(7 Easy Steps): How To Remove Juniper Bushes

Juniper Bushes are brilliant companions for garden plants and trees. They make beautiful boundaries, and hedges, and make the overall garden layout perfect.

A juniper bush is an evergreen shrub that grows up to 25 feet tall. It has attractive, thin, dark green leaves and a small white flower on the top of the stem. The flowers are produced in clusters and are very fragrant.

The most common use for juniper bushes is as ornamental plants for gardens and parks. They can be trained as a hedge or used in landscape designs.

The shrubs can also be used to create privacy hedges between houses or between buildings.

But when your juniper shrubs get infected with fungal infections and succumb to them, it will be ideal for you to remove them and stop them from transferring to other shrubs within your garden.

Now, what would you achieve with juniper which has now outgrown its bounds? Continue reading to find out ways How To Remove Juniper Bushes and other critical issues.

  • Tools For Removing Juniper Bushes
  • Removing Dead Juniper Trees
  • Tips For Cutting Down Juniper Trees
  • Types Of Juniper Ground Cover
  • How Much Does Shrub Removal Cost?
  • Killing Juniper Bush
  • Planting After Juniper Plant Removal
Contents show

juniper bush root system

The Juniper bush root system is a tall shrub that is widely grown for its hardiness and beautiful foliage.

However, there are some problems with the plant. For example, the stem can be up to 15 feet high.

This makes it difficult for people to climb on them and reach the top of the plant.

How To Remove Juniper Bushes Like a Pro

It’s important to keep in mind that junipers have deep roots before you begin cutting them down.

It is important to get rid of as much of the root system as possible because they can return from fragments of root left behind.

Junipers do not really have enough to grasp onto because they are low-growing bushes with delicate stems. Juniper bushes might be troublesome to dig up or difficult to yank out from the soil.

Material needed

The following items are required:

  • Shears, loppers, or a saw
  • Gloves, a shovel, and safety gear
  • Saw or axe to cut roots (optional).
  • Optional Stump Grinder
  • Stump chemicals as a secondary alternative.

Steps for removing juniper bushes

Utilizing clipping scissors as well as a shovel, said, this is the easiest way to remove juniper bushes;

  1. Prune the Juniper Bush: Start by cutting back the juniper bush’s branches to the main trunk. This will lessen the mess and make the bush more manageable.
  2. Dig Around the Bush: To avoid damaging the bush’s roots, dig around its base using a shovel. Make an effort to delve as deeply as you can to get to the primary roots.
  3. Cut the Roots: Roots should be cut using an axe or root saw if they are too large to maneuver around. You could hurt yourself or break the shovel if you’re not careful.
  4. Remove the Bush: Once the bush is free, simply take it out of the ground. Depending on how big the bush is, you may need some help with this.
  5. Grind or Remove the Stump: If a stump remains, you can get rid of it by grinding it down or by applying a chemical stump remover according to the manufacturer’s directions. Another option is to dig up the stump, which will need more work.
  6. After pulling out juniper bushes, check the hole to verify certainly that there are zero roots or stems left in the soil. Using your shovel again, scoop up each and every residual root.
  7. Clean the Area: After the bush and stump have been removed, you should clean up the area by replacing the dirt in the hole and removing any other debris.
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Using dirt, cover up the hole from which your juniper bush was pulled. You must compress the dirt down moderately till it is even with the remaining portion of the ground.

Tools For Pruning Juniper Bushes

How To Remove Juniper Bushes
Removing juniper bushes

1. Pruning Shears

There are two varieties of small hand-held pruning shears used in removing juniper bushes. There are two varieties of small hand-held pruning shears used in removing juniper bushes. 

  • The Bypass-In The Bypass, which works similarly to two scissors, has two sharp blades that are pushed together to produce the cuts.
  • Using your shovel, burrow deep-Anvil shears have a sharp blade on one side and a dull blade on the other side The sharp blade slashes through the limb, but the dull surface secures the limb in place. When cutting, the bypass shears make finer cuts than the anvil shears, but the anvil shear cuts faster.

