3 Ways To Get Rid Of A Tree Stump Without Paying For A Stump Grinder
Have you cut down a tree and want to find a cost effective way of removing the stump? Or are you planning on removing a tree? Whichever it is, chopping down the tree is only a small portion of the work involved.
The real headache is removing what you can’t see. THE ROOTS AND STUMP!
Below are three methods you can use to rid your yard of those unsightly tree stumps.
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Method 1: Remove The Stump By Hand.
To remove a stump by hand you’re going to need A Chainsaw or limbing saw, Pick mattock, Axe, Shovel Crowbar or Heavy duty wrecking bar, hosepipe, pressure washer and a whole lot of time and patience.
The smaller the stump the less effort you’ll need to employ and it’ll certainly help If it’s an older or diseased tree but whatever way you look at it you’re going to get a good workout by choosing this method.
Instructions:
1. Use a chainsaw or limbing saw to remove any lower branches.
2. Remove the top portion of the trunk, leaving roughly 2ft of trunk exposed for leverage.
3. Use the shovel, pick mattock and digging tools to reveal as many of the roots around the stump as possible.
4. Use a hose or power washer to rinse dirt away to reveal more of the roots.
5. Cut and sever the major roots with an axe.
6. Rock the trunk back and forth to try and expose more roots that may be hidden and cut them with the axe.
Continue pushing and pulling the trunk until the tree trunk is entirely uprooted.
If Method one isn’t your thing then you could always do a Walter White and try the chemical route.
Method 2: Chemical Stump Removal
To remove a stump chemically, you will need the following:
A drill, A chainsaw, Potassium nitrate, an axe.
Instructions:
1. Cut off as much of the stump as possible with a chainsaw.
2. Drill holes around the outside edge of the stump at one inch intervals. Move inward by about 3 inches and drill another set of holes.
Ideally, these holes should be between 8-12 inches deep depending on the size of the stump.
3. Pour potassium nitrate into the holes. Fill the holes with water. Wait four to six weeks or until the stump becomes soft and spongy.
4. Use an axe to break up the stump.
Method 3: Rot The Stump
This method works by drawing out the moisture and accelerating the decomposition time of the tree stump.
Instructions:
1. Cut the tree stump as low as you can and then Drill holes roughly 8 to 10 inches deep.
2. Fill the holes full of Epsom salts (Magnesium Sulfate) and cover the surface and surrounding area with a layer as well
3. Pour water into each hole to moisten the salt but not so much that it becomes saturated.
4. Cover the area with a tarpaulin so that rain water doesn’t wash away the salt, Over time, this will draw the moisture out of the stump and surrounding dirt, thus accelerating the decomposition and preventing it from reshooting.
5. Once it’s rotted simply chip away and eventually fill the hole with soil as needed. This is a brilliant way to tackle your stump issues, however this is time consuming and it could take up to a year to complete the process.
The benefits however will be a fertile and rich soil that will promote plant growth after the job is done.
You may be wondering what the difference between method 2 and 3 are, well it’s down to how each chemical component effects the tree and surrounding area.
potassium nitrate, will help decomposition but will do little to kill a living stump and just make it more manageable when trying to cut it out. Epsom salt kills the stump while improving the surrounding soil by adding magnesium and sulphur. Science, isn’t it great?!
Conclusion:
If you’re thinking of removing the stump yourself you should weigh in the time, cost and effort that’s involved.
If you have to to buy or rent the tools to get the job done, it may just be easier and less stressful to let the professionals do it instead.
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