Q. Hi Peter, The previous owners of my house removed part of a laurel hedge that was blocking the neighbors view. There is still an extensive root system and new shoots keep returning. Short of removing the root system, is there a way to stop the new shoots? If not, will the new shoots eventually provide a quality hedge that I can keep trimmed to three feet? Thanks, Kimberlie Kerner – Tacoma, WA
A. Removing the root system would be the hardest yet most effective solution. I had a 50 foot long hedge I needed to remove when I bought my house that was 15 feet wide and 30 feet tall that were about to engulf my poor little house. As Paul Bunyan-like as I would like to think I am I couldn’t manhandle them out of the ground with a pick-mattock and I wore out a set of chainsaw blades cutting them down. I had to rent a backhoe to remove the massive root system. One option is to continue to remove the new shoots until the roots energy reserves are depleted. This means not allowing the shoots to get above a foot tall. Your other option is to cut it to the ground and spray regrowth with a glyphosate based herbicide. Be aware that this chemical is regulated by the EPA. http://www.epa.gov/safewater/contaminants/dw_contamfs/glyphosa.html