Time To Remove A Dead Tree? How To Deal With The Leftover Stump
Posted on: 25 June 2018
If you've got a tree that's got to go, don't forget about the stump. No matter how much you try, you can never completely remove the stump without some added effort. In most cases, you're going to end up with a significant amount of stump once the tree is removed. If you're not sure what to do with the remaining stump, here are three methods you can utilize.
Take It Down as Far as It Will Go
If you're going to be hiring a tree service to remove your tree, ask them to take the tree down as far as it will go. They may be able to take it far enough down where you're only left with a few inches of stump. If that's the case, you can hide it by planting shrubbery or flowering plants around it.
Try Natural Removal Remedies
If your tree service isn't able to get the stump far enough down, you can use natural remedies to get rid of it. One way is to burn the stump, and the other way is to allow it to rot. Both processes will require some setup.
Burning the Stump
To burn the stump, you'll need to drill several holes into the stump and fill the holes with salt peter. Once you have the holes filled with salt peter, pour boiling water over the stump. The boiling water will dissolve the salt peter. After the salt peter has dissolved completely, place bark and scrap wood on the stump and light it on fire. The fire will continue to burn to a smolder while turning the stump to ash.
Rotting the Stump from the Inside
To rot your stump from the inside, you'll need to drill several deep holes into the top. Fill each hole with blood meal, and then pour boiling water into each hole. The blood meal will rot the wood from the inside out. As it rots, the wood will decay, and you'll be able to knock portions of it away with a shovel or a mallet.
Grind It Down to Nothing
If you're left with a substantial amount of stump, and you don't want to wait for do-it-yourself methods to work, you'll need to have your tree service do some grinding while they're out. A stump grinder will make quick work of ridding your yard of the unsightly stump. You'll be left with wood dust that can be cleaned up quickly and easily. Best of all, the stump grinding can be done at the same time as you have your tree removed, which means you won't need to deal with the stump at all.
Share