Removing tree stumps chemically
Discussion
Had a stump in the middle of our lawn about 5 ft across,I tried all sorts, drilling it then adding diesel oil etc and setting alight one of those bbq packs of briquettes, it burnt all night, went down in the morning and there was a slight dishing to about 6 inches of the stump, ended up attacking with a chainsaw As low as we could, drilling a few holes and leaving it, took years to rot
Quickest way is a stump grinder, hire or get a man in
Quickest way is a stump grinder, hire or get a man in
I chopped a load of conifers down 7 years ago, took them down then cut the stumps as low as we could. They were buried in bark, but a bit annoying as they left patches that couldn't be planted up. I drilled them a lot with an auger bit and filled the holes with epsom salts because the internet said that was a good thing to do. It didn't seem to do a lot.
Then last summer I realised the biggest one was rotten and it smashed up nicely. The others were still a bit tough, but I checked them earlier in the week and noticed they'll probably smash out easily enough now. There's a pool of pretty disgusting rotten wood underneath them, which I guess will make great fertiliser.
If they're out of the way then I'd just leave them to rot again, but if you need them out you'll want to grind them.
Then last summer I realised the biggest one was rotten and it smashed up nicely. The others were still a bit tough, but I checked them earlier in the week and noticed they'll probably smash out easily enough now. There's a pool of pretty disgusting rotten wood underneath them, which I guess will make great fertiliser.
If they're out of the way then I'd just leave them to rot again, but if you need them out you'll want to grind them.
This reminds me of my grandfather. They moved to a house that had in the lawn, a tree stump, cut down to about 6". Right in the middle of the lawn, just where it interfered the most with the kids playing.
After about 5 years, he finally got to the point where he'd had enough, and went out with an axe to make a start on removing it.
First axe blow, the 'stump' bounced; turned out the previous owner had left a decorative 6" tree slice on the lawn....
After about 5 years, he finally got to the point where he'd had enough, and went out with an axe to make a start on removing it.
First axe blow, the 'stump' bounced; turned out the previous owner had left a decorative 6" tree slice on the lawn....
woodypup59 said:
Just had a couple of fir trees taken down leaving 1 ft dia stumps.
Any recommendations for chemically rotting the stumps away, rather than digging ?
I dare say, like paint stripper, the really good stuff is now banned.
Perhaps I should wait. In 10 years there won't be much left ?
I think I took out 10 conifers from the back garden (hateful things) in 2006Any recommendations for chemically rotting the stumps away, rather than digging ?
I dare say, like paint stripper, the really good stuff is now banned.
Perhaps I should wait. In 10 years there won't be much left ?
Cut the stumps to just below soil level and drilled multiple deep holes into them to allow rain water or garden watering to fill up the stumps.
I can't remember the last time I hit one forking over the soil - maybe 5 years ago and that one was just like bits of bark under the surface
I dug the stump out of my next door neighbour's front garden because he kept hitting it with the lawnmower blade and sooner or later it was going to hurt him or one of my cars - took me pretty much a whole day and a lot of effort so I prefer leaving them
Never done it but watched some YouTube vids on it.
Drill holes in the stump, fill the holes with veg oil and let it soak in, may need done over 2 -3 days then a bag of BBQ charcoal over the top and burn it out. Again may take 2 or 3 bags, but a lot less back breaking than trying to dig / cut it out.
Drill holes in the stump, fill the holes with veg oil and let it soak in, may need done over 2 -3 days then a bag of BBQ charcoal over the top and burn it out. Again may take 2 or 3 bags, but a lot less back breaking than trying to dig / cut it out.
Gary C said:
Thermite is the answer !
I was going to post something similar - it's also a chemical process!For a more serious answer I tend to cut them off about 1.5 metres above the ground and then pull them out with a digger. A decent length above ground means that you can wobble them about to loosen the roots, and then you can pull them out.
We went from
to
Using
Chocolate Sausage said:
Never done it but watched some YouTube vids on it.
Drill holes in the stump, fill the holes with veg oil and let it soak in, may need done over 2 -3 days then a bag of BBQ charcoal over the top and burn it out. Again may take 2 or 3 bags, but a lot less back breaking than trying to dig / cut it out.
I seem to remember that the ones where it really worked involved a couple of cuts in the stump to allow air in, and forced air from a blower. Lighting a fire on top doesn't do a lot. Drill holes in the stump, fill the holes with veg oil and let it soak in, may need done over 2 -3 days then a bag of BBQ charcoal over the top and burn it out. Again may take 2 or 3 bags, but a lot less back breaking than trying to dig / cut it out.
Leaving it to rot can work but 10 years later you'd probably still be left digging out a big lump of fir tree it to finish it off.
Roots on the other hand will go away fairly quickly.
I've done the "set fire to it" routine, leaf blower speeds it up but might p
s off your neighbours. It takes ages. They are illegal where I live, if 2 stroke too.
My tried and tested method for big stuff involves a trowel an axe and an engine crane. Work my way around it exposing the roots, then axe it. No to chainsaw because there is too much dirt trapped in and around it. A taller stump at this point helps expose and hopefully snap any roots left over, but that only works if you chopped down the tree, not a flat stump some kind person left for you. Then a nice big eye bolted to the top and lift with engine crane. Once it is about 1 inch higher than it started you can get underneath to snip/axe any smaller roots still holding it.
Time consuming, but thorough
s off your neighbours. It takes ages. They are illegal where I live, if 2 stroke too.My tried and tested method for big stuff involves a trowel an axe and an engine crane. Work my way around it exposing the roots, then axe it. No to chainsaw because there is too much dirt trapped in and around it. A taller stump at this point helps expose and hopefully snap any roots left over, but that only works if you chopped down the tree, not a flat stump some kind person left for you. Then a nice big eye bolted to the top and lift with engine crane. Once it is about 1 inch higher than it started you can get underneath to snip/axe any smaller roots still holding it.
Time consuming, but thorough
It's one of those jobs where it's just unquestionably better to get in a professional with a stump grinder.
Yes, you could try and burn it, but if it doesn't work it's a charred mess and is all the more difficult to get out.
Yes you could use biological agents but they're not magic. They take years and years to do anything at all.
You could try and get it out yourself, but you'll quickly realise how stupid that idea is.
And yes you could rent a stump grinder yourself, but they're massive - and it'll cost you more than just paying a guy to do it.
Yes, you could try and burn it, but if it doesn't work it's a charred mess and is all the more difficult to get out.
Yes you could use biological agents but they're not magic. They take years and years to do anything at all.
You could try and get it out yourself, but you'll quickly realise how stupid that idea is.
And yes you could rent a stump grinder yourself, but they're massive - and it'll cost you more than just paying a guy to do it.
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