Best way? Its more like a large plant (castor oil plant) but its pretty large.

Tried to dig around but the roots seem well spread. Is it a case or suck it up and dig it out or can I kill it somehow and wait for it to die off?

Tried the commerical stump killer stuff in the past - useless...

paulfoel wrote:

Best way? Its more like a large plant (castor oil plant) but its
pretty large.

Tried to dig around but the roots seem well spread. Is it a case or
suck it up and dig it out or can I kill it somehow and wait for it to
die off?

Tried the commerical stump killer stuff in the past - useless...

I'd dig as much as I could, chopping roots off as far as possible, then
hitch a strop to the Landrover and pull it out.

If I couldn't get the Landrover in, I'd rig the Hi-lift jack up to
winch it out.

Otherwise, simple diggin' 'n cuttin' and brute force ..

A chain saw might help ...

--
Paul - xxx
Mark cavendish Danny Hart
British Cycling World Champions 2011

On 11/03/2012 15:33, Paul - xxx wrote:
paulfoel wrote:

Best way? Its more like a large plant (castor oil plant) but its
pretty large.

Tried to dig around but the roots seem well spread. Is it a case or
suck it up and dig it out or can I kill it somehow and wait for it to
die off?

Tried the commerical stump killer stuff in the past - useless...

I'd dig as much as I could, chopping roots off as far as possible, then
hitch a strop to the Landrover and pull it out.

If I couldn't get the Landrover in, I'd rig the Hi-lift jack up to
winch it out.

Otherwise, simple diggin' 'n cuttin' and brute force ..

A chain saw might help ...


Cheap wood chisel bit in an SDS drill is a very effective way of
severing roots below ground level. With enough of the roots cit, it
becomes a much easier job.

On 11 Mar 2012 15:33:50 GMT, Paul - xxx wrote:

A chain saw might help ...

Wouldn't want to use a chain saw near/in soil or on soil covered
roots. At least not with a chain you ever wanted to use again. B-)

As to the stump dig around cutting roots as you go, the spade will do
small ones, hand axe for larger. Use the trunk as lever, you did
remember to cut that about 3' above ground level didn't you? To rock
the root bowl from side to side to break or get access to roots
underneath. Once free you might need to start dismembering it in the
hole as even a small tree has quite a chunky bowl.

--
Cheers
Dave.

paulfoel wrote:
Best way? Its more like a large plant (castor oil plant) but its pretty large.

Tried to dig around but the roots seem well spread. Is it a case or suck it up and dig it out or can I kill it somehow and wait for it to die off?

Tried the commerical stump killer stuff in the past - useless...


Patience and muscle. Preferably of the 50bhp digger sort.

ring the plant first, cutting any lateral roots, then go under and
break the taproot if it has one.

Rope it and drag it out.


--
To people who know nothing, anything is possible.
To people who know too much, it is a sad fact
that they know how little is really possible -
and how hard it is to achieve it.

On 11/03/2012 5:27 PM, The Natural Philosopher wrote:
paulfoel wrote:
Best way? Its more like a large plant (castor oil plant) but its
pretty large.

Tried to dig around but the roots seem well spread. Is it a case or
suck it up and dig it out or can I kill it somehow and wait for it to
die off?

Tried the commerical stump killer stuff in the past - useless...


Patience and muscle. Preferably of the 50bhp digger sort.

ring the plant first, cutting any lateral roots, then go under and break
the taproot if it has one.

Rope it and drag it out.


I had to remove a number of old privet hedges (50 yrs +) they had huge
roots, ended up using a chain winch, with fixed end attached via a long
lifting strap to a convenient telegraph pole.

On Sun, 11 Mar 2012 06:48:58 -0700 (PDT), paulfoel
wrote:

Best way? Its more like a large plant (castor oil plant) but its pretty large.

Tried to dig around but the roots seem well spread. Is it a case or suck it up and dig it out or can I kill it somehow and wait for it to die off?

Tried the commerical stump killer stuff in the past - useless...

Angle grinder.

Fein Multimaster.

--
Frank Erskine

Frank Erskine wrote:
Tried the commerical stump killer stuff in the past - useless...
Angle grinder.

Dynamite!

