How do you cut bushes?

Answer 1

If you're talking about trimming a hedge or similar evergreen, there's no substitute for an electric hedge trimmer. Make sure you don't accidentally cut the electric wire. Evergreens will grow next season any place there's daylight, so cutting back extra growth lets you shape and size the overall plant. New growth is light green (cut that off), old growth is dark.

If they're small, use a file or grinding wheel to sharpen the tip of a shovel and dig it out. The sharper the edge, the easier it will cut roots. It will take some work, but you can transplant the bush when you're done.

To trim a bush, a lopping tool is handy. It looks like a pruning tool but has long (2 to 3 feet) wooden handles. All that leverage is concentrated in a 3-inch scissor-like cutter. Anything bigger than 2" across will go easier with a saw. If all you have is a hacksaw, don't bother with a fine-tooth metal-cutting blade or it will take forever. Hacksaw blades are cheap -- get some for cutting wood.

If you want to remove the entire plant, dig around it as much as possible. You probably won't be able to simply pull the roots out of the ground. You can try cutting the largest roots with a hand saw, or a handheld electric Sabre saw or a professional's sawzall electric tool. Any dirt you hit will dull the blade.

If you're feeling lucky, try securing a sturdy rope around the bush and tying the other end to the tow-hole under a car and pulling it out carefully (foreign-built cars use that spot to tie down cars on the ship). If the rope breaks, it will cause damage or injury to anything it hits, so keep others far away. If you tie it to a bumper, you may simply pull off the bumper. Use a series of gentle tugs rather than one giant pull -- you want to break off smaller roots, then medium roots, then larger ones. You can't break them all at the same time.