I think I would attempt to spray the most destructive weed killer I could find on an especially windy day (as long as that wind is in the right direction). Something systemic.
The STW forum is now mostly just a load of middle aged higher earners moaning about first world problems.
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I think I would attempt to spray the most destructive weed killer I could find on an especially windy day
That would be very silly. Spraying should never be done on a windy day. It's dangerous to the person doing it and other living beings around.
Just cut the roots and add a barrier. Laurel isn't going to come back from a cut root it's not like bamboo or other suckering plants. It's not particularly fast growing but does get big so just keep trimming your side regularly. I expect he'll eventually realise he's planted the wrong thing when it gets too big on his driveway.
Don't forget to return the trimmings back to him.
Go full crazy neighbour and hack them down. Then form a pyre and burn them whilst dancing naked and praising the elder gods.
We've had laurels for 25 years. They need regular trimming. Just hacked off about 2 foot at one side as the hedge was getting quite thick - 4ft high, by 4ft deep. It looks bear on one side, but will soon grow back. Can't say we've had any issues with them lifting any tarmac but they aren't planted in a small space, and the roots have the gargen to go find water. I'd do as suggested and cut the roots causing damage, and keep your side well trimmed.
Have you considered getting a large quantity of salt in to keep your drive clear of ice over the winter months? You could even store it down one edge of the driveway near your property boundary.
Just make sure that it doesn’t get wet and soak into any soil where you might want anything to grow in the next year or two.
Might not work.
Laurels are Hardy.
That deserved more(cambe and wise)
You know what to do.
Would something like this let you dig a trench your side of the line then some sort of metal barrier as above. Or 18" square paving slabs laid vertically.
That deserved more(cambe and wise)
The jokes are coming at a Hale and Pace now.
I was thinking about something like that narrow grafting spade - nice and narrow but cuts deep, so fairly easy to work along with slightly overlapping cuts, which hopefully would slice through the roots. Work along one way then work back. Maybe find some steel offcuts from an engineering company, 2’x1’ and hammer them down into the slot you’ve cut with a lump hammer. A bit tedious but easier than trying to cut a trench. Pour something along the slot to encourage the cut roots to die and rot, the drive should gradually settle back down once the roots decay.
@irc - I’ve got a similar spade actually - I’d forgotten about that. I’ve used it for various fence post hole digging etc. it would probably just about go in the gap to get down to the roots I think. Nice idea. Not sure if I’ll get deep enough in the space I’ve got to get paving slabs in there though 🤔
@irc - I’ve got a similar spade actually - I’d forgotten about that. I’ve used it for various fence post hole digging etc. it would probably just about go in the gap to get down to the roots I think. Nice idea. Not sure if I’ll get deep enough in the space I’ve got to get paving slabs in there though 🤔
I've had to do this kind of thing before. That type of spade will be perfect. If the laurels have reached any significant size it is unlikely that you will be able to slice the roots with a spade. I would dig a spade width trench along the length of you drive. Start at the offending root first to get an idea what the going is like and how much graft the whole job will be. You will need to dig either side of the root and under it to get enough clearance to cut it using loppers or a saw. Cut a section of root out as wide as the trench to get enough room to get a root barrier in. Good luck!
Thanks Jordan - I don’t have much room to work with tbh - but hopefully enough to fit some kind of root blocking thing in. Will either lop or reciprocating saw said roots. Spade will go through small roots - but given the bulge in the drive I don’t think this is a small root
Yea, we had a couple of laurels, the roots get massive.
I'd be wary about heavy pruning as when we did ours it just encouraged it to put up new shoots from the roots. It's why we dug it out as it wasn't possible to keep it a sensible size.
If you come across one of the root suckers, you may need a hatchet to get through it. Remember you don't just need to sever the root, you need to do something to kill any suckers further down it underneath your drive, or it will just carry on growing merrily.
The severed root shouldn't keep growing without leaves above ground to nourish it. So if anything pops up just cut it off, the root will eventually die.
