info! I just wish I would've watched it before we went and hacked our bushes down to stumps with nothing left to grab hold of 🤦‍♀️

My root slayer tore my bushes up…like butter. Thanks for the technique & steps.😁 sometimes it’s just the basics that a person (me) needs schooling on. They don’t teach this stuff in school. Thanks again. 😁😍

Helps if the ground is moist from a good rain. Great tips!

this video was super helpful for me with a pair of large, established boxwoods. didn't think I'd be able to wrestle them out of the ground, but this gave me the encouragement I needed, 2 hours later they're out of the ground without any issues!! thank you so much!

I live in Texas and a few of my shrubs did not survive the last winter freeze. I thought of removing them this way but decided to use the truck method - attach one end of a chain to my truck and the other end to a shrub, then use the truck to pull it out. Did 3 shrubs in less than 15 minutes. That's the only way I'll ever do it.

I been in my house 17 years and had some of those too,one day I got up and took everything out lol it was about 10 to 12 bushes the house looks so good and clean with them gone 😀I still haven’t planted anything else just used mulch and brick border, we are enjoying not having shrubs to trim and only grass to cut...

Thanks for giving me the confidence to try this. I've got several old shrubs that are just nasty looking at this point. We'll see how I do!

On bush down 7 to go wow it’s harder than it looks !!! You made it look so easy sir…

I watched the first one and then decided I would set the others on fire before I did that again 😁😁😁😁😁😁

Found that using a sawsall to cut the roots very helpful. find the root and let the blade penetrate the dirt and saw away.

He sure made that look easy! 😊

I'm going to dig out 3 barbery bushes. Thanks for the tutorial. I'm almost 70.

After my mom passed away 4 months ago. Not a gardener at all n not having alot of tools but this video helped as i wanna pull a bush up in the yard. Great help. Will have to look at other vids u might have.

Good day, Gentleman. Thank you for your encouragement. I've recently received an estimate of $300 to remove two (2) young rose bushes that are diseased. I haven't been able to allow myself to pay that, thinking that it's a task that I could do myself. This video provides the encouragement needed. Many thanks.

Thanks for the tips! i know im pretty young but im removing some hollies that have been at my house for YEARS and im thinking of putting a garden there! i wanted to get them all out in about a day, i didn't know the fastest way, but THANKYOU so much! this will get things moving!

This helped me remove a dead plant all by myself, thank you!

Thank-you for this video and, honestly, seeing how hard it is and how hard you are breathing gives me support for my job because it is my first time moving a mature shrub and seemed just impossible. Mine is a 50 year old hydrangea 3 x 3 foot on the base and with a concrete wall on 2 sides, other factors and including cost, nothing for it except I have to do it by hand. You have renewed my resolve. And actually digging out the soil in a trench around the roots - thanks for the pro tip.

I have been working on a hedge removal project where there are 5 hedges that are all over 28 years old. They grew to over 5 feet tall and were adjacent to a front window and had in effect grown into the inside of the window. I spent the first day removing all of the foliage with loppers and putting that foliage into two 55 gallon sized very heavy duty trash bags. I am at the point of having removed some wild ferns that had snuck into the hedge that had to also be removed. Now I am at the point of having gotten to the point of being able to dig out the remaining plant with the root system and discard each plant as yard waste. I will be reusing the existing soil surrounding the roots and add new soil to fill in. I was forced to use a lopper that I have virtually worn out since the limbs of the hedge were between 3 /4 inch and 1 1/2 inches in size. I managed to use a small limb saw to cut down the limbs to about 10 inches. In my case I could not have used a hedge trimmer since the limbs were too large. I have cleaned the surface around of unwanted plant waste . Once I remove the large root balls I will use a weed torch to kill off the wild ferns and then level this 5 foot by 9 foot area with new topsoil and will likely plant new sod to cover the area until I decide what replacement plants I want to use. In my case this has been turning into a 4 day project and I have perhaps 2 more days to go to get the job done right

Thanks for the help Jim! Removing 8 bushes between today & tomorrow.

Thanks, Jim! This is exactly what I was looking for to figure out how to pull out a few bushes in front of my house.

I'm fixing my yard after my kin folk didn't take care of it for some reason. I'm now in the process of pulling out the roots. I cannot believe how much great land my kin folk had and never took care of it. I can't wait the finish the job and make it like a big picnic.

My friend just put a chain around the base and hooked it to a truck. 5 plants Out in 15 minutes!!

Thank you Jim. I got a warning to remove mine before September 10. Never done this before. Hopefully it will go smoothly like you did. Wish me luck.

This is exactly the problem I have at the moment, two 17 yr old Hebes that I have cut back but roots are very well anchored. This is very helpful thank you for posting.

Thanks for making this video. This is exactly what I wanted to know how to do. We also have 20year old holly’s directly in front of our front porch that I want to replace. We own those exact tools, and now we know what to do!

