Stump Removal

[turnkey4099]

Tell me if you think this will work. I have five stumps in the 12" to 16" range that I cut flush with the ground. All are soft maple and cut two years ago. How about I drill the surface with a bunch of 1" holes and fill with either 46-0-0 or Epsom salts and wait for six months or so. After that, soak with diesel and start a charcoal fire on top. Think that will get them below grade?

Yes, but it will probably need several repeated fires. I cut a bunch of blow down black locust for a guy about 20 years ago, he used the holes and remaining stumps for his burn pile -took a few years but they are all gone, ground graded back level and replanted to new trees (not black locust)

 

[Egon]

On a serious note:

Cut the stump of as low as possible. Use a wood auger (bit) or chainsaw to drill as many verticle holes as possible in the stump. Try and drill some at an angle from as low down on the side as possible that will intercept the other holes. Pack the holes with diesel sawdust mixture and light a fire on top of it. The result should burn out to just a shell that is easier to remove.

Swedish fire log method?

 

[RSKY]

I have spent $$$ and time burning several stumps out of the ground. The last couple I kept up with the $$ spent on charcoal and kerosene. I spent more than I thought I would. I also spent more time than I thought I would. In fact I spent enough $$$ and time that the next time I rented a stump grinder so I could get it done in one day. I ground out an extremely large stump that was poking up above the ground after being cut flush by myself a year or so before. Ruined a chainsaw chain doing that too. While I had the grinder I also ground out a large stump at my mother's place. The last time I called a guy who advertised in the local paper. He came over, ground them out, and all I had to do was rake up the saw dust.

By far the cheapest way was to hire the guy who did it as a living. He knew what he was doing and was gone in a couple hours.

Just saying to check around before you start spending money.

 

[PJSprog]

By far the cheapest way was to hire the guy who did it as a living. He knew what he was doing and was gone in a couple hours.

I've found this to be true as well. It's also the safest way. I had been cutting them flush and doing the slow rot thing. I did try "grinding" one out with a chainsaw. Not the best method, for sure. We had a professional trimmer come out and clean up a few dozen long-neglected trees. He also removed a few, and ground out the stumps. Man, that goes fast. Definitely the best way to go.