Chemical Stump Removal

[kfander]

This spring and summer, I cleared an area of woods for a hideaway home. Unfortunately, part way through the summer, I found out that I had cancer, requiring daily radiation treatments.

What does that have to do with stump removal, you ask?

Because of having to be 222 miles away five days out of every week or, more specifically, because I didn't work hard enough during the spring and early part of the summer, before the cancer diagnosis, I have had to take some shortcuts.

Rather than completely removing the stumps from the ground as I had planned, I cut them down as close to the ground as possible and covered them with a couple of truckloads of gravel that I used for the driveway and building site.

Since the driveway is mostly for the use of the truck that will be delivering our new home, built by the Amish, and for me to be able to better move in such heavy things as a wood stove, that shouldn't be a problem. We don't plan on parking cars in the driveway as, once we get settled, we'd rather use an ATV to get there in the spring, summer and fall, with a snowmobile the only option - other than walking or cross-country skiing - in the winter, since the road becomes a snowmobile trail in winter. We are thinking about replanting some trees between the cabin and the road, to hide it from view, although there are pros and cons to that.

My question has to do with the stumps that remain in the area around the cabin. Once the cabin is is in place, heavy equipment won't be an easy option, yet I don't want our small yard to be a minefield of stumps to be tripped over.

I have come across some products that are supposed to speed the process of decomposition. The idea is to drill holes in the top and sides of the stump, insert the granules (or whatever they are), then add water. It is supposed to decompose the stump in four to six months.

The one that I bought is Green Light Stump Remover, but there are other similar products available. I'm reading mixed reviews on Amazon. Has anyone used anything like this before?

[grumble]

Many years ago, I did the same thing with some rock salt. It definitely kills the stump, but I'm not so sure about how much it speeds up the rotting process.

I'll be watching to see what others have to say.

[DiggingDogFarm]

Don't buy that garbage.

Cut the stump off as close to the ground as possible, drill several big holes in the stump and then fill the holes with something that's very high-nitrogen, such as urea if you don't mind chemical fertilizers or blood meal if you want to stay organic.
After applying the nitrogen cover the stumps with several inches of moist heavy mulch: they'll soon begin to rot.

[kfander]

Don't buy that garbage.

Cut the stump off as close to the ground as possible, drill several big holes in the stump and then fill the holes with something that's very high-nitrogen, such as urea if you don't mind chemical fertilizers or blood meal if you want to stay organic.

I appreciate the comments but would have to wonder if you're familiar with the specific product or products. Quite a few people say they work, and if the active ingredient is high in nitrogen, then - if you are correct - it would work. And since it's not very expensive, that might be easier way to go about it than to look for other things that are high in nitrogen.

If, on the other hand, you are familiar with the specific product, then your comments are more valuable.

[cinok]

Is stump grinding option depending on the amount and the size of themstumps you may be able to rent a grinder or hire someone for a set price.

[DiggingDogFarm]

I appreciate the comments but would have to wonder if you're familiar with the specific product or products. Quite a few people say they work, and if the active ingredient is high in nitrogen, then - if you are correct - it would work. And since it's not very expensive, that might be easier way to go about it than to look for other things that are high in nitrogen.

If, on the other hand, you are familiar with the specific product, then your comments are more valuable.

Most of the stump dissolvers are potassium nitrate AKA saltpetre.
IMHO, it's highly over-priced.
It can get very expensive if you have several stumps to do.

[kfander]

It can get very expensive if you have several stumps to do.

Okay, thanks. I'll look into other options.

[J R Adams]

If you live near an integrated chicken or turkey operation, a small trailer load of their waste should be cheap if not free for the hauling. It won't smell good for a while, will burn (rot) the stumps out and you'll have the greenest grass around.

[kfander]

I had thought of a stump grinder and might be able to find one to rent, but would rather stay as much on the cheap as possible. At this point, whatever I do, I don't have to worry about it until spring.

I had heard that rock salt might do the trick, and might try that. Certainly that's cheap enough that even if it didn't work, I wouldn't be out anything.

As for chicken or turkey wastes, I don't know of any large poultry operations near me.

[NCLee]

I'm sorry to hear of your health problems. Pray that all is/will be well and you'll be back to full speed soon.

