Stump remover

[Ridgewalker]

Can any one recommed something I can spray or paint onto stumps to kill them and speed up the rotting out process?

 

[RonMar]

There are a couple of manufacturers of this product. hit up your local box store garden department. I just walked past some in the local Walmart last night.
Most of them require that you drill some holes to get the stuff down into the stump. This also increases the surface area and helps dry out the stump which also helps in the decay process. From what I understand, decaying wood depletes the surrounding soil of nitrogen, which slows the decay process. I think a good number of these stump rot additives contain a lot of nitrogen. After it is rotten, some I have seen reccomend to burn the top off to get it below grade, than backfill the hole. havn't looked at them in a while, got a backhoe instead.

good luck

 

[mahlers]

I've got a similar problem with a big oak stump right next to my house. The tree was starting to die, so I took it out - but during its life it managed to push the foundation of an entire side of a room up about a foot. The stump is about 40" across, in a really tight spot, and I'd love to have it just rot away so I can pulverize it with the backhoe and rebuild that part of the house (the backhoe was great for taking out that room and depositing the spoils into dumpsters). The stump is right where I need to dig the new foundation footer.

I'm thinking I might have to rent a small stump grinder to take this one out.

 

[RonMar]

I've got a similar problem with a big oak stump right next to my house. The tree was starting to die, so I took it out - but during its life it managed to push the foundation of an entire side of a room up about a foot. The stump is about 40" across, in a really tight spot, and I'd love to have it just rot away so I can pulverize it with the backhoe and rebuild that part of the house (the backhoe was great for taking out that room and depositing the spoils into dumpsters). The stump is right where I need to dig the new foundation footer.

I'm thinking I might have to rent a small stump grinder to take this one out.

I think if I was going to build a wall foundation there, I would want ALL the stump and roots out. IF the stump head is just ground, the earth will settle as the remaining roots rot away and you willl loose support and ultimatly have cracking under the new foundation.

 

[mahlers]

That's what I'm thinking, too - I'm hoping to be able to grind down deep enough to be able to break the stump up into pieces and dig them out. It is going to be a pain in the butt anyway I approach it, though. I may just go the hillbilly route and keep that area tarped off until the stump gets punky enough to dig out with the backhoe. It stays real wet around here all winter long, and I've already killed the stump with Round Up, so there's a good chance it might only take a couple of years...

 

[Floydian]

High nitrogen fertilizer is cheaper than most "stump removers". I've heard that the Amish cover stumps with fresh manure and let sit a year or two. Then pull it out with a team of horses. I have a bunch of large white pine stumps from recent logging so I guess I'll let time take care of them. My father in law told me to drill holes, fill with rock salt than diesel fuel and let sit. Two things I dont want in ground everywhere.

 

[CurlyDave]

IF the stump head is just ground, the earth will settle as the remaining roots rot away and you willl loose support and ultimatly have cracking under the new foundation.

It might be easier to just use a grade beam and a slab thick enough to be self supporting. A few extra $ on steel & concrete could save a lot of labor, and years of waiting for the fool thing to rot.

 

[jinman]

Can any one recommed something I can spray or paint onto stumps to kill them and speed up the rotting out process?

Cut the stump as close to the ground as possible. Drill holes and put sugar or molasses into them. Cover the stump with 6" of mulch and keep moist. That will encourage the most biological activity and is much cheaper than buying stump rotting products that are mostly just sugar anyhow.

 

[yzbdsbp]

Sugar.....Really......I have about 400-500 pine stumps to rot from a recent cutting around my house, havent heard about the sugar thing, Im sure that would attract every fire ant within a 10 mine range, but that is what Im doing now is letting the fire ants build thier mounds on them, I would say that at least every other stump has ants building on them and I know they will rot a stump out too! But if I add fuel to the fire....ie. SUGAR....I bet they would work over time to rot them for me, I thought about salting them, but I want to eventually plant these areas for wildlife, so I really didnt want to do the salt thing. Jinman have you tried the salt deal????? Did it seem to speed the process?????

 

[TNhobbyfarmer]

I have found fertilizer with high nitrogen content to work OK. Just drill several 6-12" holes in the stump and pour in the fertilizer. However, don't expect overnight success. The rotting process does take time. If you'll be paitient, within a year or so you can start to dig the suump up with a shovel, pickaxe, splitting maul. or whatever you have handy. Let time be your friend, or if you're in more of a hurry, go ahead and rent the stump grinder.

 

[heehaw]

i priced a stump grinder, or actually someone to do the stump grinding, and can hire someone with a really big backhoe to dig out 4 or 5 stumps for what they want to grind two.
heehaw

 

[jinman]

Sugar.....Really......I have about 400-500 pine stumps to rot from a recent cutting around my house, havent heard about the sugar thing, Im sure that would attract every fire ant within a 10 mine range, but that is what Im doing now is letting the fire ants build thier mounds on them, I would say that at least every other stump has ants building on them and I know they will rot a stump out too! But if I add fuel to the fire....ie. SUGAR....I bet they would work over time to rot them for me, I thought about salting them, but I want to eventually plant these areas for wildlife, so I really didnt want to do the salt thing. Jinman have you tried the salt deal????? Did it seem to speed the process?????

Salt will not work, neither will bleach. While those things work well to kill the tree, they do not accelerate decomposition. The use of sugar or molasses encourages decomposition and attracts bugs. The use of nitrogen fertilizer, as Jerry said, is also a very good way to accelerate decomposition. If you can drill holes and cover with cow manure, that will also get nature going. Of course, if the stump is in your yard, cow manure is probably not the best choice. Covering the stump with mulch and keeping it moist is good in all cases. This type of decomposition may take up to two years, and that's why stump grinders are popular.

Remember, salt is a preservative and bleach kills bacteria. Those are the two things you DO NOT want to do to a stump unless you want it there forever.

 

[1bush2hog]

Saltpeter -

This from Wilkipedia - Potassium nitrate is also the main component (usually about 98%) of tree stump remover; it accelerates the natural decomposition of the stump.[7]

 

[Highbeam]

There are a few "other" things that salt peter can be used for. I wouldn't want to go to a store looking for salt peter.

 

[sunspot]

Remember, salt is a preservative and bleach kills bacteria. Those are the two things you DO NOT want to do to a stump unless you want it there forever.

A good reason NOT to set the stump on fire. I remember reading that old timers used to fire blacken fence posts to delay the rotting. It killed the bacteria.

 

[1bush2hog]

There are a few "other" things that salt peter can be used for. I wouldn't want to go to a store looking for salt peter.

Then order some off the net

 

[RedDirt]

mahlers,
I'm with CurlyDave. Get out as much as you can, especially at the perimeter of your room, then bridge the gap with a thickened concrete beam or thickened slab with added reinforcing in either case.