2. Lopping Shears

Lopping shears look like hand pruners, except they have longer handles to provide more grip to cut through stronger limbs.

By inserting your arms inside the shrubs, you will be able to reach further into the tree or shrub with the shears without you harming your hand

You can use the loppers to cut limbs a size up to one and a quarter-inch thick. Loppers, with extensions that allow you to reach branches up to twelve feet from the ground, are also available.

3. Hedge Shears

Hedge shears are best used to prune fully-grown juniper evergreen hedges. The hedge clippers have long handles, similar to lopping shears, but they have lengthy blades.

The broad cutting blades make the pruning of huge areas of shrubs in a straight, consistent line much easier.

Using the small-bladed trimmers to trim the shrub would produce irregular lines and the process takes significantly longer because only one branch could be nipped at a time.

The Hedge shear comes in two forms; Manual hedge clippers or can use gas or electric trimmers to save time.

4. Pruning Saw

For limbs thicker than one inch, it is preferable to use pruning saws.

Slicing through the branch with the grooved blade allows you to reach limbs that you won’t be able to reach when using the lopper shears.

On evergreens, the eight-teethed curve pruning saws work perfectly well. You can make use of a chainsaw for branches thicker than three inches instead of using a handsaw

The problem here is that chainsaws are harder to control and use and it is advised to only be used by persons who are comfortable with them.

Removing Dead Juniper Trees

Dead Juniper trees are routinely chopped down to create a way for alternative species of trees and shrubs on any landowners’ properties.

Removal is really a labor-intensive problem for landowners with outdoor land tightly packed by dead juniper trees. There are two effective ways for this;

1. Expert Tree Removal Contractors

Expert tree removal contractors using heavy-duty mechanical shears and chopping machinery can easily clear away your dead juniper trees off your premises, especially if you have lots of them.

Moreso, when you simply need to clear away one or a few trees, expert tree removal contractors would be far less expensive than hiring heavy machinery or even uprooting the trees and clearing the trunk and roots all by yourself.

2. Removing Dead Juniper Trees by Yourself

Any skilled and expert landowner could uproot the dead trees personally, despite the fact that it demands a considerable lot of physical exertion.

However, while handling your powered heavy machinery, strictly observe all safety regulations and utilize eye and ear gear.

3. Dead head removal

The most efficient technique for removing overgrown bushes or dead juniper bushes would be to utilize a chainsaw to chop off your dead tree and afterward reduce the debris of your dead tree into bits for utilization as mulch.

It’s best to utilize a handheld tree chipper to reduce your dead tree debris into bits.

Either on the web or at your neighborhood lawn and garden retailer, you could very well hire stump-crushing instruments.

It’s essential to know that tree removal is a risky job that shouldn’t be performed by unskilled individuals.

Warnings and Precautions

Be sure to protect yourself from jagged branches and roots by donning proper protective apparel, such as gloves and shoes with good traction.

It is strongly recommended that you use safety goggles in order to shield your eyes from any flying debris that may be present.

Tips For Cutting Down Juniper Trees

  1. Carefully consider the positioning of your juniper tree as well as the manner in which it can crash while prepping to chop it down.
  1. Check for electrical wires around your premises and other potential hazards that might inflict damage or harm.
  1. Your juniper tree should be cut down in the very same manner it is bending.
  1. Your front cutting needs to be as thorough as one-third of the thickness of your juniper tree stump and must be made at a 45° angle.
  1. A triangle-shaped piece is carved out by making an additional cut linearly just at the foot of your initial cutting.
  1. The rear cutting of your full-grown juniper is the last stage in cutting down juniper trees. A linear cutting is performed to the rear of the carved-out piece, while the blade is held level.
  1. When your juniper tree starts falling, you should have an unobstructed exit pathway to go to a shelter.
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Types Of Juniper Ground Cover

Below are the kinds of juniper ground cover plants the most used by garden lovers to enhance the look and feel.

