On 22/03/14 17:41, Lobster wrote:
I've got an old cherry tree stump which I really want rid of. It's
probably about 10" high by 15" across, and the problem is that it's in an
awkward position at the foot of a banked area, and surrounded by paving
stones, so would be very disruptive and difficult to dig out. It's
inaccessible to a tree stump grinder (other than maybe something hand-
held).

Burning it out seems the way forward, and I've tried several times (over
years), burying the thing in burning coal. Trouble is the stump doesn't
really burn much as such; it just chars over, and has got quite dished on
top, but there's a lot more to go. Anyway, it occurred to me that maybe I
could try again this summer but first impregnate the remaining timber over
a period of time (maybe honeycombing it with a drill first) to encourage it
to burn properly. Anyone tried this? What would be good to use, that
wouldn't just evaporate off?

I'm not after getting the whole thing out - if I just get the stump below
ground level and cover it with a plant tub or something, that would be
fine!

Or any other constructive ideas!?


Saltpeter. It (dead stump) smoulders nicely in an oxygen rich atmosphere
We had an old elm stump - going back 50+ years - and we were burning out
the ditch adjoining it. It caught fire, and we doused it, but the next
morning it had almost gone to ground level and in the next few days it
simply vanished underground. Could not put it out.

I did the same with a leylandii 15 years ago. