Tree Stump

[m Ransley]

I had a tree cut down and have a 5 ft stump 1.5ft high , can it be burnt out easily by adding wood on top or will it take a week or month to burn. Is it a waste of time trying.

[Les Nessman]

Neighbour of mine had one and used it as a flower bed for years eventually rotting it out and then took a chain saw to the remains one day. This took years but was fairly effortless and served a purpose.

I've heard of chemical products you can purchase at either Home Hardwares or Home Depots that you just pour over the top and it desolves the stump....how effective they are I don't know but that's where I'd start.

Home Depot also rents out tools and there is such a thing as a stump grinder...another neighbour of mine had that done and we were going to use it in our back yard but we ended up buying the house across the street & moving....yes, the one that used to have the stump/flowerbed. :o)

[MrAoD]

Waste of time unless you live in the country and won't run afoul of air pollution/open fire laws.

If you do decide to burn it out drill a mess of holes in the stump. Add a quart of diesel every two-three days, soaking through. No more than a gallon or so, and let it soak in real good.

Build a fire atop the stump when you've got the time to sit and watch it for

2-3 days. Make sure you got plenty of water and toilet paper handy, you don't want to take your eyes off it.

Alternative is to cover with high-nitrogen stuff like grass clippings and keep wet. It'll still take 1-3 years but eventually it'll rot out.

Skip the "stump dissolver" chemicals. If you're going to go that route just get a high-nitrogen fertilizer, same diff.

Marc

[Chet Hayes]

If you used a tree service to cut it down, why didn't you get them to grind the stump? It's quick and efficient versus any other method.

[Perry Templeton]

If you used a tree service to cut it down, why didn't you get them to grind the stump?

In my area, the tree cutters and stump grinders are separate businesses. Perry

[Bruce]

The only reasonable way to get rid of a stump is to hire someone with a stump grinder. This business is very competitive and costs almost nothing, especially if you make several calls to check on pricing. Plus, it can be done in a couple of minutes instead of waiting years with other methods.

Or, you can rent a small stump grinder if you want to d-i-y. Bruce A&B Construction Houston, TX

[Phisherman]

That's a big stump! It would take several days to burn. You could either allow it rot naturally, or hire someone to remove it. Removing it will leave a hole.

[dadiOH]

Depends on the kind. If resinous (pine, etc) it will burn easily. Roots too, most likely. I burned one out and the roots burned underground for a week.

If not resinous, the motor oil suggestion works well.

-- dadiOH _____________________________

dadiOH's dandies v3.0... ...a help file of info about MP3s, recording from LP/cassette and tips & tricks on this and that. Get it at

[Tom Baker]

I think there is a chemical sold to rot stumps. There are grinders that can take the top of the stump to grade. I doubt that burning from the top down would be very effective. TB

[rck]

The chemicals work by promoting bacterial action to break down the wood fibers. They are not very effective on hardwoods but work well on softwoods. Could still take months, though. Maybe a colony of carpenter ants or termites?

Bob

[RVerDon]

I just got rid of two stumps. Rented a stump grinder and did it myself. Took about an hour for each one. Most of the other methods, burning, chemicals, etc., will take years.

Don

[Michael Baugh]

Yeah, we did a raised bed around a maple stump. Three years later, it was well on the way to being gone.

[dbird]

put some termites on the stump.. thats the way nature gets rid of trees that fall in the woods.... it works...

[Peter H]

The problem w/ grinding is that it sends splinters of wood all over the place. Those wood particles will generate mushrooms someday.

Peter H

[Jay]

Mmmmmmm....Mushrooms.... :+)

Peter H wrote:

[Lar]

:) > I had a tree cut down and have a 5 ft stump 1.5ft high , can it be :) > burnt out easily by adding wood on top or will it take a week or month :) > to burn. Is it a waste of time trying.

:) put some termites on the stump.. thats the way nature gets rid of trees :) that fall in the woods.... it works...

A large colony of subterranean termites of 500,000 insects consumes the equivalence of a 2 foot 2x4 a year...since only a fraction of the colony would be working on the stump, they wouldn't be much of a quick help.

Lar. (to e-mail, get rid of the BUGS!!

It is said that the early bird gets the worm, but it is the second mouse that gets the cheese.

[dadiOH]

But if we all chipped in...if we ALL sent the guy a colony...

Heck, some of us could probably even send MORE than one :)

-- dadiOH _____________________________

dadiOH's dandies v3.0... ...a help file of info about MP3s, recording from LP/cassette and tips & tricks on this and that. Get it at

[MC]

You can have all the D__N termintes around you can get your hands on !!!!!

[Pat]

I had an avocado tree taken down 2 years ago and was left a stump about the same size. I have used that stump killer from Hd where you drill holes in the stump and pour that stuff in the holes.

It ain't worh a darn. The tree keeps sprouting new shoots. I have tried everything they put out to kill it

Next will be a stump grinder. Make sure you get the tap root too., or you will have another tree growing in another part of your yard. that has happened to me.

Or you could have gotten a crazy drunken neighbor to get mad at his wife . Floor his 2001 Ford F150 in reverse at 2 am ,lose conrol and take out a 20 year old tree 30 ft high tree, roots and all and a mail box. And when the cops came he said his wife was driving . she couldn't even reach the pedals. That happen to another of my trees 2 weeks ago.

I am just thankful he did not go straight back and hit my truck and house. I would have owned a piece of him and Geico.

Pat.

[Buck Turgidson]

I tried the burning method. It's not feasible, and I was worried about complaints from neighbors or a visit from the fire marshall.