Getting rid of a tree stump

[ducks4you]

A friend of mine just cut down some damaged trees in his yard. He wants to get rid of the stumps, but I don't think he wants to have somebody remove them. What do you'all think he should do--is there any biological solution, or, is there any kind of annual to plant that will eat up the stump?

 

[simple life]

Here are a few options.

You can rent a stump grinder or hire someone to do it and just grind them down.
This would also be the quickest way.

They sell stuff that takes a while, you drill holes in the stump and fill the holes with the stump remover.
You wait so many months and then you are suppose to light it on fire.
I read the label in the hardware store one day and that is what I remember of it.
This would be the next fastest way but still a while.

You can innolculate it with mycelium and let the mushrooms do all the work, this would be the longest way.

My husband just chops them up with an axe. Every once in a while he'll hack at them, let them rot a little then hack at them again.
If they are tall enough you can wrap chains around them and pull them out with your truck, tractor, etc.

 

[hoodat]

The stump remover they pour into the hols in stumps is actually saltpeter, a concentrated form of nitrogen. You will pay less for saltpeter than stump remover even though it's the same thing. Saltpeter is also used to cure bacon and hams.
It works by speeding up the decay but it takes several years and works best on dead wood.

 

[patandchickens]

Easiest thing I know of, although it is a process not an instant result, is to whack the thing up with an axe and/or bore LARGE LARGE holes in it, then pack fresh manure into the clefts and holes, then cover the whole thing with dirt. It helps if you then cover it with something to keep it damp, e.g. a piece of old carpeting, but that is not essential.

Depending on what kind of tree it was, the belowground parts may take a while -- sometimes a loong while -- to soften and rot down.

If there is a lot of stump sticking up aboveground, frankly I think it usually makes most sense to just live with it, at least for the first 3-5 years or so. Turn the stump into a seat, a birdbath base, plop a container plant on it, whatever. Once you feel it has gotten rotty enough to be no good for those things anymore, a pick and/or old axe can help you reduce it to ground level well enough for the firstmentioned solution to be implemented.

JME, good luck, have fun,

Pat

 

[ducks4you]

These are great suggestions--I gave him the link--hope he's reading--I'M learning stuff!!
Actually, I suggested pouring kerosene over it--soaking it--then throwing a flaming rag on top and enjoy the burn!!
Keep the ideas coming.

 

[DawnSuiter]

.....

If there is a lot of stump sticking up aboveground, frankly I think it usually makes most sense to just live with it, at least for the first 3-5 years or so. Turn the stump into a seat, a birdbath base, plop a container plant on it, whatever. Once you feel it has gotten rotty enough to be no good for those things anymore, a pick and/or old axe can help you reduce it to ground level well enough for the firstmentioned solution to be implemented.

JME, good luck, have fun,

Pat

That is what I do.. I have a trio of littler trees that are about to be cut down & the stumps used as table legs for an outdoor bar. Others used as posts... seat benches, flower pot stands. My DH gets some kind of joy at chopping some stumps apart & ripping them outta the ground... so some get that treatment too... he works on them little at a time.. like therapy or something!

 

[Lavender44]

Cool, thanks for all that info. I know it wasn't for me, but I am definitely going to use it