JGH

On Sun, 11 Mar 2012 16:24:42 -0700 (PDT), jgharston
wrote:

Frank Erskine wrote:
Tried the commerical stump killer stuff in the past - useless...
Angle grinder.

Dynamite!

B&Q are fresh out of it...

--
Frank Erskine

jgharston wrote:

Frank Erskine wrote:
Tried the commerical stump killer stuff in the past - useless...
Angle grinder.

Dynamite!

OOOh yes, the possibilities for harm are almost endless ...

--
Paul - xxx
Mark cavendish Danny Hart
British Cycling World Champions 2011

On Sun, 11 Mar 2012 16:24:42 -0700, jgharston wrote:

Frank Erskine wrote:
Tried the commerical stump killer stuff in the past - useless...
Angle grinder.

Dynamite!

Ooohhh - that brings back memories of tales from Dad.

They had a large old tree in the middle of what had been a former
hedgeline and they wanted it out. Various options were suggested but
then one of the lads 'knew a pal' who could get some 'left over' dynamite.

They over calculated apparently and the tree show up on the air and back
down in exactly the same spot.

I never did discover just what happened after that.

David

On Sun, 11 Mar 2012 18:40:46 +0000, Frank Erskine
wrote:

On Sun, 11 Mar 2012 06:48:58 -0700 (PDT), paulfoel
wrote:

Best way? Its more like a large plant (castor oil plant) but its pretty large.

Tried to dig around but the roots seem well spread. Is it a case or suck it up and dig it out or can I kill it somehow and wait for it to die off?

Tried the commerical stump killer stuff in the past - useless...

Angle grinder.

Fein Multimaster.

A reciprocating saw with long narrow woodsaw blade is quite good for
this if you don't have access to the heavy duty stuff.

On 11/03/2012 13:48, paulfoel wrote:
Best way? Its more like a large plant (castor oil plant) but its pretty large.

Tried to dig around but the roots seem well spread. Is it a case or suck it up and dig it out or can I kill it somehow and wait for it to die off?

Tried the commerical stump killer stuff in the past - useless...

Stump grinder. Messy but effective.

Colin Bignell

On Sunday, March 11, 2012 9:26:47 PM UTC, Nightjar wrote:
On 11/03/2012 13:48, paulfoel wrote:
Best way? Its more like a large plant (castor oil plant) but its pretty large.

Tried to dig around but the roots seem well spread. Is it a case or suck it up and dig it out or can I kill it somehow and wait for it to die off?

Tried the commerical stump killer stuff in the past - useless...

Stump grinder. Messy but effective.

Colin Bignell

Expensive to hire....

On 11/03/2012 21:35, paulfoel wrote:
On Sunday, March 11, 2012 9:26:47 PM UTC, Nightjar wrote:
On 11/03/2012 13:48, paulfoel wrote:
Best way? Its more like a large plant (castor oil plant) but its pretty large.

Tried to dig around but the roots seem well spread. Is it a case or suck it up and dig it out or can I kill it somehow and wait for it to die off?

Tried the commerical stump killer stuff in the past - useless...

Stump grinder. Messy but effective.

Colin Bignell

Expensive to hire....

For just one stump it may well be cheaper to get a tree surgeon in to do
the job.

Colin Bignell

On 12/03/2012 01:44, Nightjar wrote:
On 11/03/2012 21:35, paulfoel wrote:
On Sunday, March 11, 2012 9:26:47 PM UTC, Nightjar wrote:
On 11/03/2012 13:48, paulfoel wrote:
Best way? Its more like a large plant (castor oil plant) but its
pretty large.

Tried to dig around but the roots seem well spread. Is it a case or
suck it up and dig it out or can I kill it somehow and wait for it
to die off?

Tried the commerical stump killer stuff in the past - useless...

Stump grinder. Messy but effective.

Colin Bignell

Expensive to hire....

For just one stump it may well be cheaper to get a tree surgeon in to do
the job.

Colin Bignell

Apparently drilling 3 or 4 one inch holes into the top of the stump,
fill with diesel and plug the holes with some clay or earth.
Supposed to kill stumps off over time.

ss wrote
Nightjar wrote
paulfoel wrote
Nightjar wrote
paulfoel wrote

Best way? Its more like a large plant (castor oil plant) but its pretty large.

