Mike Straub

Kevin

It is not explosive under normal circumstances. What you describe needs a blasting cap to set it off. If you light it all that happens is it burns. Same as gasoline.

Stump remover does work but it is not a miracle worker. It doesn't work well on wet freshly cut stumps. If you have a stump that has been sitting for a while and is dry you can drill the holes and soak it with stump remover (potassium nitrate) and then after it rots some in a couple of weeks soak it with kerosene or diesel. It will burn and get most of the roots.

I can see cases where this might be needed but I advise much more strongly to do as TDale suggests and just cover it and let it rot for a couple of years. Nothing is going to explode but do you really want to pour a bunch of diesel in your field?

Jim

Stumps that have been chosen as the dumping target for the loads of mushroom dirt I've hauled in or a compost pile have all very rapidly been reduced to a very sad state, even if it started as a "fresh" stump.

When ready to go (Crumbly inside) I will sometimes soak with some deisel a day or two before splashing a little more deisel and burning it out. Be sure to scrape off the ash occasionally, and when its finally done smouldering I use a pick to make sure there are not "hidden" holes than need to be exposed before backfilling and leveling with the surrounding soil. Sometimes I've had a "crust" form hiding holes following root channels that drop away a foot or more, dangerous if stepped on later expecting solid ground.

Is it really a good idea to put deisel fuel on the stumps? Wouldn't that soak into the soil too and possibly contaminate water?

4-5 hours after that we heard this loud thud and ran to the window, only to find the tree had finally fallen - right on top of the neighbors tractor (he assured us it would fall in the opposite direction and left his trackor parked there)!!! LOL

Fortunatly the tractor was OK and since it was the nighbor's idea he couldn't blame us for the whole thing!

I guess you can say it worked well. Just make sure the ground is very wet around the tree and there is nothing close to it! We were left with a nice hole in which to plant a new tree.

Good luck!

Regards! Marty

Can anyone else help confirm this?

Grabbed ye olde corded Black n Decker, and went to work on the stumps. By the second stump, it yanked the bit right out of the drill.. but I got enough holes in both of them that I was able to dump some milk into them. We'll see how it works.

By the same reasoning as using milk/buttermilk, wouldn't yogurt also work? (not gonna dump diesel into the ground when I have a well nearby)

I am leaning towards killing the stump with saltpeter, and then burning the stump with a fire in a cut up 55 gallon drum.

Any thoughts? Will the saltpeter contaminate the soil?

Thanks,
Bob

thanks, Erica

It takes some light work with a chain saw, and maybe an shovel or pick if its in the ground. The trick to burning a stump without using a cord of wood or a barrel is to get the fire burning down the middle of the stump. So, you have to get a chimney effect going, with a source of air at the bottom. If the stump is still in the ground, or has a rootball attached, dig out between the roots as far down as you can, and preferably in a 2-3 different places depending on the size. Make sure you clear any stones out, and follow the bark all the way down. Then cut the stump from edge to center with your chain saw, and connect all the cuts in the center. Now your fire will burn inside the tree and have more exposed surfaces to drive out any moisture. If you're good, you can use your saw to cut out a hole in the center, but its really not necessary. Just watch for (sparks) cutting into stones that might be imbedded in the base of the stump. Its best if you can see where you are cutting, or at least have a good guess. You can use kerosene or diesel if you wish, or just wood or charcoal. If you need to, use a large coffee can on top to get it started, and let the hot coals drop down into the cuts. Clear out ash as needed, perhaps using a length of thin pipe to blow out the dust.

A key factor here is the moisture content of the wood and the amout of rot. Rotted wood will not support a fire like solid wood. However, if you get the dirt off of a rootball, and let it sit for a few weeks, it will be much dryer. I've heard that green wood is 90% water by weight, dry wood is 10% moisture. So any moisture you can get rid of before you get started, the better it will go.

I've had a good laugh at some of the ideas and reactions!

Based on what I read, on Feb. 12 I put a 1" spade bit on my drill and drilled about three dozen holes as deep into it as the bit would go... on the holes closest to the outside, I also drilled a slanted side hole for air/water circulation. Then I poured about an ounce of ammonium nitrate (34-0-0) into each hole and followed with enough hot water to fill each hole (or flush out the side of some of the outside holes).

