The wired in run area of a chicken coop is overgrown with four-foot bushes–multi-stemmed–no trunk. I want to clear this space as a deer-protected garden. What is the simplest way to pull up these bushes with minimal equipment?
Outrider, the ground is soft and wet. I have thought of what you suggest, or using a come-along, but how do I attach the cable to the bush? It would just pull off.
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Cut the trunks small but still long enough you can get a excellent hold on them, and then start digging to expose the roots which you can cut with a pruning saw, secateurs, whatever you have but not something you care about the blade on because cutting through soil is hard on a blade, or a sawzall if you have one. Those pocket size folding saws they sell for camping are very excellent for this. Just keep digging and cutting until you can yank the shrub out. If the roots themselves aren’t a problem, simply cutting everything back below soil line will severely discourage many shrubs, if not kill them outright. Covering the root area so no light can get through will also discourage re-growth.
I did something like this by tying the base to the bumper of my car and slowly pulled it out of the ground. I wouldn’t try this with the ground frozen or if your car has some cheap plastic bumper.
Outrider.
I agree if you don’t have much equipment the bumper of a car or if you have or know someone that has a 4×4 truck……..wrap a chain around the base of the bush ……..cross the hook end over the chain going to the bush from the vechile………and hook it back into it self…….so the chain is able to get pulled tight against the bush when you drive the vechile forward……..the chain should tighten up…….and if all goes well pull the bush out.
Spring when the frost is out of the ground and the ground is soft (muddy) should be a excellent time for this.
Other wise have you thought of cutting it down close to the ground?
Burn it out?
Cut it down and burn out what is left?
Excellent luck I hope some of this helps.
I had the same situation at my house. I waited until winter, then clipped all the stems down. Then I dumped charcoal on the nubs and soaked in lighter fluid. Fired it up and let it burn all the nubs down. In one particular area I had to place a piece of metal next to a wood post, so the charcoal fire wouldn’t do any hurt.
I found this works for tree trunks also.
Use a excellent amount of charcoal. I bought 40 lbs of cheap Walmart charcoal for my project. You want a nice long burn time. Charcoal doesn’t "flame up" so there is not a lot of danger from starting a secondary fire. Just keep an eye on it.