Tried to dig around but the roots seem well spread. Is it a case
or suck it up and dig it out or can I kill it somehow and wait
for it to die off?

Tried the commerical stump killer stuff in the past - useless...

Stump grinder. Messy but effective.

Expensive to hire....

For just one stump it may well be cheaper to get a tree surgeon in to do the job.

Apparently drilling 3 or 4 one inch holes into the top of the stump,
fill with diesel and plug the holes with some clay or earth.
Supposed to kill stumps off over time.

I apply neat roundup myself, to a fresh cut. Dont dilute it at all.

I've only done it with one tho.

On Sun, 11 Mar 2012 06:48:58 -0700 (PDT), paulfoel
wrote:

Best way? Its more like a large plant (castor oil plant) but its pretty large.

Burn it out. Splash with cheapo vegetable oil to make it more
flammable. May take quite a few application but it will remove pretty
much all stumps - or reduce them to easily removed ashes anyway.

Simon Cee wrote:
On Sun, 11 Mar 2012 06:48:58 -0700 (PDT), paulfoel
wrote:

Best way? Its more like a large plant (castor oil plant) but its pretty large.

Burn it out. Splash with cheapo vegetable oil to make it more
flammable. May take quite a few application but it will remove pretty
much all stumps - or reduce them to easily removed ashes anyway.


Doesn't work unless its well old and dried out.

to be honest, get a new chain and sharpening file for the chainsaw and
expect it to be wreked when you are finished, and just carve it up


There are so many ways to do it but none do not involve hard physical
effort and/or expense.

Personally at the cheap end a pick spade and saw are perfectly usable.

Up at the top end you have diggers and stump grinders

I tend to save all these jobs until I have a digger onsite - its the
best way to totally clear ground, followed by rotovating or ploughing.

I have burned stumps out but they were very old and dry.


--
To people who know nothing, anything is possible.
To people who know too much, it is a sad fact
that they know how little is really possible -
and how hard it is to achieve it.

"The Natural Philosopher" wrote in message
...
Simon Cee wrote:
On Sun, 11 Mar 2012 06:48:58 -0700 (PDT), paulfoel
wrote:

Best way? Its more like a large plant (castor oil plant) but its pretty
large.

Burn it out. Splash with cheapo vegetable oil to make it more
flammable. May take quite a few application but it will remove pretty
much all stumps - or reduce them to easily removed ashes anyway.


Doesn't work unless its well old and dried out.


Just attack it with a hammer and an old wood chisel, half an hour work with
same demolished a 10" stump in my lawn last year.

I have ground down bigger stumps with an electric chainsaw. I re-fitted an
old chain and used a "G" clamp as a second handle on the end of the bar.
That soon ground down 3 bigger stumps that had been cut off just 4 or 5
inches above ground. They were all in lawn, I wasn't bothered about
removing them completely, just ground them down and turfed over.

Mike

On Mon, 12 Mar 2012 14:31:43 +0000, The Natural Philosopher wrote:

Simon Cee wrote:
On Sun, 11 Mar 2012 06:48:58 -0700 (PDT), paulfoel
wrote:

Best way? Its more like a large plant (castor oil plant) but its
pretty large.

Burn it out. Splash with cheapo vegetable oil to make it more
flammable. May take quite a few application but it will remove pretty
much all stumps - or reduce them to easily removed ashes anyway.

Doesn't work unless its well old and dried out.

Burning out stumps was the standard way of clearing land for farming
here back in the day, at least for stumps that were too big to pull out
with horses straight off. I think I recall reading somewhere that it
could take a couple of weeks per stump, though - not a "light a fire for
a few hours" kind of thing.

There are so many ways to do it but none do not involve hard physical
effort and/or expense.

Personally at the cheap end a pick spade and saw are perfectly usable.

Yes, that's the way I've done it in the past, at least for stumps where
the trunk was up to a foot in diameter. Anything larger and I'd go for
powered equipment, renting if necessary, I think.

cheers

Jules

The Natural Philosopher wrote
Simon Cee wrote
paulfoel wrote

Best way? Its more like a large plant (castor oil plant) but its pretty large.

