How to burn stumps

MMH · Jul 2, 2012

I have 6 to 8 stumps piled up that I have been trying to burn. After a good hot fire is lit (an alot of coals underneath the stumps), the stumps will smolder for a day or so, but will not continue to burn. The trees were cut down 6 months ago, although some of the stumps were just dug out of the ground.

Fossil Farm · Jul 2, 2012

If they have just been dug out, they are still wet and "green." How much dirt is left on the stumps ?? Move them around a bit to knock off as much dirt as possible to help them dry out and burn better. Good luck.

psj12 · Jul 2, 2012

Get some stump remover powder (saltpeter) and follow the directions. Burn one year later.

MMH · Jul 2, 2012

Fossil Farm said:
If they have just been dug out, they are still wet and "green." How much dirt is left on the stumps ?? Move them around a bit to knock off as much dirt as possible to help them dry out and burn better. Good luck.

There is alot of dirt on them. Not so much dirt as clay. Really cannot knock the clay off w/o significant work w/ pressure washer.

MMH · Jul 2, 2012

psj12 said:
Get some stump remover powder (saltpeter) and follow the directions. Burn one year later.

I never heard of stumpremover powder - I'll look into this.

Carykong · Jul 2, 2012

I burned a stump out with the help of an electric fan. The forced air generates wicked hot flame that will consume a stump quickly.

Fossil Farm · Jul 3, 2012

Carykong said:
I burned a stump out with the help of an electric fan. The forced air generates wicked hot flame that will consume a stump quickly.

Many years ago we had a job to clean up tornado damage. The company who dealt with the debris dug a pit, put pipe with holes in it around the pit, pumped air through the pipe. The debris went into the pit and burned it green with the forced air helping to burn it quickly. Pretty cool setup.

clemsonfor · Jul 3, 2012

MMH said:
I have 6 to 8 stumps piled up that I have been trying to burn. After a good hot fire is lit (an alot of coals underneath the stumps), the stumps will smolder for a day or so, but will not continue to burn. The trees were cut down 6 months ago, although some of the stumps were just dug out of the ground.

6 months!! There still wet! even if there pine there still prolly to green if there Hardwood there still green definitly as there were live till dug up. Wait another 6 months minimum! then pile trash on them and reburn them. You can burn green wood but its a lot of work to boil all that water out of them! more than half the weight of those things is water. So if you have a 1500lb root ball (if there is no dirt) there is a good 600-800lbs of water still in that thing. There is a lot of heat needed to boil 500lbs+ of water!

digger Bob · Jul 3, 2012

MMH said:
I have 6 to 8 stumps piled up that I have been trying to burn. After a good hot fire is lit (an alot of coals underneath the stumps), the stumps will smolder for a day or so, but will not continue to burn. The trees were cut down 6 months ago, although some of the stumps were just dug out of the ground.

Get your handy dandy little hand held leaf blower and turn it on the base of the fire and it will get so hot you will have to move!
The heat removers the moisture, I guess.

bigballer · Jul 3, 2012

digger Bob said:
Get your handy dandy little hand held leaf blower and turn it on the base of the fire and it will get so hot you will have to move!
The heat removers the moisture, I guess.

++++1!! This is exactly how I get those big damp piles to burn.. its amazing how fast you can get the fire going again the next day too..