Uprooting stumps is a time consuming, tedious and not always successful occupation. And if you also have several such stumps, then even hiring alcohol-hungry guest workers will not help. Is it possible to somehow simplify this task and do without mechanics at all? It turns out you can. And the only thing you need in this case is a little patience. Let's consider the options.
Read in the article
- 1 Use the tree stump to your advantage
- 2 How to burn a tree stump in a garden
- 3 Chemistry to the rescue: how to remove a stump with reagents
- 3.1 How to remove a stump with nitrate
- 3.2 How to remove a stump with copper sulfate
- 3.3 How to remove a tree stump with table salt
Use the tree stump to your advantage
As you know, microorganisms destroy wood best of all. And mushrooms are champions in this matter. So why not populate the stump with not just mushrooms, but edible ones? It is not so difficult to find mycelium on sale, now the choice is large, and you can even order material on the Internet.
Planting mushrooms is quite simple: you drill holes in the stump with a large drill and put capsules with mycelium in them. And then you close the holes with wax or garden varnish so that nothing prevents the mycelium from developing. Do it in the fall - and next fall you will definitely be with the harvest. The mushroom picker will take three to four years to completely destroy the stump, turning it into dust. The only thing that mushrooms do not like is coniferous wood.
How to burn a tree stump in a garden
Just pour diesel fuel on the stump and set it on fire - there will be little sense. Yes, it will not give more growth, but it is unlikely that it will be possible to get rid of it completely. But some summer residents act differently.
You can still set fire to only the stump itself, but this is a troublesome business, although effective. You can make a kind of Finnish candle out of the stump, or simply punch two holes to ensure long-term and efficient combustion from the inside. One hole is made in the center deep into the stump, and the second is horizontal - so that it intersects with the vertical one. A wick is placed in a vertical hole - a rag with kerosene - and set on fire. Horizontal - provides air suction.
This method, like with mushrooms, can be considered environmentally friendly, because you do not harm the soil, as in the case of using chemicals.
Chemistry to the rescue: how to remove a stump with reagents
The advantage of the chemical method over the others is that it allows you to destroy not only the stump, but also large roots. And besides, chemistry destroys all pathogenic bacteria and microorganisms that live in rotting wood and are able to move to neighboring healthy trees.
To destroy stumps, you can use ordinary salt, saltpeter or copper sulfate.
How to remove a stump with nitrate
Saltpeter significantly increases the ability of wood to ignite, so it is used if the site allows you to then make a fire here. You need to act carefully: after using saltpeter, even the roots under the ground will burn. How saltpeter is used: deep holes are drilled in the stump itself, as far as the drill allows, they are filled saltpeter, poured with water, and then corked and left for the winter or until autumn, if the work goes on in the spring. For 5-6 months, saltpeter penetrates the entire root system. Then around you need, as far as possible, to select the ground and make a fire.
One minus - nitrates also get into the soil, and they can harm nearby plants. In order to restore fertility to this place after burning the stump, it is covered with healthy soil and in the first year plants are planted that are not eaten, which give a lot of green foliage. These plantings will pull excess nitrates out of the soil, and then you can plant something useful here.
How to remove a stump with copper sulfate
Copper sulfate also helps to quickly get rid of the remains of a diseased tree. It, like saltpeter, is placed in holes drilled in the stump and left for about a year. Then the stump, as mentioned above, is burned - or the remains of decomposed wood are removed by the usual mechanical method.
How to remove a tree stump with table salt
Regular table salt disinfects the tree stump for one season. It is also embedded in wood, like other reagents, and after processing the wood is burned. Again, the problem is that salt damages soil fertility.
Still, it is worth recognizing that uprooting is the most reliable way to get rid of a stump without risking soil fertility. And here's how to do it as simply as possible - watch this video:
How do you get rid of tree stumps in your garden? Share your experience in the comments!
