How to cut tree stump
How To Kill a Tree Stump (2022 Guide)
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From home remedies to professional solutions, here’s everything you need to know about getting rid of a tree stump in your yard.
Reviews by This Old House Reviews Team 10/05/2022 2:05 pm
Cutting down trees in your yard is a great way to improve the natural lighting for other plants and make way for new trees to grow. If you’ve removed a tree in your yard, you know how pesky its leftover stump can be.
While you could leave it alone, it could start to grow, sprouting annoying shoots from its roots, or it may take years to naturally rot and decompose. Try the following techniques to kill the tree stump and remove it from your yard or find a tree removal expert to take care of it for you.
Home Remedies for Tree Stump Removal
Here are a few ways you can get rid of a tree stump before getting your hands dirty with physical removal.
Epsom Salt
This is a common DIY method for killing tree trunks, as it accelerates the decomposition process to 6–12 months, as opposed to three to seven years for natural rotting. Epsom salt contains magnesium and sulfur, which are beneficial to plants but deadly in large quantities. Overdosing the stump with Epsom salt pulls the moisture out of it, killing it and accelerating the decaying process.
Here’s how to use Epsom salt to kill a tree stump:
- Drill deep holes in the stump about an inch wide with a power drill and a wide drill bit.
- Sprinkle the stump with water after covering the top of the stump with Epsom salt.
- Cover the stump with a tarp to keep the rain from washing away the substance.
- Repeat this process every few weeks to ensure its success.
If this process is successful, the stump will die within two to three months and be close to full decay after a year.
This is a great solution for homeowners who want a slower, natural approach to killing their tree stump.
Rock Salt
Similar to Epsom salt, rock salt can help kill and decay a stump with minimal effort. Here’s how to kill a tree stump with rock salt:
- Drill holes into the stump.
- Pack the holes with rock salt.
- After all of the holes are packed and the stump is covered in salt, pour soil and mulch over the stump.
- Then, pour water over the mulch—this will dissolve the salt, help the roots absorb the solution, and pack the soil.
Keep watering the stump every few days for one to two months to keep the stump moist with the saltwater solution, promoting absorption and the growth of fungi that can accelerate the stump’s decomposition. You can also add a potassium nitrate fertilizer to further support the growing fungi.
Plastic Bag or Tarp
Perhaps the easiest method to kill a tree stump is forcing darkness on it. Without sunlight, the tree stump will die, accelerating the decomposition process.
Rotting should start to take place in two to three months.
Here’s how to kill a tree stump with a plastic bag or tarp:
- Similar to other methods, cut the stump as close to the roots as possible with a chainsaw, hatchet, or handsaw.
- Cover the stump with a black trash bag.
- Weigh the bag down with heavy rocks or bricks. For a smaller stump, use a dark-colored bucket or container to cover the stump.
This technique requires little to no effort, but it can be slower compared with the physical removal methods.
Boiling Water
You don’t need to purchase any substance or solution to try this remedy—all you need is hot water.
- Expose as much of the stump’s root structure as possible.
- Drill holes into the roots and on top of the stump—this will help the scalding water reach as much of the root system as possible and kill the roots with heat.
- Once all the roots are exposed, pour boiling water over them. The heat from the water will shock the root system, severely damaging it and killing it.
Once the stump and roots are dead, the natural decomposition process can begin.
Techniques To Physically Remove a Tree Stump
If you have the time and resources to use physical methods to kill and remove your tree stump, consider the following techniques. Compared to home remedies, they are much quicker but take a bit more effort, tools, and money to perform.
Use Fire To Kill a Tree Stump
Use some kindling or kerosene to burn the stump so that it doesn’t protrude from the ground. This method will kill the tree, but it won’t completely get rid of the tree roots and stump. Keep in mind that this may not be an option if you live in an area with a dry climate that’s prone to wildfires. Check with your local fire department to see if burning a tree stump falls in line with the local fire code.
Once you have approval to burn your tree stump, there are a few ways you can move forward. You can drill holes into the trunk, pour kerosene into each hole, light scrap wood on the surface of the stump, and carefully monitor the wood as it burns.