How fast the wood will rot depends on the type trees you cut. Here cedar and heart pine takes forever, it seems. Maple, polplar go pretty fast. Depending on the wood, the easiest thing to do is let nature take its course with a little help from you.

Create an environment around each stump that is condusive to increase the natural organisms that help with this in the forest.

Some examples:

Turn a stump into a compost pile. Make compost right over the stump. This isn't a hot pile, where temps get high enough to kill life. This is a pile where earthworms, beetles, and the tiny beasties thrive. Their activities will speed up the decomposition process.

Turn a stump into a raised bed. Put enough soil around/over it to plant food or decorative annual plants. The act of watering and fertilizing those plants will help keep conditions right, as the plant roots gradually penetrate into the stump.

Instead of buying something promoted to kill stumps, put uneaten (live culture) plain yogurt on your stumps. (Painting flower pots with yogurt yields aged looking pots with moss growing on them.) And/or add some yeast to your stumps. In each case, you're introducing "live" agents to speed up the process.

Or....

Where it's feasible, plant perennial plants beside the stumps. Depending on what you choose, in time the plant will hide the stump. Keeping the plant fertilized (natural or man-made) will add nitrogen needed for both the plant and the breakdown of the stump. Low growning evergreen shrubs are one example. Fig bushes, if figs grow where you live, is a food plant example. The fig will spread over the stump and it grows, so it won't matter from an appearance standpoint whether theres a stump under those branches.

Or....

Burn them out, if you can safely/legally do that in your area. Make a campfire over the stump. Use rocks, concrete blocks to form a fire ring to contain the fire. This isn't a little campfire to heat a cup of water. Make the ring large enough to contain a decent sized fire for this project. When weather conditons are right, keep the fire burning for several days. Damping it down at night to a bed of coals, adding more wood during the day. Periodically, remove the ashes, as you need air to get to the fire that's working on the root of the tree. Sometimes removing a couple of shovels full of earth helps get air to it.

FWIW, I've done this a few times with relatively small stumps. To reduce the danger of fire spreading, after letting the fire burn down to a bed of coals, put pieces of old metal sheeting over the fire. Just leave a little clearance between the fire and the metal. For a small stump, invert a metal barrel over the fire, leaving enough gap for air to get to the fire, so you don't smother it.

If you use this method, take ALL safety precautions needed. Including having a water hose at the stump, incase you have to quickly douse the fire for some reason. Also have shovels, rakes, etc.

And/or.... Just take out the ones closest that will actually be in the way of daily activities. Leave the rest to nature. Hide them with pumpkin vines and such, till nature finishes clearing the land for you.

Just some thoughts that may be useful.

Lee

[Wyobuckaroo]

I had about a 30" diameter pine stump in the yard that had been partially burned out.
I took an old burning barrel with the bottom rusted off, and wedged it over the stump. Filled with fire wood and a little diesel fuel.................. After 2 applications of this, most of the stump was gone.

On a nice day when the grass was green and ground was soft I took the sub soil tool on the 3 point hitch of my tractor and grubbed out most of the root system to about 20 or 30' diameter around the old stump. Some of the roots were 6 and 8" in diameter, but would come out in short chunks. My tractor is only 24 hp and weighs about a ton, but was able to pull up this material in short chunks easily enough.

The yard looked like a LARGE land mine had gone off.......... Cleaned it up. Packed the sod back down. Filled in the old stump hole and by the time the grass was done needing cut for the year, it had all vanished.

Good luck
Wyo

[kfander]

Thanks everyone. I have a bunch of stumps so I might try more than one of these suggestions.

[cinok]

That's what I was going say. Grinding all the stumps would be costly but if you were to get the ones that are in the way or hazards it may not be to bad. I am not sure how things are in your area but tree work is real slow around here and alot of the smaller companies have really cut prices

[opsrto]

Unless they are really in the way, why not leave them? they make great chopping blocks for splitting kindling. Harvesting a chicken etc. Plus one or two may be in the perfect location to serve as a seat to watch the sun rise.
Look at all options before investing any money at removal

[kfander]

To be sure, some will be left. But this was a site that was all wooded; by that, I mean that I didn't just cut a few trees.

