There’s this stump in our yard about a foot in diameter, and about 6 inches above ground, with no roots exposed. I’m not sure what kind of tree it was (the stump was there before we moved in), so I’m not sure about the root structure.
Anyhow, I’d like to remove the thing, but I’m wondering what the best method would be. I mean, do I just dig out all the dirt surrounding it and pull it out? I imagine the stump would be pretty heavy so are there any designated tools for this kind of undertaking? Any kind of help would be welcomed here…
I’ve dealt with this before. There are two ways to go about this: the mechanical way and the chemical way.
The mechanical way involves digging out the dirt around the stump, and of course around the roots coming from the stump; chopping the roots near to the stump with an axe, hatchet, or other implement that will cut through wood; eventually getting to the point where you can cut through the tap root as well, and levering the stump out with a shovel. It took us about two days of solid work by five people to remove a stump of approximately the proportions you describe in this method.
The chemical way requires a lot less work, but could take a couple of years. It involves drilling many holes in the stump and filling them with potassium nitrate. The salt seeps into the wood and slowly disintegrates it over one to five years or so.
I recommend the mechanical way, especially if this thing is in your front yard.
I never even considered the chemical way, but I think I’ll go with he mechanical way. It’s in our backyard, but we still need it removed pretty quickly, as we’re going to be landscaping the yard and making look pretty. The stump just really detracts.
Or if the area is shady, you could plant hosta around it. I had a huge stump in my yard and now it lookss great with my little hosta garden planted around it.
[apology in advance if this turns out to be a double post, computer’s being stupid again]
Do not try to dig it out. The BEST way to remove a tree stump is to pay a tree removal company to come and grind it out with their stump grinder. No matter what they charge, it’ll still be cheaper than your hospital bills for your back injury.
You can remove it by burning it.
It takes a long time but it is tried and true.
Mearly burn everything you can think of on top of it.
It may be prime for this kind of removal since it has been a stump for a long time thus very dry.You will never completely destroy it by burning but it is a lot cheaper and less physical than digging.
We dug out an old maple tree back home one time. Hell we must have been 6 feet deep following that tap root.Never saw the end of it. After the first three feet I didn’t want to see it.
"The chemical way requires a lot less work, but could take a couple of years. It involves drilling
many holes in the stump and filling them with potassium nitrate. The salt seeps into the wood
and slowly disintegrates it over one to five years or so. "
Lol! That’s got to be the funniest thing I ever read for a long time. You forgot to light it. See, the nitrate soaks in for a day or two then you light it & it burns the stump out. thanks for the laugh. Took 5 years cause you forgot to light it I guess
As for the OP, 12"? Just get an axe & chop it from the top down or pay some pathetic high school kid to do it & save your back.
We burned one out using charcoal. Just piled it up and lit it and kept adding charcoal. Took a couple of days.
I’d recommend the stump grinders though, MUCH faster!
Using explosives to remove the stump can result in the stump being left in place without the soil around it. It is then easier to get to the roots to cut them but roots are tough to cut in any case, and then you have to replace the soil.
Other options are safer and more effective, unless you want to replace the stump with a pond.
I was going to mention explosives, too, but unless you live on a funeefarm (or serious farm, for that matter), it’s probably illegal in city limits, and unless you’ve had a good deal of experience with dynamite, it’s probably dangerous.
I read about this is The Family Handyman magazine, but I can’t find the article on their website. They suggested either:
[ul]
[li]Buying a bottle of “stump-remover” at a garden center. As LL42 suggested, you drill a bunch of holes in the stump then pour it in and wait. Could take years.[/li][li]Drilling a bunch of holes and pouring in kerosene (I promise!). Then, drop in some matches and plug the holes. Then wait. A long time. With a giant smouldering cinder in your yard.[/li][/ul]
I believe that some things in life are to be done yourself (balancing a famly budget, painting the kids’ room, building a deck) while others are meant to be done by pro’s (refinishing a basement, adding a dormer, removing a tree stump).
Go ahead a pay someone to do it then take your wife to a cheap movie.
