I was told by a friend that I could put rock salt on a tree stump after scoring the top and the salt wouldhelp get rid of the stump. Does this work and how much salt would you use for a 8' diameter stump? TIA, Art.
its not the amount of salt that would matter with a 8 ft. diameter stump, but how many years it would take to get it to rot.. try adding some termites to the wood and see if that gets rid of it.... probably alot faster than rock salt....
I don't think the salt will help any. It might help kill the tree if it is not already dead.
I would suggest two options. First get someone with a grinder out there and do the job in minutes (or rent one and do the job in a few more minutes). Second let it rot in place. Drilling a few holes in it helps as will covering it with general yard compost (leaves, grass clippings ect.)
You'll do better with saltpeter, aka potassium nitrate. This is what is sold as "stump remover".
The nitrates will speed the decay process faster than sodium cloride (salt).
In article , snipped-for-privacy@digitalusa.net says... :) I was told by a friend that I could put rock salt on a tree stump after :) scoring the top and the salt wouldhelp get rid of the stump. Does this work :) and how much salt would you use for a 8' diameter stump? :) TIA, Art. :) :) :) I would worry about salt leaching away from the stump and killing the soil for a while. They sell products that you sprinkle on the stumps that speeds up fungi activity that breaks down the stump.
I heard once about some kind of a mixture of molasses and some other stuff put over the stump would create a bacteria that would eat the stump. I heard this on some radio show.
It would take a LONG time for salt to make a stump that big rot away.
Drill several 1" holes in the top of the stump. drill them down as deep as your drill bit allows. Then fill all the holes with kerosene or diesel fuel and let it soak in. Every day keep adding more as it soaks in. After a week or two, light it up. The stump will smolder for a day or two, and eventually it will burn all away.
Tony
I use 34-0-0 fertilizer. Drill several deep holes into the stump and keep the holes filled with nitrogen fertilizer.
I simply drilled some holes in my stump and then pured gas into the holes and lit it. I burned for hours and when finished it was very weak and choppable? (word) It smell good after it burns for an hour or so.
Like the others I agree that salt is not effective. If you are allowed to burn where you are, you can put up a heavy gauge mesh fence around it and use it as a firepit to get rid of yard waste, or to have a nice bonfire. Do that a few times and it will disappear rapidly.
...
I am not all that sure that the gasoline idea is all that good. In many areas it will be illegal. It can cause damage, and even after that, I would not want to chop out that large a stump by hand.
I don't think the salt is to remove the stump as much as it is to kill the plant so the tree does not re-grow.
Most cities have ordanances against this, however, if he is out "in the sticks" and can do it, I would suggest something more slow burning that gas like kerosene or better yet, toss a bag of charcoal on the stump and light it. As the coal is consumed, plop another bag on top.
If it is not a problem, I like the compost ideas that have beed suggested the best. Since Mother Nature put the stump there, let HER get rid of it!
Just rent a stump grinder and be done with it.
-- Tom H
Hubby and I used denatured alcohol to try to burn out a palm stump. They won't cut or chop because they are like a ball of string, and they hold water for months even without rain. Alcohol worked nicely because it mixed with water. Only problem came with pouring more on when I thought the flame had gone out. The can became a torch, but luckily didn't explode, and we had a fire extinguisher nearby.
I'd be inclined to drill some holes into it and pack in some nitrogen fertilizer to help it break down faster. Then try the axe in a few months.
I had another neighbor whose daughter played with my daughter. Little girls one day found some tar that had dropped from the roof. Got it all over their hands. Neighbor used gasoline to clean their hands, and my daughter came in the house for supper. I was at the stove, cooking dinner, when she came in. She was talking to me next to the stove when I smelled the gasoline. Grabbed her and took her outside. Don't know how close we came to lighting up from the gas burner on the stove. It brought to mind an article I had read in Reader's Digest about the worst burns that any person had survived. Gasoline to clean skin. Fumes from water heater. Nine year old kid.
Don't forget yer safety glasses if you drill the stump :o)
Chop it out. A good thing to pass the time for a few weeks and good for your mind and body.
Unless you have elbow tendinitus like I do. :) Ouch!!
HomeOwnersHub website is not affiliated with any of the manufacturers or service providers discussed here. All logos and trade names are the property of their respective owners.