  • Bar Harbor
  • Green Acres
  • Wiltonii Juniper (Blue Rug)
  • Prince of Wales
  • Blue Acres

How Much Does Juniper bush removal Cost?

Once it comes to removing juniper shrubs, you should engage a qualified and professional tree service business or company. 

Tree service businesses do more than simply work on trees; they also trim shrubs and bushes, as well as trunks and roots.

In the case of shrub removal, a substantial portion of the prices will be determined by criteria such as the form, size, area, and other characteristics that increase the difficulty of the task.

The cost of shrub removal is classified into four categories based on size: small, medium, large, and very large shrubs.

  • Small shrubs are 12 to 24 inches tall
  • Medium shrubs are 24 to 48 inches tall
  • Large shrubs are 48 to 72 inches tall
  • Very large shrubs are over 72 inches in height

The cost of removing shrubs and bushes is usually charged at an hourly rate or based on the size of the vegetation. Depending on your region, the hourly fee generally ranges from $25 to $75.

  • A small-size shrub removal cost ranges from $30-$50.
  • A medium shrub removal cost ranges from $50-to $100,
  • A large shrub removal cost ranges from $100-$150.
  • A very large shrub removal cost ranges from $150 to $350.

If you want to get the proper estimation for your process checks out the cost estimation here.

Killing Juniper Bush with the help of tools

You must chop down your juniper bush as well as fully unroot it from your environment to destroy it. Because juniper bush may grow through root clippings, it’s also vital to dig out every one of the shrub’s roots.

Chop Down Your Juniper Bush Using a Heavy Equipment

Utilizing a chainsaw or an ax, hack your juniper shrub to the earth’s surface. Doing this will aid in the clearance of your Juniper bush by killing it.

If chopping off your Juniper shrubs ends up destroying both your bush and its roots, give it at least a couple of nights prior to actually pulling the roots. You should know, that dried roots are simpler to take out from the ground.

And if chopping the bush does not really destroy your juniper bush, the task can be finished by eliminating its root system.

Soak The Soil Around Your Juniper Stump with Water

Water the soil surrounding your low-growing juniper shrub stump over several inches till it is totally soaked. Dry soil is more difficult to bore through rather than saturated soil.

Make A Series of Holes Parallel to The Root Route

Utilizing your spade, make holes across every of your small juniper plant root route.

For ease of overall root clearance, use your gardening clippers to clip your juniper shrub roots as near to the stump as possible, thereafter you can repeat it each two feet along the root route.

Take Out Your Juniper Bush Stump

With your shovel for pressure beneath your juniper bush stump, lift the stump off from the earth. When it still won’t budge, use your gardening clippers to remove extra root systems.

Determined by the size of your juniper shrub, certain roots might well be huge sufficiently to need the use of a hacksaw.

Your Juniper Bush’s Roots Must Be Removed

Remove the whole root portion of your juniper shrub from the holes. Certain root endings of your juniper bush could become tangled up with the bases of certain other shrubs in the area.

Soil Should Be Replaced

By making use of your spade, fill up the empty holes using soil.

Planting After Juniper Plant Removal

Pulling out an undesirable juniper shrub and covering the trench using soil is a good way to get rid of it. You should then, therefore, treat your soil prior to actually adding trees and shrubs to that location. After digging up juniper bushes, this is how to cultivate them;

