wrote in message
...
I have a few Cottonwood trees that have undermined and damaged the
driveway with their roots. There are other areas of sidewalk that the
damage is just starting.

I want to remove the trees, but unsure of the best approach.
If I cut the trees to a stump will this encourage the roots to grow
more? If I grind the stump, what about the roots under the drive,
will they die off ot try to grow more.

I was thinking of cutting the trees, then killing the stump and roots.
How should this whole thing be approached?

Thanks!

Grinding the stump by contractors is only grinding around the tree trunk
area, leaving the remaining runners intact. The chemicals - drill holes in
tree stump, mix with hot water, repeat every month - that suppose to kill
the roots may take many years and in my experience doesn't work. I ended up
digging up all the individual roots by hand, and when roots are 10" or more
in diameter, it may require a come along, digging bar and hydraulic jack or
spreader. I further cut the roots at the concrete interface with a ax,
sawall or jack hammer. Don't use chain saw if you don't want to sharpen the
chain every few seconds of use - roots has embedded sand and rocks. If you
want to pull out all the roots, saw cut the concrete.