Hardy ground cover on Sunshine Coast, stump removal and screening

We have almost completed weed matting and mulching front and back garden of new purchase. Looking to put in ground cover to help stop weed growth.

Have been considering dwarf grevillia (grow to 30cm) as they will be between fruit trees so will get some walking. Open to other suggestions.

Have also removed 17 trees (6 x 20m palms and 11 x 5m palms) to replace with better screening (one side of house is on busy road, want to create sound and sight barrier).

I've built a stump puller out of a hi jack (see this video - ), however when the trees were removed the stumps were cut close to the ground, so the chain keeps slipping. Have put bolts in to hold the chain, it just bends them. Any suggestions?

We're trimmed the Lilli Pilliies and planted Brazilian cloaks in the hope that they join up eventually. The Lilly Pillies are regrowing beautifully, however the cloaks seem to have been affected by root exposure to air and are droopy still after a month. Should we replace them with something hardier?

All suggestions welcome.

 

A stump grinder?

 

Thanks Paul, can't get one in without damaging the plants around the stumps.

Was looking more for suggestions of attaching the chain so it doesn't slip off the stump while lifting

 

Drill holes in the stump.

Fill with diesel and/or "stump killer".

Repeat.

Wait a month until the stump starts to rot, then dig it out.

Edit - sorry, just re-read the original post. Looks like you're talking about palm stumps? From my experience, the root system on most palms forms a thick "mat" which is almost impossible to remove completely without tearing up the whole yard.

 

Thanks @AsburyJuke, strangely we've just done that having seen Youtube videos on it - drilled holes around edge, filled with concentrated weedkiller. Hopefully in a couple of weeks they'll be easier to pull out.

 

Replacing plants around it isnt exactly difficult or particularly costly (in spring). Benefit of grinding is it takes off the whole top so whats underground can stay (assuming its dead). You wont easily dig out a palm stump unless you have a excavator and want a big hole. Its root ball is a fine bundle of long fiberous roots that cling on. You wont pull it out unless you dig down 1.-1.5 metres min down and all around it so plants near it are gone anyway. You basically will need to dig down so the roots can be cut horizonatally. You cant break them by pulling. Grinding to under surface level is faster and easy.

 

Right, thanks @Paul@PAS