This method is slower, but it burns the wood from deeper within the stump.
You can also cut criss-cross lines in the wood that are about five to six inches deep with a chainsaw, then simply light some kindling on top and monitor the stump until it’s burned down below ground level.
Dig the Tree Stump Out of the Ground
Digging out a tree stump is one way to remove it from your yard, but it can require time-consuming work that can be potentially destructive to your yard or garden. This method allows you to remove as many tree roots as possible and ensure that the stump doesn’t continue to grow. To save time and effort, consider hiring a professional with digging equipment to handle the job.
Here’s how to dig a tree stump out of the ground:
- Dig around the stump, exposing as many roots as possible.
- Use a chainsaw, hatchet, or handsaw to cut the larger roots. As you continue digging, you may find smaller roots that can be cut with clippers or loppers.
- Once you’ve cut all of the roots around the stump, lift and remove the stump from the ground.
- Fill the hole with dirt and cover it with topsoil or mulch.
Note: This process can take multiple hours of labor, depending on the size of the tree stump and the root structure.
Free Quote: Get your free quote on professional stump removal today
Grinding the Tree Stump
This is the quickest method for killing and removing tree stumps. It involves hiring a tree removal specialist or renting a stump grinder machine to break apart the wood in the trunk and tree roots. Typical prices for this job are around $100–$400. Stump grinder machine rental costs typically fall between $80 and $150 for a four-hour window.
To grind a tree stump, start by trimming the stump with a chainsaw, digging around it and removing any rocks. Then, use the machine’s cutter blade to chip away at the wood and cut any roots that are connected to the stump.
This process can take anywhere from two to six hours depending on the size of the stump. Once you’re finished, spread dirt in and over the hole, adding topsoil or mulch if desired.
What To Avoid When Killing Tree Stumps
Here are a few factors to consider when removing or killing tree stumps to ensure safety and effectiveness:
- Bleach—Bleach can be used to kill a stump when poured over it in high quantities, but we recommend avoiding this method since it can be detrimental to the surrounding plants. It would be much healthier for the environment of your yard to use a more natural method like Epsom salt, as this can be beneficial to plants and soil.
- Diesel fuel—Avoid using diesel fuel or gasoline to burn tree trunks, since these solutions don’t offer a slow, effective burn needed to properly break down the wood. Diesel fuel and gasoline can also be toxic for the surrounding plants in your yard. Instead, we suggest using minimal amounts of kerosene and kindling wood for your stump fires.
- Potential dangers—Even if your city allows for burning a stump, monitor and maintain the fire until it’s finished burning to keep it from spreading beyond the controlled area. You should also take safety precautions when using tree removal equipment, such as a chainsaw or stump grinder, and wear the proper protective gear.
- Proximity to other plants—If your stump is located near plants that you wish to protect, be careful when adding chemicals to the stump and keep them off any surrounding plants. For example, even though the magnesium sulfate in Epsom salt can be good for plants, too much of it can dry them out.
The Bottom Line
If you’re trying to remove a tree stump from your yard, try one of the above methods. While we recommend the DIY techniques if you’re not in a hurry, renting a machine or hiring a professional to help grind the stump is the fastest solution.
Free Quote: Get your free quote on professional stump removal today
Enter your ZIP code into the tool below to find tree removal experts in your area that can help you get rid of your pesky stump.
Frequently Asked Questions
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How to Remove a Stump Without a Grinder
After you hire a commercial tree service to remove a tree, they can also remove the remaining stumps for an extra fee. Or, you can hire a different company to come in and do this work. But if you have felled the tree yourself, the task of removing the stump is left up to you—and it can be as difficult as removing the tree itself. You can hire a firm to come in with a large mechanical grinder to churn the stump into sawdust, but this can be expensive. Commercial stump removal can cost as much as $800 for a large stump or one in a tricky location. You could also rent a stump grinder for $150 to $400 per day, but getting this tool on-site and using it safely is no easy feat. But there are several methods that you can use to do this work without contractor costs or large equipment.
