title: Removing Firethorn – How to Make the Job a Little Easier
Planting a Firethorn (Pyracantha) is a breeze, but getting rid of one? That’s a whole different story. The longer it stays in the ground, the deeper those roots dive and the more they tangle into a dense underground web. Digging it out can definitely turn into a real workout!
Getting Those Roots Out of the Ground
The branches are the first challenge because, as the name suggests, those thorns are no joke. But if you gear up with the right protective clothing and a good pair of long-handled loppers or a saw, you’ll get through it. Once the top is cleared, you’ll have access to the root system. While it might be tempting to just hook it up to a truck or tractor and pull, that rarely works in practice because the roots are usually too deep and stubborn.
- Grab a sledgehammer or mallet and give the remaining stump several good whacks from all sides. This helps loosen the root system’s grip on the soil.
- Dig around the base to expose as much of the root system as possible.
- Use a heavy-duty knife or loppers to cut through as many of the main lateral roots as you can.
- Pry and pull the stump and the larger root pieces out of the earth.
- Fill the resulting hole with fresh topsoil.
Letting Firethorn Roots Rot Naturally
If you’re removing a Firethorn because of diseases, but you aren’t in a rush to use that spot for new plants right away, you can let nature do the heavy lifting. You can speed up the decomposition process with a few simple steps:
- Remove all the above-ground branches.
- Saw deep, crisscross notches into the top of the stump (like a grid).
- Fill the notches with a compost accelerator.
- Cover the whole thing with a thick layer of mature compost.
Using Chemical Root Burners
There are chemical products available at most garden centers that release oxygen when heated. These allow you to “burn” the roots right in the ground, saving you the back-breaking labor of digging.
- Drill deep holes into the main stump.
- Mix the oxygen-releasing agent with a fuel source (like kerosene or diesel).
- Pour the mixture into the holes and carefully ignite it.
If the roots aren’t completely gone after the first round, you can repeat the process until they are.
Calling in the Pros
While a Firethorn Bonsai is easy to manage due to its limited growth, a full-grown shrub in the yard can be a beast. If you’re dealing with a massive specimen or a long Firethorn hedge, the effort might be more than you want to handle. In that case, hiring a professional landscaping company is a smart move—just keep in mind there will be costs involved.
Pro Tip:
If you actually like the Firethorn but just don’t want it in that specific spot, be aware that transplanting an established one almost never works. Instead, take some cuttings before you remove the old shrub so you can propagate new, younger plants for a different area of your garden.