Burn it out. Splash with cheapo vegetable oil to make it more
flammable. May take quite a few application but it will remove pretty
much all stumps - or reduce them to easily removed ashes anyway.

Doesn't work unless its well old and dried out.

to be honest, get a new chain and sharpening file for the chainsaw and expect it to be wreked when you are finished,
and just carve it up

There are so many ways to do it but none do not involve hard physical
effort and/or expense.

Personally at the cheap end a pick spade and saw are perfectly usable.

Up at the top end you have diggers and stump grinders

I tend to save all these jobs until I have a digger onsite - its the best way to totally clear ground,

I used a full road grader myself.

The crowd I hired stuff like that from was run by one hell of a woman
who when I asked them to clear the site before building, said that the
road grader was the best thing to do that with. She was right.

Corse that was the first house in a new subdivision so there
werent any fences etc at that time. Not viable otherwise.

followed by rotovating or ploughing.

I have burned stumps out but they were very old and dry.

On Mon, 12 Mar 2012 14:31:43 +0000, The Natural Philosopher
wrote:

Simon Cee wrote:
On Sun, 11 Mar 2012 06:48:58 -0700 (PDT), paulfoel
wrote:

Best way? Its more like a large plant (castor oil plant) but its pretty large.

Burn it out. Splash with cheapo vegetable oil to make it more
flammable. May take quite a few application but it will remove pretty
much all stumps - or reduce them to easily removed ashes anyway.


Doesn't work unless its well old and dried out.


Ah, you may well be right as they're what I've used it on.

On 13/03/2012 19:07, Simon Cee wrote:
On Mon, 12 Mar 2012 14:31:43 +0000, The Natural Philosopher
wrote:

Simon Cee wrote:
On Sun, 11 Mar 2012 06:48:58 -0700 (PDT), paulfoel
wrote:

Best way? Its more like a large plant (castor oil plant) but its pretty large.

Burn it out. Splash with cheapo vegetable oil to make it more
flammable. May take quite a few application but it will remove pretty
much all stumps - or reduce them to easily removed ashes anyway.


Doesn't work unless its well old and dried out.


Ah, you may well be right as they're what I've used it on.

Just revisiting this thread as I think I might have another crack at my
ancient cherry stump (which is indeed 'well old and dried out', and full
of splits and cracks) this weekend. I'm sure getting the timber
impregnated with something burny has to help... what's the deal with veg
oil? Do you apply it and then start the fire straightaway or do you keep
sloshing over a period of time and then burn?

Thanks
David

On Mon, 12 Mar 2012 13:14:49 +0000, Simon Cee wrote:

On Sun, 11 Mar 2012 06:48:58 -0700 (PDT), paulfoel
wrote:

Best way? Its more like a large plant (castor oil plant) but its pretty
large.

Burn it out. Splash with cheapo vegetable oil to make it more flammable.
May take quite a few application but it will remove pretty much all
stumps - or reduce them to easily removed ashes anyway.

When we moved in 10 years ago, we felled an old apple tree (about 10').
Being completely new to the process, I sawed the truck off about 6" from
the ground (doh !!!!!). I then had the bright idea of trying to burn the
stump out.

Paraffin, diesel, petrol ... applied repeated, and left to soak for ages,
and wrapping a rag round it as a wick all completely failed to catch. I
drilled holes, poured paraffin into them and lit it ... still refused to
burn.

After 2 afternoons of this, I had to dig it out, and cut the roots round
with an axe. Bloody hard work. And I was amazed at the weight of the
thing too. I'd guess at least 25 Kg ....

On 13/03/2012 12:12, Jethro wrote:
On Mon, 12 Mar 2012 13:14:49 +0000, Simon Cee wrote:

On Sun, 11 Mar 2012 06:48:58 -0700 (PDT), paulfoel
wrote:

Best way? Its more like a large plant (castor oil plant) but its pretty
large.

Burn it out. Splash with cheapo vegetable oil to make it more flammable.
May take quite a few application but it will remove pretty much all
stumps - or reduce them to easily removed ashes anyway.

When we moved in 10 years ago, we felled an old apple tree (about 10').
Being completely new to the process, I sawed the truck off about 6" from
the ground (doh !!!!!). I then had the bright idea of trying to burn the
stump out.

