25 Jan The Best Ways To Remove a Tree Stump, from a Professional
Who doesn’t like a good old DIY project? Something you can look back on and release a content sigh about. It’s good to take pride in what you do. We’ve definitely had time to get DIY savvy these last few years after being stuck indoors with sheer utter boredom!
When it comes to your garden there’s plenty of DIY to get stuck into, a large amount of our clients, giving credit where credit is due have had a good go at their tree stumps. Sometimes this works which is a bonus for you and your wallet; however, a lot of the times there are a few factors that play into how easy your tree stump may be to remove, which unfortunately, some DIY articles don’t make you aware of.
You can be sure to find a wide array of solutions online quoting ‘the best way to remove a tree stump’, ranging from chemicals to kerosene and a lighter (!) probably mixed with some singed eyebrows, to straight up physical power and brute force. No matter how strong we all like to believe we are, it’s hard to battle with roots and tap roots potentially going down 3x the length of the tree! Fun Fact – The roots of a south African wild fig tree can exceed depths of 390 feet.
When chemicals, kerosene and bashing a piece of lodged wood with sharp metal objects comes into play, needless to say it’s important to take into consideration how much knowledge you have, what’s doable and if you can do it safely (as fun as it may seem) and whether it’s time to get the professionals in. The previous pandemic has been a prime example for this
‘Hospital admission figures for NHS England 2020/21 show that more than 8,000 patients were
(Independent, 03/01/22)
treated for DIY-related problems across the three national lockdowns.’
Which was an increase compared to pre-pandemic times. Although this is not wholly down to tree stump removal (I’d hope) it can be down to a lack of information, safe practise and experience. With a professional you are paying for the knowledge, skill and experience to tackle the problem effectively and affordably.
Here are the most common methods of removing a tree stump with all the pros and cons and which method we choose to use as professionals. Most of the methods of removing a tree stump apart from stump grinding are actually to kill and weaken the tree stump ready for removal which is something to bare in mind. Most of these practises will leave a small amount of tree roots behind which will eventually rot away. It’s best to make sure most of these roots are out however.
So, what are my options to remove a tree stump?
1. Chemical Tree Stump Killers
So what is it and how does it work? Chemical tree stump killer is pretty self explanatory, it’s essentially weed killer but for a tree stump. One thing to note is that tree stump killer should be applied right after a tree is felled and only during autumn and winter as the stump will not have sap rising. A layer of the herbicide is applied on the surface or in holes drilled into the stump depending on the brands instructions. This then kills the stump and roots – the time for this to happen varies from product to product. The next step is to remove the stump from the ground.
As weedkiller causes the stump to die it hardens which means it’s definitely a task to get it out once it’s no longer alive. It’s one of the cheapest ways to remove a tree stump (the cheapest on the market researched was £7.50), however a majority of the time the price you pay is what you get. It might be a bargain but buy cheap and expect cheap.
The issue roots further than this. No pun intended. For example, there’s a whole array of different chemical tree stump killers on offer but a lot of these make false claims and if incorrectly applied can cause severe damage to vegetation nearby or an entire area! Chemical weed and stump killers contain Glyphosate or triclopyr which are well know to kill bees (glyphosate) and damage aquatic life. As treelink notes ‘This can happen either through careless application or because the roots of trees become grafted to other surrounding plants so when poison is injected into one it can end up killing an entire area.’ This is something that could be more concerning for pet owners or parents.
With tree stump killer chemicals it’s hard to know what you’re getting in for and it’s advised to proceed with caution and care. It is a cost-effective way to remove a tree stump if you’re prepared to wait and find a way to physically remove the stump after, but the potential risks could be more detrimental than saving a few quid’s. For the environmental affects and easy and safety, we’ve given this a red leaf
2. Setting it on fire
Alternatively, a lot of DIY gurus have successfully removed a stump through setting it on fire in a contained way. The tree stump must be left until all the moisture has left which, depending on the thickness could be by the time you’ve paid off your mortgage or moved! Or if you’re lucky, a few months with a small stump to give some hope. If you manage to set the tree stump on fire with or without chemical accelerants or a good wad of charcoal and timber, you will need to let it burn for a couple of days. The fire must be maintained throughout this time and kept an eye on.
The most common way to burn a tree stump is to drill multiple holes (around 8-10) and then to pour a chemical accelerant in such as potassium nitrate or saltpeter which comes in powder form. You’ll then need to pour hot water in these holes to allow the chemical accelerant to dissolve and then seep into the trunk now making it flammable. The next step is to build a small fire out of tinder on the surface in the centre and then light it. It’s very important to consider your surroundings in this. Ensure that anything flammable has been moved out of the way and to be cautious it’s a good idea to wet the ground around it. If you live in a built up area it can cause a lot of dangers due to less space and factors out of your control. You will need to check with local regulations as people have received some hefty fines for doing this.
This method isn’t as bad because it’s less harsh on the environment and the safety risks are reduced by avoiding toxic chemicals. If you are using chemical accelerants this can of course make this is much riskier process, especially when adding fire into the equation. In confined city garden spaces I wouldn’t recommend this and this method’s viability depends heavily on the location and surrounding areas of the stump. A benefit is that this is a cheaper option to do but does require more work.
3. Stump Grinding
This is where MT Trees started its journey of stump grinding and saw it as the final cut of tree stump removal, a safe solution of getting rid of tree stumps without damaging any of your garden/land and keeping you safe. With stump grinding it’s instantaneous and the chips left over from the stump grinding can be spread over flower beds, vegetable patches etc as a natural fertiliser.
Stump grinding works by using a stump grinder which is a piece of machinery that has a high-speed disk with metal teeth attached to it. This grinds down the stump creating woodchip and is fully controlled by the operator. Stump grinder sizes vary from smaller ones, useful for small stumps in small areas, to bigger sized ones. They usually come as the size of a lawnmower. Even with bigger stump grinders they have functions that allow them to get to hard to reach spaces. The only down side to a stump grinder is the noise, however stump grinders are speedy in their work so it won’t last for long depending on the size of the stump. The good thing about stump grinders is that once the stump is ground, the roots can also be ground out going as far as possible. This is handy if you are looking to replant in the area the tree stump was or if you are doing any construction. Not using harsh chemicals is also a bonus. Stump grinders run either from diesel or petrol like most mechanical machinery which is an environmental factor to consider but definitely a lesser of two evils when the other options involve spreading chemicals or setting fire in an area with high vegetation and ecology.
It’s hard to point out the cons for stump grinding as there aren’t a lot of them and with experience of using this practise it’s one we’ll happily stick to this one to solve our clients tree stump problems.
The Round Up
And there are the main methods to remove a tree stump with some context for you. There are other methods out there that you may stumble across when looking, however they are definitely not recommended. A lot of them include using blunt objects to attempt to hack something out with minimal protection and things along those lines that definitely didn’t impress the professionals when shown!
You can hire out stump grinders if it’s something you’d like to do but it’s important to bear in mind that it’s very heavy machinery and safety should always be a first. If you’d prefer to stick to professional practise you can call your local certified tree surgeons (over here!) to sort it out for you with a free quick, affordable and friendly quote.
What other Concerns or questions do you have about your trees? Let us know in the Comments!
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