Equipment / Tools
Manual Method
- Digging bar
- Bow saws
- Shove
- Ax
- Steel-toed work boots
- Work gloves
- Mattock
Chemical Method
- Drill with large bit
- Chain saw
- Plastic tarp
Burning Method
- Drill and large bit
Materials
Chemical Method
- High-nitrogen garden fertilizer or potassium-nitrate tree stump removal granules
- Garden mulch
Burning Method
- Stump Out chemical
- Kerosene
Watch Now: How to Remove a Tree Stump Without a Grinder
When to Remove a Tree Stump
A tree stump can be removed at any time after the tree is felled, but manual removal is sometimes easier if the stump has aged and dried out somewhat. If you have the ability to let the stump remain in place for a full year or even two, the dried wood may be easier to cut out than when working on a new stump that is still green.
Chemical removal, however, should begin immediately after you remove the tree.
Before Getting Started
A small- to medium-sized stump can be removed by good old-fashioned muscle work. But larger stumps can involve so much work that it's not practical—unless you can drag it out of the earth with a chain attached to the back of a pickup. For larger stumps, use the chemical method instead. A useful tool for manual removal is a mattock, which has a broad end for digging and a sharpened end for slicing. Everyone has favorite tools to use, though, and the more various digging and cutting tools you have on hand, the better. For larger stumps, you may want to enlist the aid of a helper or two to speed the work.
For those who are not up to the physical effort, or have a tree stump is too large to remove by hand, there is an easier—though much slower—method. All wood will eventually decay and rot away, and it is possible to speed up this process by keeping the stump moist and adding nitrogen in the form of a high-nitrogen fertilizer or potassium nitrate stump-removal granules.
This is not an instant process—it can take a matter of months or even a year or so before a stump vanishes completely—but it is quite easy.
There is a tree stump removal product that comes in a powdered form, called "Stump-Out," which is designed to break down the wood fiber of stumps, leaving them porous. The porous wood then absorbs kerosene readily. After the porous wood is soaked with kerosene and ignited, it begins to burn away, and the fire soon becomes a low, smoldering flame. If the use of kerosene and flame is acceptable to you (and allowed in your community), this is another cheap and easy option to remove a tree stump.
Disposal of large tree stumps can be difficult. Contact your local waste disposal authorities for instructions on how and where to dispose of large garden waste items.
Safety Considerations
The Spruce
How to Remove a Tree Stump Manually
The Spruce / Ana Cadena-
Dig Down Around the Stump
Dig around the stump with the mattock's broad end.
Once you have loosened the dirt in this fashion, shovel it out of your way. Be prepared to clear away a lot of soil. The bigger the stump, the more earth you'll be moving. This is necessary to gain access to all the roots that need cutting. When digging out a stump by hand, a hose or pressure washer can be helpful to wash away dirt to expose roots as you dig downward.
The Spruce / Ana Cadena -
Sever Visible Roots
Use the other end of the mattock to start chopping your way through the tree roots. A bow saw can also be used to sever the roots as you uncover them.
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Expose the Tap Root
Dig and chop your way under the root ball to the taproot. For all but the smallest of trees, taproots will be imposing enough to require cutting with an ax or large bow saw. Clean excess dirt off the taproot with a wet rag before cutting.
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Sever the Tap Root
Chop through the taproot with your ax or with a bow saw.
Be careful that the area is clear of people, pets, and objects before you start swinging the ax. Aim the ax carefully so that it does not strike dirt (which would dull the blade). Always wear steel-toed boots when wielding an ax. Warning
It's best not to use an ax unless you have been educated in handling one properly. If you're not confident, try to use a bow saw for all your cutting. It may require more digging to expose the roots, but it will be safer.
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Extract the Stump
Pull the stump from the hole. This may require the use of ropes or chains, as well as the assistance of helpers or a vehicle to yank a large stump from the ground.
How to Remove a Tree Stump Chemically
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Cut Stump to Ground Level
Use a chain saw or bow saw to cut the stump down as close to the ground as you can, without allowing the chain saw's teeth to strike the ground (this will dull your chain). Wear steel-toed boots for this part of the job.
-
Drill Holes and Add Chemical
Drill holes a few inches deep into the stump in numerous places, using the biggest, widest drill bit you have. The wider and deeper the holes, the better.