Great vid! Thank you :) I removed foliage yesterday from an old spikey thin and slicing leaved shrubby thing took me hours.. I didn’t have a clue how to get the rest out now I do! Thank you for the encouragement that I can do this job. Looks so hard but doable.. might be a three day job for me!

Been watching your videos for a few months now. Took out a little gem magnolia a few weeks ago using the same technique you showed. Thanks for being on RU-vid. We really enjoy your channel! J&D

This is so helpful. I am one that thought it was out of my ability to dig up. I've got these tools. I'm going to get started!

Jim, Thanks for the video! I have five 45 year old 6 x 6 Indian Hawthorn that are getting too much shade now, not blooming and getting dieback. I want to replace them with smaller shade shrubs. I think I (69 F) can get it started and show my gardener it can be done.

I thought I would have to hire someone to do this. Now I feel empowered to do it myself. Plus it would save me about $1000 to remove 5 large bushes. Thanks so much!

You have a video for every question I have had! Thanks! I'm hoping this will work for 2 GIGANTIC mop false cypress (?) that my in-laws planted in the middle of the best part of our back yard - they take up so much valuable space.

I came across this video today and it helped me to remove a shrub.

Great tip on the shovel type. I have been using a round point shovel which is marginally effective.

I did the Same job but in heavy clay soil and boy it was hard work ,I replanted two of them and was surprised they both lived,they still look good,Mexican orange blossoms,that was four year’s ago so it’s always worth a try if you like the plants.

Those are 20 years established and I have 3 holly bushes that are about 40 years established. Got em cut down to the nubs but now it's time to start digging. I guess I will have to buy a trench shovel to get in there good cuz the roots on these mothers are huge. It might take me a year to get all three but I am determined.

I have a tip for large junipers which has a high degree of difficulty due to the root systems. Get your monster loppers or pruning saw and cut them best you can flush to the ground. I then take a long handled 8 pound sledge hammer and lay into that root mass for a few whacks. . It usually takes only 2 or 3 hits and the roots mass usually lets go of it’s hold and pulls right up. Of course it depends on the soil, but roots usually yield pretty good under this type of force.

That's a tough job, especially in this heat.

This helped in telling me to cut the big feeder roots which should make it easier to pull the rest out with a tow strap or cable attached to a trailer hitch. I searched here after having mixed results pulling them that way. One yielded while two others slipped out. Thanks!

No, those are beautiful! I would move my sidewalk before I removed those lovely bushes!

Thank you! The previous owner of my house love plants and planted high maintence plants around my porch and around the house. I'm not into it like that. So I'm removing them. Again thank you!

Saw this video at just at the right time. We have some 25-year-old birds nest spruces that need to be replaced. Thanks for showing us the right way to get the job done without paying an arm and a leg. We will probably do it a little at a time as you suggested. 🙂

I’m exhausted just watching. You did a excellent job

Those shrubs looked so comfortable along the railing and probably was home to a lot of critters seeking shelter at night.

I used my 2017 ram truck and a strap, works effortlessly!

Thanks for sharing how to removing old plants.

1st time researching removal of bush in front yard - and this explained it.....cool:).

Thank u I have 3 old rose bushes damaged by freeze that need to come out. Didn't know the best approach I cannot afford professionals!

Thanks - super helpful - going to finish removing roots of a gnarly plant now.

Thank you! Husband and I start removing our bushes today, wish us luck!

Boy, lam glad I watch this before I started,thanks

I appreciate this! I don't have the tools everyone else is recommending and quite honestly don't want to spend a lot to remove my bushes. Plus, i don't mind the workout! Thanks for sharing :)

Duuude. Get a truck and a mounted tire. With a chain or tow strap. I pulled up 16 30 years old bushes in about 2 hours. Got in and out of the truck 16 times. With a/c on blast. It was a pleasure

I circle the shrub with a recip saw and a pruning blade then under cut after using a mini pickaxe. Rocks are always fun.

Thank you for this, but also grateful you left the breathing in the video, so i can get a sense for how difficult it was 😂. I'll let you know how it goes. 🤞🏽

Shared with my friend digging out established euonymus - at least 30 yrs old 😳 Thanks!

we did pretty much what you did in your video, to remove an overgrown large shrub that had grown in place for over 45 yrs. Had to do this over several days (we are in our 70's!) but finally got the invasive, unattractive shrub out, including down to its roots. HOWEVER, about 2 wks later, little leaves sprang up -- yes, the dang this was aiming to re-grow😱!!! So how do we "kill off" the unwanted roots without harming the azalea and evergreen growing on either side🤔? We'd like to plant a perennial plant(s), or can you make suggestions? All we know for sure is that we do NOT want the uprooted plant to ever regrow via whatever remnants are deeply existing still...😳

Thanks! I have an ongoing project removing an established Nandina hedge from a fence row. It moved into the neighbors yard so we are both on a mission to eradicate the massive roots. He is spraying herbicides; I am using shovel, pick axe, small hand tools, etc. It's been an on-going process since spring. My 2yo son "helps" so hopefully when it gets cool this fall we can finish. No shade in a Louisiana summer is too hot!

