Cheapest / most effective way to dig up bushes

Hire a car engine jack. Wrap straps around all bushes and pull em out.
This might have been an option before I cut them.
There are loads like this (also the misses says the others aren't brambles they're blackberry bushes)
a2C01KO_d.jpg
 
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They look like a large conifer root. I've also dug around them like others have said and used an adze. However googling mattock seems like an even better tool.

Just get one with enough weight to it not some flimsy rubbish so it actually cuts/smashes its way through the roots.
 
This might have been an option before I cut them.
There are loads like this (also the misses says the others aren't brambles they're blackberry bushes)
a2C01KO_d.jpg
Brambles are just wild growing blackberries!

I'm still not seeing anything needing a mini digger. Cancel your gym membership and consider your work out sorted for a few weeks! Got me mattock and a cheap hand axe/saw and these will be gone in no time!
 
You havent actually even attempted to dig them out lol.

Just dig down in a big circle around it. Use a small trowel and your hands to accurately remove soil from around roots til you can cut or pull them.
 
Trust me I have. That picture is about 2 foot deeper than the surround soil and has settled since I did it. There's next doors fence right there and I have dug about 3 feet around the roots before cutting them. Which was hard enough since you can get a spade in without hitting a root or stone. I'd probably need to go about 5 foot around and 4 deep. Which is also difficult since the fence and a concrete path surround them. That's just not effective when you have a lot of these things to remove.

I'm just going to be a wimp :rolleyes: and bite the bullet. I suppose I did ask for a tool, I just didn't realise it would be Haze. :p
 
Trust me I have. That picture is about 2 foot deeper than the surround soil and has settled since I did it. There's next doors fence right there and I have dug about 3 feet around the roots before cutting them. Which was hard enough since you can get a spade in without hitting a root or stone. I'd probably need to go about 5 foot around and 4 deep. Which is also difficult since the fence and a concrete path surround them. That's just not effective when you have a lot of these things to remove.

I'm just going to be a wimp :rolleyes: and bite the bullet. I suppose I did ask for a tool, I just didn't realise it would be Haze. :p

You should use a good strong fork. Loosen the soil all around, and then you can use the fork to lever the roots out, or cut the big ones and spray them with herbicide. A wrecking bar would give you even more leverage to get a big rootball out. I've done this in heavy clay soil, it's not that hard as long as you keep loosening and levering, rather than expecting to just pull the thing up straight away.
 
I have one of those too. Not quite as big, but I was going to leave that to rot once I poison it.
I uncovered it while removing a raised border, think it's too long gone for poison.
I did manage to drill so holes into it before the bad smow, hopefully some freezing and defrosting water has done something. I might try and dig under tomorrow but been quoted £90 to grind it down.
 
As you've found out root breakers are useless, buy a mattock and a cheap disposable hand saw to cut any thick roots

I've taken numerous trees and 15ft high Buddleia's out my garden with the above

Get a mattock, but this tool scares the hell out of me.
 
Faithful Digbar.

Big metal pole and some leverage always wins after you've got access to the roots from below.
 
100% mattock, decent saw and big clippers to cut what you can. Wear steelies if you have some just in case and treat the mattock with respect. If you miss and hit a foot its gonna be a trip to casualty.

Keep digging down, it will come out.
 
Bamboo slammer, used to be able to rent at various hire places round here. I bought one in the end as use it for trenching bamboo groves.

Super sharp cutting spade, with piston you lift up and slam down, slices through conifer trunks with ease

slammer-removing-stumps-at-motel-3_345x@2x.jpg
 
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