OP
Suburban Plowboy
Platinum Member
I still have two rocks that don't want to move. Wondering if I should drill deep holes in them, epoxy eye bolts in place, connect a come-along to a nearby tree, and pull.
Twisting Stumps out of Ground?
- Thread starter Suburban Plowboy
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radios1
Elite Member
it's easy to split even extremely large boulders. then they are much lighter. a few ideas here. rock splitting - Google Search
OP
Suburban Plowboy
Platinum Member
That Google search isn't actually very helpful. It links to sites showing people doing things considerably harder than what I'm already doing, with things like diesel compressors and jackhammers.
radios1
Elite Member
all you need to do is drill a few holes in the boulder, and then hammer in a few special wedges evenly, and the boulder splits. or you could use the special expanding compound..
OP
Suburban Plowboy
Platinum Member
The problem with that is that you're stuck with two big boulders anchoring each other in the ground. They would still have to be lifted out, and the tractor does a bang-up job of that without splitting them. As it stands, I have to dig around the rock, loop a strap around it, and pull. To split it, I would have to dig around it, get down in the dirt with a rotary hammer and drill holes in it, beat wedges and feathers into them, and then pull the still-large pieces out. You can see that's a lot more work, and when it's over with, I have disfigured rocks I can't sell or use for landscaping.
I could see splitting a rock too big for the tractor, but it doesn't seem to make sense for rocks like the one in the photo.
I could see splitting a rock too big for the tractor, but it doesn't seem to make sense for rocks like the one in the photo.
California
Super Star Member
- Joined
- Jan 22, 2004
- Messages
- 14,937
- Location
- An hour north of San Francisco
- Tractor
- Yanmar YM240 Yanmar YM186D
I take out a few stumps in the orchard every year. That's what the 3-point backhoe is for.
1) Dig in a # pattern - each side of the stump, move the tractor, repeat. This will reveal which direction the lateral roots go.
2) Park the backhoe in line with principal roots, and a few feet out. Dig a trench straight down the line of each lateral root to uncover it, back to where its thin enough to snap off.
3) Dig down a second pass, close to the taproot to break its adhesion to the soil.
4) Pull the stump over with the backhoe to break it loose, then drag it out.
The reason to get the entire stump out, instead of poisoning or burning it, is to replant an orchard tree at the same grid location. I don't want rotten wood under the new tree. Equally important, I want to disrupt the gopher palace - nesting beds filled with nice soft fine grass and roots - that I often find under a stump.
1) Dig in a # pattern - each side of the stump, move the tractor, repeat. This will reveal which direction the lateral roots go.
2) Park the backhoe in line with principal roots, and a few feet out. Dig a trench straight down the line of each lateral root to uncover it, back to where its thin enough to snap off.
3) Dig down a second pass, close to the taproot to break its adhesion to the soil.
4) Pull the stump over with the backhoe to break it loose, then drag it out.
The reason to get the entire stump out, instead of poisoning or burning it, is to replant an orchard tree at the same grid location. I don't want rotten wood under the new tree. Equally important, I want to disrupt the gopher palace - nesting beds filled with nice soft fine grass and roots - that I often find under a stump.
radios1
Elite Member
pool shock, which is extra strength chlorine works better.. BTDT..I take out a few stumps in the orchard every year. That's what the 3-point backhoe is for.
1) Dig in a # pattern - each side of the stump, move the tractor, repeat. This will reveal which direction the lateral roots go.
2) Park the backhoe in line with principal roots, and a few feet out. Dig a trench straight down the line of each lateral root to uncover it, back to where its thin enough to snap off.
3) Dig down a second pass, close to the taproot to break its adhesion to the soil.
4) Pull the stump over with the backhoe to break it loose, then drag it out.
The reason to get the entire stump out, instead of poisoning or burning it, is to replant an orchard tree at the same grid location. I don't want rotten wood under the new tree. Equally important, I want to disrupt the gopher palace - nesting beds filled with nice soft fine grass and roots - that I often find under a stump.
California
Super Star Member
- Joined
- Jan 22, 2004
- Messages
- 14,937
- Location
- An hour north of San Francisco
- Tractor
- Yanmar YM240 Yanmar YM186D
How long to wait before replanting there?
Ortimber
Platinum Member
I have a LOT of stumps. I have a dozer, an excavator, and now a stump grinder.
By far, the stump grinder has proven to be the best weapon for making these nasty things disappear. If I were the OP, I’d see about renting a skid steer w/ a stump grinder for a weekend and go to town.
The stump in the picture was from a 100 year old Douglas fir tree. I didn’t measure it, but it was about 3ft across. Including grinding the roots, this was gone in about 35 minutes. I ran my landscape rake over the mess a couple of times and it’s ready to throw grass seed on.
By far, the stump grinder has proven to be the best weapon for making these nasty things disappear. If I were the OP, I’d see about renting a skid steer w/ a stump grinder for a weekend and go to town.
The stump in the picture was from a 100 year old Douglas fir tree. I didn’t measure it, but it was about 3ft across. Including grinding the roots, this was gone in about 35 minutes. I ran my landscape rake over the mess a couple of times and it’s ready to throw grass seed on.