Paraffin, diesel, petrol ... applied repeated, and left to soak for ages,
and wrapping a rag round it as a wick all completely failed to catch. I
drilled holes, poured paraffin into them and lit it ... still refused to
burn.

After 2 afternoons of this, I had to dig it out, and cut the roots round
with an axe. Bloody hard work. And I was amazed at the weight of the
thing too. I'd guess at least 25 Kg ....

Yeah I've got a cherry-tree stump probably about 18" diameter, 10" high,
completely dead, been there for about 10 years now, sticking through a
patio, which I've really not wanted to disturb. So burning out seemed
the sensible option. I 've attacked it with an axe and log splitters,
which just made it look really messy, and last summer I tried setting a
small coal fire on the top of it, and it's burned down a bit but after
several day's worth of fires, it's still just dished the top of the
stump into a charred mess. Think I may try buying a cheap wood chisel
for my SDS drill before renewing the offensive this year!

David

Lobster wrote:
On 13/03/2012 12:12, Jethro wrote:
On Mon, 12 Mar 2012 13:14:49 +0000, Simon Cee wrote:

On Sun, 11 Mar 2012 06:48:58 -0700 (PDT), paulfoel
wrote:

Best way? Its more like a large plant (castor oil plant) but its pretty
large.

Burn it out. Splash with cheapo vegetable oil to make it more flammable.
May take quite a few application but it will remove pretty much all
stumps - or reduce them to easily removed ashes anyway.

When we moved in 10 years ago, we felled an old apple tree (about 10').
Being completely new to the process, I sawed the truck off about 6" from
the ground (doh !!!!!). I then had the bright idea of trying to burn the
stump out.

Paraffin, diesel, petrol ... applied repeated, and left to soak for ages,
and wrapping a rag round it as a wick all completely failed to catch. I
drilled holes, poured paraffin into them and lit it ... still refused to
burn.

After 2 afternoons of this, I had to dig it out, and cut the roots round
with an axe. Bloody hard work. And I was amazed at the weight of the
thing too. I'd guess at least 25 Kg ....

Yeah I've got a cherry-tree stump probably about 18" diameter, 10" high,
completely dead, been there for about 10 years now, sticking through a
patio, which I've really not wanted to disturb. So burning out seemed
the sensible option. I 've attacked it with an axe and log splitters,
which just made it look really messy, and last summer I tried setting a
small coal fire on the top of it, and it's burned down a bit but after
several day's worth of fires, it's still just dished the top of the stump
into a charred mess. Think I may try buying a cheap wood chisel for my
SDS drill before renewing the offensive this year!

David

I vaguely recall someone (TNP perhaps?) burning out a stump by piling up a
lot of coal and then placing an old tractor wheel on top of the fire. He
then used some sort of electric blower to produce a forced downdraft
through the wheel forcing the fire to burn down the way into the stump.

The details might not be right but I think the principle of a forced burn
*down* into the roots is what you need if you're to have any hope of
burning a stump out. Clearing as much earth as possible from around the
roots will also help enormously.

Tim

Tim wrote:
Lobster wrote:
On 13/03/2012 12:12, Jethro wrote:
On Mon, 12 Mar 2012 13:14:49 +0000, Simon Cee wrote:

On Sun, 11 Mar 2012 06:48:58 -0700 (PDT), paulfoel
wrote:

Best way? Its more like a large plant (castor oil plant) but its pretty
large.
Burn it out. Splash with cheapo vegetable oil to make it more flammable.
May take quite a few application but it will remove pretty much all
stumps - or reduce them to easily removed ashes anyway.
When we moved in 10 years ago, we felled an old apple tree (about 10').
Being completely new to the process, I sawed the truck off about 6" from
the ground (doh !!!!!). I then had the bright idea of trying to burn the
stump out.

Paraffin, diesel, petrol ... applied repeated, and left to soak for ages,
and wrapping a rag round it as a wick all completely failed to catch. I
drilled holes, poured paraffin into them and lit it ... still refused to
burn.