Fill these holes first with water, then with a fertilizer high in nitrogen or stump-remover granules.
Warning
Potassium nitrate is considered a hazardous substance, so use caution when applying potassium nitrate stump-removal granules.
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Water and Cover the Stump
Soak the ground all around the stump. Cover the stump with a plastic tarp. The tarp will act as a barrier to help retain moisture in and around the stump. Moisture is a powerful ally to have on your side for this project.
Apply an organic mulch over the plastic tarp, and water it thoroughly. An organic mulch such as tree bark or hay will hold additional moisture, keeping the area even wetter. Wet mulch is also heavy, which will help weigh the tarp down so that it doesn't blow away.
For additional weight, roll some heavy stones onto the tarp. The mulch also serves the purpose of hiding the tarp from public view. Covered with mulch, the tree stump will be invisible as it begins to rot away. You can even cover the mulched area with various planted pots and container gardens.
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Tend the Stump While It Decays
Over the coming weeks, periodically remove the mulch and tarp and apply more water and nitrogen to the stump, then cover it again. Some patience is required here, as it can still take quite some time for the stump to completely rot away. But it will be considerably faster than the decay process normally occurs in nature.
-
Remove the Pieces
After four to six weeks, the stump may become soft and spongy enough to begin breaking it apart with an ax. Whatever wood cannot be broken up and removed should be treated again with water and nitrogen. At some point, you can bury what remains and let it complete the decay process underground.
How to Remove a Stump by Burning
-
Drill Holes and Apply Chemical
Drill holes into the stump with a drill and a large bit. Apply Stump Out chemical granules, then fill the holes with water. Wait four to six weeks for the chemical to do its work.
The more porous the stump, the more kerosine will be absorbed and the longer it will burn.
-
Soak With Kerosene
Slowly pour kerosene over the stump, taking care not to allow the fluid to run off and pool on the ground. Take your time to allow the kerosene to soak in. Never use gasoline or motor oil to burn a stump—gasoline is dangerously explosive, and motor oil creates toxic smoke when burning.
-
Tend the Fire
Ignite the stump and observe it from a safe distance as it burns. Remember that the stump may continue to smolder underground for quite some time, so put up barricades to prevent people or animals from accidentally walking over the embers.
Warning
Check out local community ordinances regarding open burning before using this method. While it is generally allowed in rural areas, urban and suburban locations often do not allow open burning of stumps.
A Sample Contract for Tree Removal
When to Call a Professional
No matter what method you use, a tree stump of any appreciable size involves quite a bit of hard manual labor and often the use of potentially dangerous tools or materials. If, after reviewing these various methods, you have concerns about safety or the physical fitness required to do the work, it is best to call a professional removal service, who will have the tools and personnel to do this work quickly and safely.
It's very common for a homeowner who removes a stump themselves to then resolve to never, ever, do it again. The cost of professional stump removal often seems like a bargain to anyone who has ever tried to do it themselves.
8 ways to remove stumps.
✅ Blog SpilKursk.PRO - MAIN
- BLOG
from manual uprooting to chemical burning
Author: Goncharov Ivan Comments: 0 Reading time: 5 minutes
A stump in a garden plot can cause various problems: pests start growing in it, young shoots begin to grow, it interferes with the construction of new structures and simply takes up a lot of space. Because gardeners try remove the stump from the felled tree. There are different methods for removing stumps: mechanical or chemical. The former involve the use of manual force, tools or special equipment. Chemical methods are based on the application reagents that treat wood, as a result, the stump is destroyed, or completely burns out under the influence of fire. Each of the methods has its own characteristics and difficulties, so they need to be analyzed separately. nine0009
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Table of contents- Hand uprooting
- Stump crusher
- Fire burning
- Mushroom method
- Saltpeter destruction
- Stump salt nine0003 Decomposition by urea
- Iron or copper sulfate
Hand uprooting
Effortlessly and quickly destroy the stump from a sawn tree excavator.
