Replacing conifer with plum tree

[Kate Robson]

Hi

Hope someone can advise me the best way to replace an untidy, 20ft Christmas tree growing in front of a south east facing wall with a bare root Victoria plum tree.
Will the soil have been ruined by the conifer and how do I remove the tree stump?

Thanks

Kate

[vicky]

Does the plum tree have to go exactly where the conifer was?
I'd be tempted to cut the conifer below soil level and then pretend it's not there...and plant the plum somewhere else!
Otherwise you've got a tough job digging out the stump!

[Kate Robson]

Good idea! Although my garden isn't very big so i'll have to remove the conifer stump eventually. Could plant plum 2ft from stump? It will probably be amoungst the conifers' roots.

Thanks

Kate

[Two_Sheds]

Fungi will colonise and naturally break down dead wood, including tree stumps. I like mushrooms, myself. They're nature's cleaners!

[Kate Robson]

Thanks for advice Two Sheds.

Kate

[Gwen11ian]

Cut down the pine and rake up all the pine needles sitting on the surface. You can get someone in to 'chew' the stump out.. but if it were in my garden I would just have the stump cut as flush with the ground as possible, then either bury the whole bed with a few inches of soil to cover it over or else find a nice decorative large pot to put on top until it rots down in a few years. If you're going to bury it I suggest giving it a good going over with a hatchet first, it will speed up the process a bit.

For the plum, dig a good size hole a couple of feet from the stump and fill up with well composted materials, etc. Just follow your standard directions for bare root trees, but replace all the soil you have dug out with soil from somewhere else. The pine tree has probably leached out a lot of the nutrients and minerals, so some type of slow release fertilizer in the bottom of the hole would be ideal. Maybe another fruit tree on the other side of the stump might visually balance things out a bit?