After 2 afternoons of this, I had to dig it out, and cut the roots round
with an axe. Bloody hard work. And I was amazed at the weight of the
thing too. I'd guess at least 25 Kg ....
Yeah I've got a cherry-tree stump probably about 18" diameter, 10" high,
completely dead, been there for about 10 years now, sticking through a
patio, which I've really not wanted to disturb. So burning out seemed
the sensible option. I 've attacked it with an axe and log splitters,
which just made it look really messy, and last summer I tried setting a
small coal fire on the top of it, and it's burned down a bit but after
several day's worth of fires, it's still just dished the top of the stump
into a charred mess. Think I may try buying a cheap wood chisel for my
SDS drill before renewing the offensive this year!

David

I vaguely recall someone (TNP perhaps?) burning out a stump by piling up a
lot of coal and then placing an old tractor wheel on top of the fire. He
then used some sort of electric blower to produce a forced downdraft
through the wheel forcing the fire to burn down the way into the stump.


Not me sir!

Now I did burn out an old leylandii stump that had been cut down well
before I bought the property. It took about 4 goes and in the end all
onne could say was it was now low enough to drive over and the gravel
was scattered ion top.

But it was mouldy and fungus ridden for several years before I tried.
They say that saltpetre will assist, but I had none.

As a child, we had a hedge and ditch an in the hedge was an old - a very
old - elm stump that as small children we used to jump off - about 5-6
foot high, that bordered the ditch. It too sported huge bracket fungi
and was getting a bit wobbly. We also grew out of jumping off it. One
day we set a fire to burn the trash in the ditch - it was a functional
drainage system, dry in summer, brimming in winter - and the stump
caught fire and started smouldering. WE splashed water on it and went to
bed. The next morning the stump had gone and the fire head eaten its way
into the roots. It went on for several days and left a big gap in the hedge.

These are the ONLY two stumps I have ever seen even PARTIALLY burnt out
in 61 years of life.

Whereas I have cleared over an acre of hawthorn, blackthorn, wild plum,
elder hazel and general scrub successfully using chainsaws, pickaxes,
mattocks, spades and, best of all, a mechanical digger..


You need the digger to level off the ground anyway - stumps leave BIG holes.




The details might not be right but I think the principle of a forced burn
*down* into the roots is what you need if you're to have any hope of
burning a stump out. Clearing as much earth as possible from around the
roots will also help enormously.


By the time you have exposed the roots you might as well cut em and
hoick it out mate.


Tim


--
To people who know nothing, anything is possible.
To people who know too much, it is a sad fact
that they know how little is really possible -
and how hard it is to achieve it.

On 11/03/2012 1:48 PM, paulfoel wrote:
Best way? Its more like a large plant (castor oil plant) but its pretty large.

Tried to dig around but the roots seem well spread. Is it a case or suck it up and dig it out or can I kill it somehow and wait for it to die off?

Tried the commerical stump killer stuff in the past - useless...

1/2 a stick of PE4 would shift it

"paulfoel" wrote in message
news:30687193.3684.1331473738569.JavaMail.geo-discussion-forums@vbgx21...
Best way? Its more like a large plant (castor oil plant) but its pretty
large.

Tried to dig around but the roots seem well spread. Is it a case or suck
it up and dig it out or can I kill it somehow and wait for it to die off?

Tried the commerical stump killer stuff in the past - useless...

Mattocks!

Something the size you describe can be dug out with a mattock - this will
shift earth and chop through the roots.
Sweaty work, but much more straightforward than some of the other options
suggested ;-)

--
No plan survives contact with the enemy.
[Not even bunny]

Helmuth von Moltke the Elder

(\__/)
(='.'=)
(")_(")

David WE Roberts wrote:

"paulfoel" wrote in message
news:30687193.3684.1331473738569.JavaMail.geo-discussion-forums@vbgx21...
Best way? Its more like a large plant (castor oil plant) but its
pretty large.

Tried to dig around but the roots seem well spread. Is it a case or
suck it up and dig it out or can I kill it somehow and wait for it to
die off?

Tried the commerical stump killer stuff in the past - useless...

Mattocks!

Something the size you describe can be dug out with a mattock - this
will shift earth and chop through the roots.
Sweaty work, but much more straightforward than some of the other
options suggested ;-)

yeah. Mattock is good but spades can be sharpened and axes too


--
To people who know nothing, anything is possible.
To people who know too much, it is a sad fact
that they know how little is really possible -
and how hard it is to achieve it.