Stump Removal Advie Sought

[Peter Parker]

I had two aging and diseased Japanese maple trees in my front yard. MY wife paid to have them cut down but neglected to have the stumps removed.

I am trying to decide what to do here. I have read about drilling holes in the stumps and epsom salts, potassium nitrate, or a few other things in but I suspect that this process takes years at best. Burning the stumps likely is not an option in my county .

Is there a good chemical way to accomplish the task or are my basic choices a stump grinder or wait years to get the stumps to decay?

Any advice is welcome---even bad advice.

 

[primestar31]

Pile wet leaves on them, and soak them all with water. Then cover them with dirt, and soak them again every so often to keep them wet. The ants will get to them, and they'll be gone pretty quickly.

 

[stardust3]

I have cut them flat to the ground but it usually takes a couple chain sharpenings where you get into the dirt. Have had a few others that just rotted over time.

If you're comfortable running a machine and want them gone quickly most rental companies have stump grinders. That would be cheaper than hiring it out.

 

[harshness]

As the Japanese Maples usually aren't that large (most are smaller than 10"), they shouldn't take long. Any of the nitrate solutions will do the trick. There's lots of drilling involved if you do it right (holes 10" deep or more for fastest action).

Nitrates are a big part of most lawn fertilizers so you're not introducing anything particularly exotic. Don't use salt as that will kill everything now and for a few years but it may actually forestall decomposition.

Grinding is far and away the easiest but they need to be able to get the equipment in there without making a mess. I had a Vermeer grinder out this morning that was more like a milling machine than the big circular saws that you see at the home improvement stores. It had big tires that distributed the weight pretty well but it still left a noticeable impression.

 

[camo]

I've heard of stump killer being used. Stumps will most likely have new shoots pop up if you don't kill it. Stump killer will kill anything around including grass in immediate area.

 

[Magic Static]

I heard copper spikes hasten decomposition. But never seen it done. I know salt is effective in killing the stump. I had an elm I took down and killed the stump. I had a contractor doing a water line install near the stump pull it out with his backhoe.

 

[harshness]

Stump killer will kill anything around including grass in immediate area.

Not if you use the right chemical (potassium nitrate) and apply it correctly.

Potassium nitrate is a fertilizer, not a defoliant. As with any fertilizer, if you apply too much, you'll burn what you're fertilizing. The trick is applying the chemical only to the stump and not the surrounding flora.

http://www.gardenguides.com/107402-potassium-nitrate-effects-plants.html

 

[harshness]

I heard copper spikes hasten decomposition.

Copper spikes are used primarily to kill the tree -- usually as a form of vandalism.

Copper oxide is toxic to live trees but it has little to no impact on dead ones.

 

[Peter Parker]

I am actually having a lot of success with the Epsom salt idea after few days. The stumps are turning black rapidly. It is hard to tell how far down the salt has killed (burned) the stumps but it seems to be down to at least the one inch depth of the drilled holes.

I was advised by an employee of a local nursery yo switch to potassium nitrate after a few weeks. Still I do not look forward to removing the dead stumps. I have been looking for someone to remove the stumps.

BTW some have suggested burning them out after adding Diesel fuel/heating oil/kerosene through the holes. I do nto think that would eb allowed in my county and i do not want to see police cars and fire trucks pull up to my house.