Tree Removal

[Bluest]

I was chatting with my neighbour yesterday and he asked whether I would consider removing some trees from my field (with his help) to improve the view from his house. I'd be happy to do this, it's good for neighbourly relations, they make mowing awkward and the fire wood would be handy. I probably wont get round to it for a few months, but it has got me thinking about how I would go about it.

There are something like 10-20 conifers ranging from 15 to 30 ft high. I've got a chainsaw, so why not just get on with it? Well, two problems.....

1) Once the trees are gone, I'd like to return the land to grass, so how the **** do I deal with 20 tree stumps left in the ground. I've heard of stump grinders, but the prices in the UK are way above my budget.

2) The trees are on an uneven slope of about 17 degrees, so getting a stump grinder, or any other substantial equipment down there is a bit hairy. I can just about get my tractor down there but I have to be careful to keep it pointing straight up or down.

I'm hoping there is some miracle solution that will cause the stumps to rot away in twelve months!....

 

[EddieWalker]

Shame about the slope because digging out the stump with the tree attached makes it quick and easy. The weight of the tree pulls the stump out and they fall over easily. Only problem is you need an excavator or a backhoe to do the digging.

When my parents lived in CA, they had a neighbor ask if he could remove a couple of their trees to improve their view. They didn't have a problem with him doing that, but insisted on a clean up deposit to make sure they hauled off the trees and didn't leave a mess for them to deal with. Once everything was done, they gave him back his deposit. I think it was a thousand dollars in cash that they insisted on because that's what they felt it would be worth to them to clean up the mess if that's what they where left with. Everything went fine and the neighbor was done in just a few weeks. It might have been that he was just the type of guy to do a good job, or it might have been that he wanted his money back and that motivated him to do a good job. Either way, having an incentive to finish it sure didn't hurt anything.

I think that if your neighbor wants the trees gone, then that's who should do the work and pay all the expenses in making it happen. I also think that getting a cash deposit to make sure it's done the way "you" want it done is also a very good idea.

I've seen people drill numerous holes into the stump and pour different stuff into them to speed up their decay. I don't know what they used, but sometimes it seemed to work, other times it didn't. I once took out a small stump with shove and axe, but it was only a 12 inch tree and I was full of energy back then. I don't think I'd ever do that again!!!

Good luck, I've taken out thousands of trees and don't miss a single one of them.

Eddie

 

[Coyote machine]

So if the field is on a big slope what kind of 'field' are you looking to have when the trees are gone? Are you planning to hay it? Let the field go wild? How big an area would the stumps encompass? You might be able to dig around each stump enough that you could cut close enough to grade that the stumps aren't an eyesore or real issue if all you're looking to do is let the field go fallow....

 

[Bluest]

It's mostly field already, with maybe 50 similar tress planted in various cluster around the perimeter. I mow just to keep it looking presentable and so I can easily walk the dog. It's a hobby to justify a tractor really! Long term aim is an apple orchard, but that's a dream at the minute. It's only a little over 1 acre. The gradient varies but the offending trees happen to be on the steepest part.

I don't think my neighbour is in a position to tackle the job on his own, the trees would stay if it came to that. Removing the trees themselves is not a problem for me, especially with a second pair of hands to help, I quite enjoy it. It's just the stumps that will cause me difficulty.

 

[Looking4new]

I've seen people drill numerous holes into the stump and pour different stuff into them to speed up their decay. I don't know what they used, but sometimes it seemed to work, other times it didn't.
Eddie

Potassium Nitrate/Saltpeter will kill the roots of a tree pretty quick. Keep in mind that since 9/11 it is pretty hard (license checks and hoops to jump through) to get PN as it is also used in making explosives. The first number in fertilizer is the potassium, the higher the number the better, it will take longer but the stumps should rot away.
IF you use Potassium Nitrate, then you will need to drill down into the crown of the tree stump with a wood boring drill (1 1/2 bit) and fill the hole with the PN.

 

[pmsmechanic]

I got rid of a small stump quite easily by just crosshatching the top. I had left about 4" sticking out of the ground and I was careful with the chainsaw as I didn't want to touch the soil with the chain. A year later I went back with a large hammer and just broke each crosshatch off and threw them into the garbage. They were well rotted and what was left of the 6-8" stump just disappeared. No fuss or muss or large equipment.

 

[Gary Fowler]

Potassium Nitrate/Saltpeter will kill the roots of a tree pretty quick. Keep in mind that since 9/11 it is pretty hard (license checks and hoops to jump through) to get PN as it is also used in making explosives. The first number in fertilizer is the potassium, the higher the number the better, it will take longer but the stumps should rot away.
IF you use Potassium Nitrate, then you will need to drill down into the crown of the tree stump with a wood boring drill (1 1/2 bit) and fill the hole with the PN.

If you are dyslexic it is the first number, for the rest of us it is the last number. Ingredients in order of number are N (nitrogen) P (phosphorus) K (potassium)

 

[Looking4new]

Oops, got it backwards. Thanks Gary.

 

[Bluest]

Thanks again all. So no miracle cure for tree stumps! I do like to do things myself, and hate being defeated, but 20 stumps might be a bridge too far. Having thought about it, and assuming the slope doesn't put him off, I know a man with an excavator who charges £150 a day. Would likely leave big holes, but I could easily back fill the holes afterwards.

Should have added, I'm not a big fan of putting chemicals in the ground if I can possibly avoid it, but I'll look into how easy/cheap the chemicals are.

 

[hunterridgefarm]

I have a friend that has a stump grinder that has rubber tracks. I don't think the slope would be an issue if they approached the stump on the low side. You said they cost for this was high. Get the neighbor to pay 75% +/- for the stump grinding.

If you can get an estimate on cost to grind the stumps tell the neighbor this is the only way you can agree to have the trees cut. And if he agrees to pay get the money before cutting. You know some people will pay a million dollars for a view.