Whatever I do, I'll try to remember not to do it this way (http://bangordailynews.com/2011/11/17/news/bangor/explosion-reported-at-lagrange-convenience-store/).

[cubcadet]

If you need the acreage for gardens, or a driveway, be mindful that not only the stump but, any large roots must be dealt with, otherwise you`re gonna have a sinkhole in the future. If you opt to leave some there and they`re hardwoods, leave them to grow suckers and train them for shrubbery. I have several coppices on the place that provide pretty good shade, plus the resulting trees can eventually provide a good week or 2 of firewood.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?list=UUQqrCFXugt21sCKPUQvsZyA&feature=endscreen&NR=1&v=h-R7gw5kfQo

[ponyexpress976]

The cheapest source of nitrogen is grass clippings. Drill a bunch of holes, cover it with grass clippings and a plastic bag over that to hold in moisture. Change the grass clippings when ever you feel like...the more you do it the fast it will rot. By the end of one season most stumps will be rotted to the point that they will no longer pose a threat to any mower blades.

An hydraulic drive stump grinder can be rented for about $150-250 per day. If they are only open mon-fri/sat rent it late in the afternoon on the last day open so you dont have to have it back until monday....kinda gets you an extra day for free.

[kfander]

Great ideas, everyone, and many of them will be put into play this spring. With the mild winter we've had, I expect to be able to get in by early April.

[Ironclad]

Mr Kfander,
I dont know if this will make you feel better; but... I am a "cancer survivor" too!!

Maybe this will make you feel better?? After multitudes of surgeries... My cancer; it is coming back!!

Now, dont you feel better?

Life... it is a bitch.

Ironclad
El Viejo Tejano Mucho Groucho

[kfander]

Mr Kfander,
Maybe this will make you feel better?? After multitudes of surgeries... My cancer; it is coming back!!

I most certainly don't feel better, and am very sorry to hear that, Ironclad.

[Plowpoint]

I have dealt with my share of stumps over the years and in my opinion, and in my experience, the only way to deal with them is dig them out.

Building a road over a stump is bad news as eventually the stump will rot and you are left with a sink hole. Its not bad filling one or too holes in, but if you built your road through a former forest, your road is not going to be very good in a few years. It pretty much goes without saying...building anything on top of stumps is an invitation for trouble as the building will eventually shift and twist itself apart. Grinding the stumps down does not help either because you are not getting the root ball out. In short order you are left with a plethora of sink holes and would have still paid a hefty price to get them. Yikes!

As far as removing stumps is concerned, a bulldozer is faster, but an excavator is cleaner. They claim a bulldozer/excavator combination is the cheapest method, but I have paid many stumping bills and I am not convinced of that. What I am convinced of is, BIGGER IS BETTER.

Sure you can hire a D-4 Cat at 60 bucks an hour, but it will struggle and spin trying to get the bigger stumps out. A John Deere 750 is a much better deal even at $120 per hour. It can just push so much easier. The same applies to excavators...its actually cheaper to go with the biggest one in the area you can find, and in Northern Maine that won't be hard.

Myself, I think I am pulling the trigger on a 10 acre stumping job now to turn some forest into field so I know how you feel. I run the numbers in my case and the return on investment, even though that heavy equipment is pricey, pencils out to be quite beneficial. In three growing seasons it will pay for itself. Good luck with your project.

[Plowpoint]

The lowest cost way to remove stumps is actually by pig. I am surprised this has not been mentioned, but if you pen in pigs into a stump filled pasture, they will root the stumps out for you.

You simply pour rock salt on the stump, or grain your pigs on top of stumps. In chasing the salt or the grain remnants that get absorbed into the stump, the pigs...in their rooting to get the food they crave, will dig the stump out. Its not a fast job, but in the end you will have a stumpless pasture and will have amended the soil too as you did so.

This is what the old timers did when then settled Maine many years ago.

[kfander]

I am aware that pigs might do a pretty good job of it. The problem is that I'm not living on the land full time, and can't bring the pigs back home with me. Plus, the stumps I am most interested in removing - but not so much anymore - are around my building. You've given me some great ideas though, and I will be implementing many of them.