Stump removal

Anonymous-0 · May 11, 2014

I have about ten stumps in the pasture, measuring between 3 and 10 inches in diameter. Thought about renting a grinder. My father has mentioned there is a chemical that you can pour on them to make them decompose quickly. They are all solid enough that my loader tractor wont budge them. Has anyone had any experience with what my dad is referring to? How long would it take for them to rot away? Stump grinder rental place is about five minutes away and they want $70 for four hours.

Joshua

Mike (WA) · May 11, 2014

Partly depends on what kind of tree they were- some species rot much more quickly than others. But it will take a couple years, at least. I believe I'd spring for the 70 bucks, and just get rid of them. I think you could grind 10 stumps that size in a couple of hours, tops.

P I Pete · May 11, 2014

DRILL SOME HOLES IN THEM WITH YOUR CORDLESS DRILL AND THEN POUR SOME LIQUID NITROGEN IN IT WILL SPEED UP ROTTING

Wile E · May 11, 2014

Cut stumps flush with the ground.

put topsoil on top of stumps.

Come back next year with loader bucket and push out.

This should work.

I am cheep, Renting a stump grinder is for professional tree crews.

Red1 · May 11, 2014

If you decide to cut them off level and then cover with dirt, might want to pound a stake by them with a piece of red cloth tied on..

jennifer408 · May 11, 2014

to me it would be an urgency issue, if their in the way of a project or ugly as all get up or keep hitting them with the dab blame mower i'd pay the $70. and be done with it. other wise i'd have all the patience in the world.

Jim in Ma. · May 11, 2014

I have removed a lot in that size range.
Step 1 is to drill a bunch of 1/2" about 3 or 4" deep holes in the top
2. On a nice sunny day when the stump id dry, Pore some Gas or diesel on the top and let it soak in for a while. I use gas because it's less smoke.
3. Pot an old truck rim over the stump sort of like a fire pit.
4. Lite the top just let it burn. An 8 or 10" stump will burn (Smolder) for about 2 or 3 days.
The rim will keep the fire from spreading and also hide that tell tail glow if that's an issue with neighbors. If they do complain - Just tell them you are having a cookout.

Alberta Bill · May 11, 2014

Dad always said copper nails or drill it and add salt peter. Time is your friend. Then one day its gone.

dmiller · May 11, 2014

more sharing a story I heard than any true advice. But...
An old guy around here told me that back in the 20's the way they cleared tress here was to fence off the area, use a soil auger to drill holes into the dirt beneath the stump. Then pour grain into the holes and turn hogs loose on it. He said they'd root up the stumps in about a week, then they could go in with horses and tractors and pull out the mess.

jeffcat · May 11, 2014

Wow I like the deal with the hogs. Bet that would really work! I have cut them low and pour a pile of high nitrogen fertlizer onto it. What ever kind of tree it can take up to three years. The stump grinder is a fast and some what cheap way to go. Remember when we were kids and you could use them nice long red cardboard looking sticks? Blower up boys!

keh · May 11, 2014

Salt peter in above post is potassium nitrate which is the component in commercial stump remover. Instructions are to drill holes in stump, pour in stump remover, wait a month. then set the stump on fire. Potassium nutrate is the main ingredient in black powder and is supposed to burn quick and hot.

The $70 sounds cheaper.

KEH

Anonymous-0 · May 11, 2014

I have heard of the hog trick, from my grandparents. I think i will try and get the grinder, just need to find time to do it when its available.

Thanks everyone.

Dick2 · May 11, 2014

If you ever intend to till that land, you might want to rent a backhoe and dig out the stumps now and dispose of them.

If those are large stumps and the grinder is a walk-behind unit with handle bars, you might need more than 4 hours to grind them all down below ground level.

smallercrawler · May 11, 2014

Have tried chemicals/burning in past, wasn"t happy due to "messing" with them. Recently had 11 done with grinder-mostly oak from ~13" to 30+" rough diameters. Guy had 4WD, large diameter cutter with remote control. About 3.5 hours off his trailer. Ground them to about 10" below grade, and cleaned large running surface roots. I raked and levelled. Cost $350.00 total. Couldn"t begin to go any other way, in/done/out.