But it is sometimes impossible to drive large-sized equipment to the site. A reasonable decision would be to contact a specialized company dealing with arboristry, in the arsenal of which there is a crusher, for example, SpilKursk.PRO But such equipment is not available to organizations in every region, therefore, one has to look for a method get rid of the stump yourself. nine0009
Uprooting stumps by hand is quite time consuming and requires preparation which involves clearing the ground. This can be done by digging the ground around the stump and its roots. Then remove the soil by discarding it in side. It remains to pull out the remains of the tree. There are several options for how to do this:
- Mechanically - saw off or cut off all lateral roots. The central root will remain, to separate which the stump must be turned and tilted in different directions so that it loosens well. nine0004
- Use winch - tie a rope around the trunk and roots, or pass it through specially drilled holes, and then gradually pull the tree debris out of the ground.
Cutting down a stump and uprooting it yourself is quite profitable, since such an approach does not require serious funding. During the day, using the manual method, they successfully get rid of several stumps on plot. But manual uprooting also has disadvantages, which are due to the laboriousness of the process, the need for additional assistants, the difficulties with digging a near-stem hole, and the remains of roots that interfere with construction. Although they remain with all methods, requiring additional uprooting. nine0009
Stump crusher
The crushing technique involves the use of a special unit - a pneumatic crusher. The essence of the method is that the stump is crushed into chips together with part of the root system to a depth of to 50 cm . Crusher differs in small dimensions, therefore it will easily pass to the site through the garden gate.
See how the stump removal process looks like with a stump crusher:
The method has many advantages:
- after crushing, only a pile of sawdust remains in place of the stump;
- crushing does not take much time - about 30 minutes are spent on the average stump;
- after the destruction of the hemp in this way, plants can be planted immediately in the vacant place;
- method is suitable even for large stumps over a meter in diameter.
nine0007 - Drill several deep holes in the stump.
- Pour kerosene, gasoline or coal lighter and other combustible liquid inside.
- Set fire to wood remains.
- If the stump is old, then the wood has already dried up, therefore it will quickly catch fire and burn out to the roots.
- Drill a few holes on the top and side of the stump.
- It is good to spill them with water and sow mushroom mycelium. Mushrooms and oyster mushrooms are best suited.
- Suitable planting material can be purchased from specialized stores, or you can make your own from freshly picked mushrooms. To do this, the caps are crushed and poured with water, then they mix well and pour the solution into holes made.
nine0004 - The best time for sowing mycelium is May-August.
- It is better to wrap the stump with moss and branches, moisten periodically.
- In just a few months, mushrooms will sprout on the stump.
- Many 30 cm holes of the largest possible diameter should be drilled in the remains of the sawn wood.
- Saltpeter is poured into the holes and well filled with warm water. nine0003 To speed up the process, it is better to cover the stump with plastic wrap.
- If you carry out the procedure in the spring, then by the onset of autumn, the saltpeter will completely saturate the stump and have time to decompose.
- If the stump from a fruit tree is up to 15 cm in diameter, then 1 kg of saltpeter is enough for backfilling. If it is thicker, and the wood is harder, then the amount of saltpeter must be increased.
- When the wood is completely saturated with the chemical, the stump is set on fire. nine0004
- Drill deeper holes in the stump on all sides.
- Fill them with table salt.
- Pour water over and cover with foil for a couple of years. nine0004
- Once the stump has turned to dust, it can be removed by hand without much difficulty.
- Drill more holes in the stump.
- Fill the holes with urea and fill with water.
- Cover the stump for efficient and more intensive decomposition with polyethylene.
- saltpeter of any origin is very flammable, explosive substance, which must be remembered when setting fire to the treated stump;
- you can’t even smoke next to the stump in the first three months after laying the reagents, since they emit combustible gases;
- vitriol in dry form is safe for people, but it is necessary to work with it only with gloves; nine0004
- When burning stumps, keep a fire extinguisher on hand, a garden watering container filled with water, in order to quickly extinguish a spreading flame if necessary.
- When is such tree stump removal justified?
- Popular drugs and their uses
- Saltpeter and urea
- Copper or iron vitriol
- Table salt
- When is the best time to treat?
- Safety measures
- Related videos
- Conclusion
- saltpeter and urea;
- copper or iron sulfate; nine0003 table salt.