  1. With your yard spade, gather multiple ground samples from the juniper’s planting location. Prep your ground samples and then wrap them in moist newsprint, place them inside a plastic sack in a big package, and ship it to a soil exam center in your area.
The center analyzes your topsoil and will provide you with information on its pH level and properties.
  1. Look up the required pH level of the tree or shrubs you’re going to cultivate inside your soil. You may modify your soil to the trees or shrubs’ suggested pH level after you fully understand the pH level of your ground.
  1. Surround the area using a layer of organic debris, such as mulch, at around 2 inches thick.
Utilizing a garden hoe, work the organic debris through into your ground to the base of the juniper trench till your organic debris and the existing soil are completely mixed. Mixing the mulch further into your soil improves water flow, allowing any poisons to be flushed away.
  1. Protective gloves, as well as a protective mask, are required. To boost or reduce the pH state of your soil, add lime or elemental sulfur inside a yard sprayer as needed.
  1. Based on the required dimensions of your new tree or shrub, make a trench (hole) in the soil. The roots of your new tree or shrub must be covered using soil after you have placed it inside the trench.
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can you transplant juniper bushes?

Juniper bushes have a long history in the United States, and many people think they can be transplanted. This is because juniper berries are a source of oil and wood. But is transplanting juniper bushes a good idea?

Juniper bushes are a type of shrub that can be transplanted. They are easy to grow and have a long life in the garden.

What is the easiest way to remove shrub stumps?

Shrub stumps can be a nuisance when they are left standing in your garden.

They can cause a lot of trouble for you and your plants when you have to remove them, but there is a way to do it without much difficulty.

There are many ways to remove shrub stumps, but the easiest way is probably the one that you use most often.

It is called the “hugging method” and it works by wrapping an arm around the top of the stump and pulling gently until the stump pops out.

Can you cut a bush all the way down?

Are you considering cutting a bush all the way down?

If so, be sure to first discuss the risks and benefits of doing so with a professional. Can you cut a bush all the way down?

There are pros and cons to every decision, and it’s important to weigh them up before making any. Here are some key points:

  • Pros: Bush Cutting can be an effective way to remove unwanted vegetation from a property.
  • Cons: There are potential risks associated with bush cutting, including trauma to plants and damage to fences.

Getting rid of Juniper Bushes FAQS

Q: Can Junipers Trees Raise the Acidity Of The Soil?

The juniper tree’s presence is well capable of causing the soil’s higher acidity.

Q: Can The Roots Of Juniper Trees Be Invasive?

No. Juniper trees and shrubs possess non-invasive roots.

Q: What Is The Depth Of The Roots Of A Juniper Shrub?

The roots of a juniper shrub are deep about 5 to 14 inches.

Q: What Will Kill Juniper Bush?

Heavy-powered instruments like chainsaws, gardening instruments like hand-pruned shears and ax, and chemicals like herbicide will all get the task done.

Q: Will juniper roots grow back?

If evergreen bush stumps are removed properly, they won’t come back. But if it has a few green branches, then possibilities are there.

Q: Pulling Juniper Bushes With Truck?

Pulling juniper bushes with a truck can be an effective way to remove the bush.

The process is simple and requires very little effort on the part of the driver.

Q: What machine removes bushes?

A tree trimmer or chainsaw machine that removes bushes is a popular tool for gardening, lawn care, and other estate-level tasks.

However, be aware of the potential dangers associated with using such machines.

Q: If I want to get rid of the stump, is it possible to burn it?

Burning is a method that can be used to remove stumps, but in general, it is not encouraged because of the possibility of the fire spreading and the potential damage it could cause to the environment.

Q: When is the optimal time of year to get rid of a juniper bush?

A juniper bush can be cut down and removed at any time of the year; however, it is typically simpler to do so in the spring and summer, when the ground is not frozen.

Conclusion

In this guide, we focused on how to get rid of juniper bushes in many ways.

Furthermore, your juniper shrubs possess the ability to develop in length enough to stop other small shrubs from growing and shade them, especially when you do not trim them.

If you can’t trim your juniper shrubs into shape or you are tired of pruning them, killing or pulling out juniper bushes will be an excellent plan.

Moreso, removing or killing your juniper trees will not only create more space for fresh cultivation but will also light up your yard.