Geo-TH,In · May 11, 2014

Joshua,

When I have a tree cut down, I used landscaping timbers to make a stump cover, a raised flower bed.

Well, no more stump covers. Last stump cover lasted 4 years before the termites eating the stump eat the timbers too.

A stump cover I made 9 years, same problem, termites ate the timbers. Well I took backhoe, removed the dirt. Only a small part of the stump remained. It was like cork.

So you could cut the stumps level with ground, cover with dirt and feed the termites for about 10 years.

I've removed other stump covers, either the timbers were rotted or tenants let them turn to crabgrass. So I can say that in 10-12 years stumps should be gone.

I have a stump I never covered, level with ground. It has lasted about 15 years and is still there.
george

uncle henry · May 11, 2014

i have heard one gallon of gas is equal to one stick of tnt

Ken Christopherson · May 11, 2014

This is how my grandfather did it, not exactly a quick method, but I thought since I spent some time on the back of the '41 Case SC I inherited from him this afternoon, I would post a picture of him working with it - I know the photo was taken in 1988 (I was 2 years old at the time). Grandpa passed in 1993. I know my uncle used to just dig around the base and light a fire underneath them - also a slow method.

Indiana Ken · May 11, 2014

I have tried Gordon's Stump Remover on two stumps, neither one decayed or burned as promised on the bottle. The big problem I have is drilling a 1" diameter hole 10" deep into the stump, then intersecting it with another 1" diameter drill from the side. Really now, it takes a better drill than I have to drill that kind of hole in a green stump and a better man than I am to hold on to that drill.

I usually cut them low and treat them with a stump treatment. They will not begin to decay until they stop sending up sprouts - I find the stump treatment is key. If it is a pasture or fence row I only need to get a bush hog over them every now and then. If you need to farm over them then waiting several years for rotting is not acceptable.

john *.?-!.* cub owner · May 11, 2014

I have a friend that puts a salt box on top of stumps he wants to get rid of and after a year or two the sharp hooves of the deer have dug around it enough it will pull out easily.

Galen Mitchell · May 11, 2014

Rent a mini excavator and dig them out.

Anonymous-0 · May 11, 2014

My Grandpa used to use a long 1 inch diameter auger to drill a diagonal hole under the stump, then he'd slide a stick or two of dynamite down the hole and blow 'em up, I thought it was great fun

T in NE · May 11, 2014

Dynamite may be illegal, but as long as you don't mix up more than 50 pounds at a time this is.
star targets

Traditional Farmer · May 12, 2014

Cut them off as close to the ground as you can and then dump a bucket of cow manure on each one they'll be gone in a hurry.

mkirsch · May 12, 2014

The bottle of commercial stump remover I bought at Tractor Supply a few years ago says YEARS, not weeks or even months.

"Drill some holes. Pour this stuff in. Stump will be rotten on 2-3 years."

It's still sitting on a shelf in my garage. I bought a mattock and dug all mine by hand.

Burning has some considerations too. Stumps can burn for a very long time, and the fire can follow the root system and surface somewhere that you don't want it.

NNP · May 12, 2014

I drill or chop at em some, then pour old calcium out of tires or just rock salt on them regularly to speed rot and to make sure that 'dead' stump stays dead

Depending on size, the next or following spring when the ground is soft, I push them over with a loader.

Traditional Farmer · May 12, 2014

Salt will preserve wood not make it rot

GeneMO · May 12, 2014

Dynamite isn't illegal. It is just that most people are not willing to invest the time and effort to jump through all the hoops to acquire it. You can get a permit from the BATFE that allows you to purchase 6 times a year. The problem you run into is meeting all their requirements for transporting it and storing it. It just isn't worth all the hassle. Plus it is next to impossible to find anyone willing to sell to a small purchaser.

I have set off several of the 2 1/2 lb exploding targets.. Danged near as much fun as when I use to buy and use dynamite. I am contemplating mixing up about 5 or 6 lbs of the stuff next time. It packs a tremendous wallop.

Gene

Bret4207 · May 13, 2014

The smaller stumps you can go around with a single point subsoiler and break off the roots. Then you can usually hook the stump and pop it out. The big ones you either dig out or you wait.

The trick with hogs works but it takes a lot more time than people say.

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