Among the minuses is the low crushing depth. A lawn is planted in the vacated place or a garden bed is equipped, even a garden path is laid. But for building a foundation or laying communication systems you will need to get rid of the root system completely, which is typical for other rooting methods.
Stump removal companies in the vast majority do not use any other removal methods other than manual uprooting and crushing, because. only these two methods can guarantee complete and rapid destruction of the stump. nine0009
Goncharov Ivan Arborist. Technical specialist at SpilKursk.PRO
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Fire burning
Free method how to get rid of a stump - burning out. It is focused on the use of open fire. But just burning the wood remains is not enough; the root system will also have to be removed, since it will interfere with further.
The burning method helps to remove the old stump without uprooting. But it is necessary to approach getting rid of the stump with fire wisely. nine0009
With this method, it is important to observe fire safety techniques so that the fire from the stump does not spread to summer cottages and does not cause a fire. For safety, it is worth pouring an earthen rampart around the pit so that the fire does not spread over the earth. The entire combustion process must be monitored, since the stump during smoldering can shoot strongly with long-lasting sparks, which can become a source of fire. For safety, you must prepare a fire extinguisher in advance and keep a hose nearby, connected to the water supply.
nine0009
This method is well suited for small old stumps (up to 50 cm in circumference and up to half a meter in height). Removing a large fresh stump with the help of fire will be problematic and expensive: you will have to kindle a fire more than once, and the cost of spilled fuel can be equal to the cost of removal by crushing. The method also involves constant monitoring of the combustion process.
Mushroom method
nine0008 Another option how to remove the stump peacefully is to plant mycelium on it. It's easy to do:Mushroom picker will draw moisture from the stump season after season, loosening the wood. The average stump gives a tolerable harvest of mushrooms for 6 years , and then turns into dust. Then the residues can be easily removed without involving special equipment or chemicals. nine0009
Saltpeter destruction
One of the universal methods to remove stump chemically is the use of saltpeter. The essence of the technique is as follows:
Saltpeter burns well, which makes it easy to destroy even deep-growing roots. But the method also has a significant disadvantage. It will be possible to plant only flower crops on the site for several years, since the soil will not be suitable for vegetable crops. Therefore, this method is used when it is necessary to free up land for the construction of real estate.
See also: How to cut down a tree. 8 ways removal. nine0091
Stump Salt
Another interesting option for the destruction of stumps on the site is etching with salt.
Edible salt is a reagent substance that destroys wood remains. For the procedure you need:
A significant drawback of the technique - after the use of salt, the soil will become unsuitable for growing crops, whether it be flowers or vegetables. For horticulture, you will have to wait a couple of years for the reagent to wash out of the soil.
Degradation by urea
One of the oldest methods of getting rid of stumps is urea. This method is the most effective and harmless, the substance is used to protect against pests and fertilizer, therefore it will not cause damage to crops. any harm. The reagent is absorbed into the wood species and destroys them from the inside. How to remove a stump with saltpeter:
Urea is not as harmful as other methods. After it, there are no salts and nitrates that pollute the soil. Decomposition begins quite quickly, and after a year or two, all the remains will rot, and on fertile land will remain in the cleared area. The method has one drawback - slow decomposition, which can stretch for 2-3 years .
See also: How to legally cut down a tree.
Iron or copper sulfate
These reagents are aggressive and are used as intended for root disinfection. They kill any bacteria. Chemicals are introduced into drilled holes 5-10 cm deep and 5-8 mm in diameter. Reagents must not be used near metal pipes due to increased metal corrosion. The concentration of vitriol in 3-5 meters the radius around the stump is so high that nothing will grow here, and if and it will be extremely bad.
If the roots are uprooted after the decomposition of the stump, then in a couple of years the increased amount of these substances will be reduced to the optimum and the soil will return to normal. If the roots are burned, the soil will remain unsuitable for planting. plants more more than 10 years .
Safety measures
nine0008 When using any substances, always remember safety:
It is not recommended to use glyphosate-based reagents (Santi, Typhoon, etc.), which do not decompose in the soil themselves, but get into plants and their fruits, which is dangerous for people.
