Accelerate decomposition of small tree stump

Posted by blueman on June 29, 2009, 8:07 am

I took down some saplings last year (about 2-3" diameter) that were on
a relatively steep hill in our front yard.

Is there any simple/cheap way to speed their decomposition?
It probably doesn't pay to rent a shredder plus it would be difficult
to manouvre it in the hilly area.
I had heard in the past of chemicals that are drilled into the trunk.
I'm looking for something readily available that is faster than
natural decomposition.

Posted by Eric in North TX on June 29, 2009, 8:18 am

> I took down some saplings last year (about 2-3" diameter) that were on
> a relatively steep hill in our front yard.
> Is there any simple/cheap way to speed their decomposition?
> It probably doesn't pay to rent a shredder plus it would be difficult
> to manouvre it in the hilly area.
> I had heard in the past of chemicals that are drilled into the trunk.
> I'm looking for something readily available that is faster than
> natural decomposition.

Drill holes and fill with fertilizer.

Posted by JIMMIE on June 29, 2009, 9:35 am

> > I took down some saplings last year (about 2-3" diameter) that were on
> > a relatively steep hill in our front yard.
> > Is there any simple/cheap way to speed their decomposition?
> > It probably doesn't pay to rent a shredder plus it would be difficult
> > to manouvre it in the hilly area.
> > I had heard in the past of chemicals that are drilled into the trunk.
> > I'm looking for something readily available that is faster than
> > natural decomposition.

> Drill holes and fill with fertilizer.

Saltpeter works good too. Its a strong oxidizer that will make it rot.
They use to sell it and potasium nitrate as stump remover.

Jimmie

Posted by Stormin Mormon on June 29, 2009, 10:22 am

Is that still available?

--
Christopher A. Young
Learn more about Jesus
www.lds.org
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news:d95c0b4d-e322-4710-b318-

Saltpeter works good too. Its a strong oxidizer that will
make it rot.
They use to sell it and potasium nitrate as stump remover.

Jimmie

Posted by jeff_wisnia on June 29, 2009, 12:41 pm

Stormin Mormon wrote:

> Is that still available?
>

I used to be able to buy jars of powdered saltpeter in drugstores.

We used to hear that they mixed it with food in prisons to curtail the
inmates libidos, but that story may be rot.

As kids, we used to make "fuses" by soaking thick string in a
concentrated saltpeter and water solution and then letting it dry out.

If you pour powdered saltpeter into bored holes in the stump and let the
rain soak it into the stump wood, repeating that a few times over
several months, you'll turn the wood into a very easily combusted material.

If you then pour a bit of charcoal lighter on the stump and set it
afire, the stump wood will burn it's way right into the ground.

A garden hose and reasonable caution should always be on hand when you
start the burning.

Jeff

--
Jeffry Wisnia
(W1BSV + Brass Rat '57 EE)
The speed of light is 1.8*10^12 furlongs per fortnight.

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