It's really interesting and informative to see this process done by someone who knows what they are doing. Thanks so much for sharing the experience! Give Holly a pat n the head from me.

great video, very informative...I'm going to employ these techniques this weekend on some ugly old shrubs in front of my house!

Love your content! You make it all look so easy!

1) water well (almost sopping wet), 2) call a local tow truck company, 3) have the tow truck driver strap around each one and lift out. We had 14, twenty year old shrubs right up against the foundation out of the ground in less than an hour and a half and the tow truck only charged $80.

I had to take out some shrubs. What I used was a tie down strap and an engine hoist. Wrap the strap and tighten it around the shrubs at the bottom, then tie it to the engine hoist. Hoist it up and it pulled the shrubs right up in less than a few minutes. Had to cut the roots to avoid damaging more of the ground surface, but it was super simple with an engine hoist to lift it up if you have one handy.

In my backyard we have a rose bush that's probably over 30 years old and half dead. I've been trying to muster up the courage to dig it out so I can put something new in its place

I would suggest that you use a steadier shoe than the ones you wore in the video. A boon docker, boots or something with a solid sole and not something that actually bends so easily as you push down on a shovel. It makes it more difficult for you in the tennis shoes. One other suggestion (and not being critical at all) is to moisten the ground around the base of the shrub before attempting to remove it. Thanks for the video. You sound a bit winded by the end and I would be too.

Something even easier that I do...use a recipricating saw with wood plade and cut circle. Turns this 25-30 minute project into 10 minutes. Even better, get bit chains and hook up to a riding mower after cutting large roots and drag it out. In NC, where the heat and humidity is especially high right now it is a life saver.

We had the same bushes lined in front of our house just like your house. My husband took his tractor and hooked on them with a chain and they came right up and we gave them to my niece and she planted them in her yard. You want to make sure the ground is very wet before pulling them up because it helps for them come and for replanting.

Got me a truck and a couple of large tow straps. Ain't nobody got time for all that.

You can rent an engine hoist, wrap a chain around the base of the plant and pull the entire plant out of the ground within minutes. I used process shown in this video for one side of my lawn and it was pure hell. I watched a few videos on how to make the job easier and found the engine hoist works perfectly. I rented the hoist from a local company who charged $7 a day. I got the job done within an hour. Work smarter not harder. Traditional methods are not always the best methods.

use an engine hoist. tie chain around base. out in under a minute

I used a sawzall with a pruning blade to cut below grade the entire perimeter of the root ball. Then, back up my pickup to yank it out with a steel cable. About 15 min.

Fortunately, the guy installing my pool agreed to gently dig my shrubs with a Bobcat at no extra cost. Should take him about 10 min tops.

I had big established 50 years old bushes in front of my house. I cut down like you did to expose the inside so I could see the trunks and instead of digging out with a shovel, I put a heavy duty chain around it and hooked it up to the back of my truck and slowly pulled them all out myself, much easier than digging them out. Also I wasn’t trying to save them !

Wow, you are amazing but all that heavy breathing is making me reconsider tackling this...but I stuck with it to the end and saw you recovered within a few minutes, so and I’ll probably try 😎

thankyou! also hope your staying hydrated after all that 💙

Thanks so much, learning about that trenching shovel and root breaking process should make a similar job I need to do this weekend much easier.

That's pretty much what it has taken for me to do a similar job. I was hoping there was an easier way! :-) Thanks for the video.

The New Holland tractor and tow chain work pretty good. Put a slow drip hose on them all day the before. Shut off night before you pull them. Even with a 32 hp tractor the 40 year old yew roots were gnarly and required some digging and cutting. Once the 3 day job was done my friend ghosted me.... go figure.

I have been trying to remove Azelias. I will never in my life think they are pretty again. This has been the hardest task I've ever had.

8 year old shrubs i gotta deal with I've no power tools but luckily I don't have masses and aren't that deep. But girl living alone I'm gonna do it!! Thanks great vid and great tip about trenching shovel.

I just dug out a huge overgrown boxwood in my yard today using this same method. It was a bugger of a job though and I've got ten more to go. One less shrub to trim! I can't wait until they are all gone so I'll never have to trim another one. I also dug up a juniper...what a horrible plant to remove! 😱. I've got five more of them. Not sure my back can handle it...lol.

Great video. I tried it, and it worked. Thank you!!

Thank you for this, I was fighting one and was about to give up.

Thank you! Just moved into a100 year old house w a lot of led shrubs & bushes that need to go. . So helpful

That is back-breaking work, brother…my goodness.

Yeeeeeeeeah, I'ma just go ahead and pay someone to do that. All the respect in the world though for buckling down and doing the hard work.

* Thank you, this was well explained! I have a project to do, but I don’t have any hedger, nor all the tolls. Your tutorial is going to help me a lot, thanks and take care.

We do it the same way. For very tricky maneuvers we will incorporate a chain saw with auger.