Zerk
Veteran Member
Several days? You need more gas.
Just kidding.
Just kidding.
Need ideas to get rid of a couple of maple stumps
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CajunRider
Platinum Member
The last time I had to get rid of a few large stumps, I drill many holes 10" deep into the stump and fill them with potassium nitrate (saltpeter) then poured hot water to dissolve and soak into the stump. I waited a couple weeks then filled the holes with kerosene. The stumps kept burning by themselves for 5 days. Still I didn't get all of them out so I dug out the ashes and poured nitrogen rich fertilizer into the holes and cover with top soil. The next year everything was gone.
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sixdogs
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Good advice, CJR. Since my stumps are nearly flush with the ground, I think my three inch deep holes will work out. When dry, I plan to soak holes with kerosene and briquettes and light it. Assuming it burns below grade, and I think it will, I'll then clean out the hole with the leaf blower, fill with high nitrogen fertilizer and let it go. If it's below grade, so I don't hit with the mower, I'm good. If grass grows on top, that would be even better.
CajunRider
Platinum Member
My stumps were 4-5 ft in diameter so I had to drill deeper. Anything smaller and the 3 inch holes will be fine. Don't forget the saltpeter if the stumps are from living trees.
DieselBound
Elite Member
I've burned and buried. Burying works best for me: I rent an excavator. But that's for big stuff. For smaller stuff, if it's kosher, burn. Take some reasonably stout metal mesh, wrap it around the stump, fill with highly burnable material (charcoal works well) and set that ablaze; this "outer" fire will eventually cook out moisture to allow the stump to catch (and once it does it should burn right on through down into the roots).
I managed to burn down two large piles of timber debris (stumps, trunks and assorted) using a big chunk of maple. That piece of maple outlived the other material in the first pile so I grabbed it up with the tractor and dropped it on the other pile and that single piece of maple managed to take out that huge pile (I would have to push it together now and then, but no need to sit there trying to fan the flames).
You can buy chainsaw oil that's laced with microbes and the cut into the stump a bunch. I'm impatient, even burning isn't quick enough, so I tend to go the burial route.
I managed to burn down two large piles of timber debris (stumps, trunks and assorted) using a big chunk of maple. That piece of maple outlived the other material in the first pile so I grabbed it up with the tractor and dropped it on the other pile and that single piece of maple managed to take out that huge pile (I would have to push it together now and then, but no need to sit there trying to fan the flames).
You can buy chainsaw oil that's laced with microbes and the cut into the stump a bunch. I'm impatient, even burning isn't quick enough, so I tend to go the burial route.
Most of y'all sure seem to like WORK! I have a couple of stumps that need to go so wife can have a new 5'x10' flower box right there (raised bed garden). The local tree service just quoted $150 to grind them to oblivion. All I have to do is open the gate and point them out. Sounds like a deal to me.
DieselBound
Elite Member
My stumps get taken care of in conjunction with other activities that I schedule for excavator use: on a per-stump basis I'm coming out cheaper than $10; and then there's the fact that some of my stumps are HUGE (one cottonwood stump, from cutting down one particular tree, was 44" at the butt). But my wife had ample space to put flower boxes (home site area is not inhabited by stumps).
Burning as I'd suggested takes little work. And, you can set some chairs out around the stump burning and roast some marshmallows!
But, if all one has is a couple of stumps then $150 and DONE is probably a good way to go.
Burning as I'd suggested takes little work. And, you can set some chairs out around the stump burning and roast some marshmallows!
But, if all one has is a couple of stumps then $150 and DONE is probably a good way to go.With the right tool, they disappear in MINUTES! I had one 11"-12" cherry and a 4"-5" dogwood that had to go, but after he got unloaded and done with those, we looked over some others. Wife said she really didn't care, but I know it's a pain for her to mow around them, so he also did a 14" hickory, a double 14"-16" hickory, a 12" hickory and 2 partially-rotted 10" hickories. It surprised me how much solid wood was left in those. So, seven total, counting the double as one. He cut them all at least 12" below grade except for the double that was right up against a nice dogwood we want to save.
$325
He did say that his little grinder set him back about $105,000
$325
He did say that his little grinder set him back about $105,000
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sixdogs
Super Star Member
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Back in post 52 I showed the stump with the holes I drilled and my plan to burn. Today was the day and I learned how and how not to do it.
First, I soaked the stump in charcoal lighter fluid and let it sit for an hour. Then I neatly layered on half a big bag of charcoal and soaked that with lighter fluid. and lit it. After an hour, what was going on was that the charcoal on top was not letting enough air in and t was just turning the stump into charcoal itself. I scraped back the charcoal and got out the leaf blower as was suggested in the thread.
The charcoal dust blew away easily and the remaining wood embers started to really glow and burn the stump. Twenty minutes later the stump was burned to a crisp, below grade and I was as happy as a clam. It won't grow grass for a long time but I can fill it in with dirt and that will pack down nicely. Before that and after a couple hard rains I'm going to dump some fertilizer in before the dirt goes in. I do believe it hastens decomposition.
So, to get rid of a stump by burning, forget the charcoal. Instead, drill some holes first, let it dry and build a wood fire on top. As it burns down get a leaf blower and get those embers going to burn the stump. I didn't want to grind out just this one stump so burning worked for me.
Pics after the burn are below. Thanks to everyone for the help.
First, I soaked the stump in charcoal lighter fluid and let it sit for an hour. Then I neatly layered on half a big bag of charcoal and soaked that with lighter fluid. and lit it. After an hour, what was going on was that the charcoal on top was not letting enough air in and t was just turning the stump into charcoal itself. I scraped back the charcoal and got out the leaf blower as was suggested in the thread.
The charcoal dust blew away easily and the remaining wood embers started to really glow and burn the stump. Twenty minutes later the stump was burned to a crisp, below grade and I was as happy as a clam. It won't grow grass for a long time but I can fill it in with dirt and that will pack down nicely. Before that and after a couple hard rains I'm going to dump some fertilizer in before the dirt goes in. I do believe it hastens decomposition.
So, to get rid of a stump by burning, forget the charcoal. Instead, drill some holes first, let it dry and build a wood fire on top. As it burns down get a leaf blower and get those embers going to burn the stump. I didn't want to grind out just this one stump so burning worked for me.
Pics after the burn are below. Thanks to everyone for the help.
CajunRider
Platinum Member
Nicely done.
