Painless Tree Stump Removal

Use potassium nitrate stump remover to decompose old stumps

By the experts at The Family Handyman

From The Family Handyman

Q  I’d like to remove a tree stump the old-fashioned way-with an ax. If you have any helpful hints, I would appreciate them.

A  I think the old-fashioned way involved dynamite or draft horses-not axes. It would take Paul Bunyan a month of Sundays to chip out a big stump with an ax. One alternative is to rent a power stump grinder. Another is to buy a can of stump remover for under $5 (available at most garden or home centers). Most brands are made of powdered potassium nitrate, which speeds up the rotting process. You simply pour the granules into drilled holes and fill the holes with water. The stump will become pretty punky after four to six weeks. Keep kids and pets away. Then you can break out the rotten wood with an ax.

For completely labor-free removal, the manufacturers of stump remover suggest burning out what’s left of the stump by pouring kerosene or fuel oil (never gasoline) into the holes. Wait until the liquid completely penetrates the wood (this could take a few weeks). Then drop a match into the holes to start the burning process. The stump will smolder for days, eventually leaving a charcoal-filled hole. It’s dangerous having a giant, smoldering ember in your yard, so some precautions are in order. Envelop the stump in chicken wire, remove all leaves from the vicinity before ignition and keep an eye on it! Us? We suggest the safer, saner ax method for finishing the job.

Stump removers work only on seasoned (older) stumps that have been dead for a year or so, not freshly cut tree stumps.

Cut off as much of the top of the stump as possible. Using a 1-in. spade bit with a spade bit extension, drill 1-in. holes around the perimeter of the stump about 12 in. deep and 3 to 4 in. back from the edge. Drill more holes 3 to 4 in. down from the rim at a 45-degree angle to connect with the other holes. They’ll provide vent holes for burning or help the rotting process.

Pour 3 to 4 oz. of stump remover chemical into each of the holes and fill them with water. The process takes four to six weeks.

From The Family Handyman - April 2000

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