Big tree

[galaxie428]

Thanks for the advice on the root ball. It did start shifting on me as I kept getting closer to it. I push it over with the tractor and was able to cut the rest of it. I have all of it cut up now, just have to deal with the root ball now.

 

[rekees4300]

Maybe you could flip the root ball onto its side, use your backhoe to dig a deeper hole, tip the root ball over (tree trunk vertical) into the hole, then coverup the trunk/root ball/hole with all the dirt that was removed? That way there would be no need to drag/dispose of the root ball and there would be no need to find more dirt to fill the hole.

 

[HarryN]

I'm kinda like Galaxie on his thinking. Don't like burying or cutting flush. All of the root balls I've pulled on my property go to my burn pile however I can get it there. Granted it may take a year or 3 to get the stump(s) dry enough to burn. But I usually have brush piles to put up against it to burn every couple of months. Kind of interesting to watch a stump burn with all that dirt on it. Burns through the veins of the roots. Thanks for the pictures. That is one BIG stump!

 

[Gittyup]

I'm doubtful you'll be able to even drag it unless you use a sled. That's one big root ball! I dug out a maple when I first go my tractor. Root ball was big, but not as big as yours. I broke a 3000 lb chain trying to drag it down hill I (no sled). Then I bought a 10000 lb chain and it was all my CK25 gear could do to pull it down hill (steep down hill too) into the woods: tractor was grunting and all fours would take turns spinning.

Later I dug up a double stemmed tulip poplar one about the size of your tree. I could'nt get it out of the hole (no real room to make a ramp). I ended up burying it in place. It's been 4 years now and so far no sinkage where I planted it.

Yours looks to be pine, and so might be lighter than the maple. Keep us posted on how you make out, and be careful with that heavy beast.

 

[moored4]

I had a big fir tree that I did the same thing to and I left a long stem/trunk on it and then I turned it upside down. It looks like a toadstool. The couple that lives there planted ivy around it and now it is a big green Toadstool! :thumbsup:

 

[J_J]

If you have a pressure washer with a jet or bullet nozzle, you can cut most of not all the dirt off the roots. a Turbo nozzle works even better.

 

[Dr_Zinj]

Just in case you don't know,be careful when you cut the trunk next to the root ball. It could stand back up straight. I had a tree blown over in a hurricane,and it almost took my head off when I cut it.

Yeah, I remember seeing news article about some grandfather cutting up a blow down and killed his grandson who was playing the hole when the tree tipped back.

Didn't look like any other trees were close enough to negatively impact their root systems. Don't even need a pressure washer, regular garden hose will wash most of the dirt off. Then let it stand a week to dry before dragging it and you'll knock most of the dirt and rocks off that way.