Tree Stumps

Anyway of geeting rid of tree stumps without a stump grinder? would an axe be any good?

Thanks

 

i like to build the wood part of the garden around it for the woodlice etc.

 

How big?

The best way if doing them manually is to dig around them cutting each root you come across. A mattock and steel bar will be more use than an aze.

In addition I also tend to use a tirfor winch, heres a big hawthorn I grubbed out:

 

We had 15 big Leylandi trees taken down but stump grinding was not an option because of the cost. We have now decided to actually make a feature of the stumps - in the process of making boxes to go round them which we will plant up and gravel, or place big tubs on the stump within the gravel.

 

Mattock £15 or so. The hours of hardwork will cost you nothing of course!

Trifor winch is excellent but it needs to be attached to something ( eg an even larger tree) that will definitely not move or be damaged. It probably needs all the surrounding surface roots of the stump to be cut first by mattock and you dont cut the stump to the ground. See ProGard's photo.

Leaving stumps in the ground can lead to disease problems, especially if thats the reason for the tree needing to come out in the first place

 

I would agree with Pro Gard. Its nearly always possible to get rid of stumps by digging a trench round them and cutting through roots as you come across them, However it is hard work and takes a long time. One tip is to leave several feet of the trunk, don't cut it too close to the ground. This allows you to exert leverage.

 

Digging,sawing and levering out will do it. But if you have no close neighbours you could try boring holes in the stumps and then pouring in a mixture of oil and petrol and burning them. There is/was a product on the market, but I've forgotten the name, it may be 'Stump Out' that claims to rot down stumps and roots and convert them to 'compost'. Much depends on how much of a hurry you are in.

 

I have used stump out in the past and although it takes time, it can be effective. I like the idea of leaving it for a woodpile for insects and woodlice I have one outside which is about 4 foot high from an old cedar, I have a wildflower basket sitting on top of it with lots of trailing plants going down the sides, and ivy growing up from the base - looks a really nice feature.