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Author
Goncharov Ivan
Arborist. Forest feller of the sixth category. Technical specialist in the organization SpilKursk.PRO, which provides services for the care of green spaces.
See also:
How to cut down a tree correctly
How to cut down a tree by professional arborists.
All about legal tree felling
Where to go and how not to get fined.
How to prune fruit trees
Professional gardener's advice.
methods of chemical removal of trees and stumps using saltpeter, urea and other reagents
Chemical removal of stumps (butt and rhizomes) is based on the processes that occur in wood under the influence of various reagents.
Exposure to the right reagent not only kills all wood, including even roots that are not too large, but also destroys all pathogens of trunk and roots. nine0009
At the same time, each of the methods has one or another negative effect on the soil , so the method of chemical action must be chosen taking into account this effect in order to minimize harm to the subsequent use of this piece of land.
Unfortunately, chemical attack cannot destroy the stump and root system, so dead wood will need to be burned or uprooted.
Therefore, chemical action is most often used in the fight against pathogens and in cases where it is necessary not only to pull out the butt with roots, but also to prevent the germination of the remnants of the root system. nine0009
For more information on how to remove stumps from trees in various ways, including uprooting and burning, see here.
Contents
When is such tree stump removal justified?
As a result of removing wood with chemicals without uprooting , aggressive substances enter the soil, which negatively affect many plants.
Some of these substances can be neutralized in various ways, making the soil suitable for planting, but if construction is planned on the cleared area, these substances will not affect the properties of the soil in any way.
Therefore, chemical destruction and removal of stumps should be used only if the side effects do not affect the further use of the land in any way or can be neutralized.
The most effective chemical uprooting in relation to trees growing wild and located next to buildings . Many wild-growing breeds are distinguished by survivability, therefore, even after mechanical removal of most of the root, shoots are released and continue to grow. nine0009
Using the right preparations, you can completely stop their growth and destroy most of the root system, after which the site can be used in any way.
Chemical uprooting is also the most effective in relation to the root system of diseased trees.
The thing is that pathogens infect groundwater, which can lead to an epidemic among other plants.
Mechanical or manual uprooting does not remove all roots , and it is not always possible to burn out the remains, so the only reliable way to deal with such diseases is to chemically destroy the roots. Learn more about how to remove stumps and roots chemically.
Popular drugs and their uses
Here is a list of the most popular reagents that are used to destroy tree stumps and root systems:
Saltpeter and urea
These reagents (potassium and ammonium nitrate, as well as urea) are used where it is possible to burn the stump after processing.
After all, they do not destroy the wood, but sharply increase its flammability , because of which even the roots flare up from a small fire.
For their application, holes are drilled with a diameter of 10–50 mm, the location of the holes depends on the method of removal of the tree.
On sawn stumps they drill vertically, evenly distributing holes along the cut, on broken ones they drill a trunk, placing holes around the entire perimeter. nine0009
Hole spacing 5-10 cm . If the barrel is drilled from the outside, then the drill is directed at an angle of 20–40 degrees so that the reagent does not spill out.
Any kind of saltpeter or urea is poured into the prepared holes (they do not need to be mixed together) to the top, then a little water is poured so that the granules settle, and the holes are closed with a wooden, clay or plasticine stopper.
A wooden cork is made from a thick branch with a knife so that it enters the hole by 1-2 mm with a noticeable effort. Then her is inserted into the hole filled with reagent and hammered with a hammer so that it sinks 1-2 cm.
The protruding remains of branches are not cut off so as not to loosen the cork.
Clay plug can be made from clay or surface soil by crushing the soil and adding a little water.
The amount of water is determined empirically - after thorough mixing, the consistency of the clay should be similar to a very thick dough or not very hard plasticine. nine0009
The clay is put into the hole until it is full and compacted with a finger, gradually adding more. Plasticine cork is also made, only plasticine is used instead of clay.
After 1–2 years, the roots are dug up and a small fire is laid around the trunk .
If you don't know how to dig the roots, we recommend reading the article Manual uprooting.