I've been looking at the stump and into the holes periodically since then (part of the stump was already rotting, as the tree was dying of old age), and I can't really tell if there's rot there or not yet. But one day this week, I plan to get after it with a big, long 15/16th auger bit I copped for $2 at a flea market and/or level, or smooth, or cup it out with the chain saw...

At this point, my goal isn't to totally remove it, but to get it closer to the ground (highest point is currently about 10" off the ground), and cup it out a bit in the middle. Then I'll add some potting soil and put some of the myriad flowers I started from seed this year in there and use it as an in-ground flower pot.

I'll try to remember to let y'all know how it works.

Happy Gardening!
Jeff

What struck me as funny...at ACE hardware, they had a 1 pound can of "Stump decomposer" or some such name for $6. I could not find ANY data on the can as to the chemicals inside...no active, inert, poison control info, etc. Seems funny in this day and age.
Doug

did you ever consider renting a stump remover...I rented one, for 24 hours, cost around $150...and in that time I took out over 50 stumps...True some were like 3-4" across, but overhalf of the were like 15-20" across...and had just been cut this year...it was simple, I just ran 3 little levers and I'm a ole lady, if I can do it, anybody can...

But even the 3-4" stumps...once you get down below the ground a little they turn into like 7-10" across...A stump remover will take them down to 6" below ground..

I dout it would work on root balls etc, and you want your stump to only be 2-3" high but it works super slick....

One lady I know had a huge stump must be 2-3 feet across...she planted day lilies around it, and so you never see it in the summer, and in the winter, she uses it for a bird feeder...

She has dug out stumps as big as 15-18 inches across. Saves me the cost of having to rent a stump grinder or tree service. We cut them down ourselves(Have a nice chain saw and strong son to help if the going get rough but, otherwise I LOVE to do myself)
GOOD LUCK!
MG

For removing old stumps without blowing up anyone, poisoning everything, cut stump as close to ground as possible, drill the holes, put some compost or manure, then a layer of mulch. Put a large container over it and plant some flowers. The moisture from covering the stump with mulch speeds decomposition, as well as the nitrogen. (The stuff at the bottom of my compost pile decomposes first.) Manure or compost add the microbes that do the job. The flower container on top just provides something nice to look at, so the stump isn't bugging you every time you see it. If the stump can't be cut off close to the ground and buried under mulch, it can take many years. But keeping the stump moist will hasten the process, so setting a flower container on top will help with keeping it moist.

My stumps disappeared entirely in four years. One took five years, as we tried burning it first. The burning seemed to sterilize it, and it took awhile for the fungus to take hold. The milk or buttermilk sounds promising too. I don't think diesel, gasoline or other ignitables will support much gardening in those spots in the future, whearas the decomposed stump will provide lots of wonderful soil building. And, since the roots eventually decompose way deep in the ground, it's a great opportunity to get organic matter deep in the ground. (Cover cropping the Paul Bunyan way.)

Just another thought- if this might be a good spot for a compost heap, that would take care of the stump. You might not even have to cut it as close to the ground.

Thanks

Take a 2 inch ship auger, 18 inches in length. You will need a heavy duty drill, like a Milwaukee Hole Shooter. Drill the hole vertically in the exact center on the stump. Don't worry if you happen to go through the stump and hit dirt: all the better.

Now place a stick of dynamite down the hole with a long fuse. Light that baby and run like hell!

Works for me every time.

-BZ

Guess Clarence won't be coming by too much now. At least his bung hole won't!

Once upon a time, milk would only last on the shelf for a day. The bacteria in the milk would break down the organic substances. This is the bacteria you need to break down the stump. These days the processing of milk kills most, if not all, of this bacteria.

Whole milk won't do (it's not about the cream), and organic milk won't work either (that's just free of growth hormones). You would have to buy it straight from a dairy farm, and only buy as much as you plan to use that day.

reciprocating saw with the "ugly" blade has been my solution... dig down, around lateral roots, maybe flush as in with water and saw lateral roots then use a pry bar bigger than I am. Takes a few days using the high pressure nozzle water method... so the muck can dry in between sawing.
(hacking with ax, drilling and sawing..... all used.) Living in a domesticated area.

Have also hired the job out if there are multiple stumps ... if in the city be sure to call the underground utility finder free service in your area so you don't cut into a gas line etc... can get expensive!

I am curious to hear about Buckminister's 3 poplar stump tests.

Also, can relate to the honda accord story.... we burnt the transmission up in nissan pu pulling out a lowly lying juniper! Stump grinder would have cost much less!