Then the fire is lit and the fire from the burning stump does not spread to neighboring trees, buildings or grass. nine0009
While the stump impregnated with reagents “ripens”, the soil around it is filled with nitrogen-containing substances , so it is advisable to plant any fruit plants at a distance of 4–5 meters from it.
This distance is enough for the amount of nitrates to drop to a safe level.
After burning the stump, the hole is covered with old and new soil, then inedible plants are planted that produce a large amount of green mass. In autumn, all the greenery collected from the plant must be burned in order to completely utilize the nitrogenous compounds unsuitable for plants and people. nine0009
Next year the site is ready to accept any plants. If construction work is planned at this place, then you can start them immediately after the pit cools down.
This method is not very effective against plant diseases with a widely branched root system , because the reagents will not damage pathogens located significantly below the combustion zone. In addition, it cannot be used on peaty soils, because a burning stump will set fire to peat, and an underground fire will start, which is very difficult to extinguish. nine0009
Copper or iron sulfate
Both substances are very toxic and kill any bacteria living in the wood, so they are used to decontaminate the roots of diseased trees.
Preparations are applied in the same way as saltpeter, only holes are made with a diameter of 5–8 mm and a depth of 5–10 cm. After the wood dies, the roots must be dug up and uprooted in any way or, overlaid with firewood, burned. nine0009
These reagents must not be used near metal pipes as they will drastically increase all corrosion processes.
In addition, within a radius of 3–5 meters, the content of these substances will increase, which will negatively affect the vital activity of microorganisms involved in soil restoration, so any plants will grow poorly there for several years .
If the roots were not removed, but burned, then this period will increase to tens of years. If the roots are uprooted, then in 2–3 years the level of these substances will decrease, after which the soil will gradually recover. nine0009
Salt
This reagent completely kills the roots and any microorganisms that live in them in 1-2 months.
They are introduced in the same way as both types of vitriol.
If the area around the tree is to be used as a road or a concrete pad, the stump and roots can be burned after dying. In all other cases, they must be uprooted, otherwise an excess of salt will make the soil barren for decades, and any iron product will quickly rust. nine0009
When is the best time to treat?
If there is rot in a broken tree, or the roots are affected by some kind of disease, then vitriol or salt can be applied at any time of the year , because the fight against the disease and the prevention of an epidemic of trees comes first.
If there is no urgency, then it is advisable to apply all types of reagents after the end of the autumn rainy season , 1-3 weeks before the onset of frost.
During this time, the reagents will penetrate below the soil level and will impregnate the wood even during frost. In addition, the lack of rain will not wash out the reagent and reduce its effectiveness.
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Safety Precautions
Ammonium and potassium nitrates are explosive combustible substances, so they must be used with extreme caution.
Do not smoke while handling. 1-3 months after laying the saltpeter in the wood there are active processes associated with the release of combustible gases, so you can not smoke or make a fire near the stump treated with these reagents.
Copper and iron sulphate are safe for human skin when dry, but when working with them, you must use a respirator, goggles and gloves. nine0009
After adding water, vitriol crystals will quickly turn into a toxic liquid that can burn the skin. Especially dangerous is the ingress of crystals and drops on the mucous parts of the body.
Salt is safe when dry and takes a long time to dissolve in water. No safety precautions are required when working with coarse salt , but goggles must be used when working with fine salt, as an unexpected gust of wind can blow it into the eye.
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To reduce the risk of fire during the burning of the stump and roots, a circular earthen mound ≥50 cm high should be built around the pit. Burning wood should not be left unattended, because it can shoot fairly large sparks that fly 5–10 meters and only go out after a few minutes.
In addition, should always have a fire extinguisher at hand and, preferably, a hose connected to the water supply - this will help to extinguish a fire starting far from the stump. nine0009
Do not stand on the lee side of burning wood, because it, impregnated with saltpeter or urea, releases toxic substances when burned.
In addition, it is desirable to obtain permission from the nearest department of the Ministry of Emergency Situations to burn stumps, because otherwise they may issue a large fine. You will find more information on this subject in this article (Incineration).
Do not use other chemical agents, especially those based on glyphosate (Roundup, Typhoon, Santi).
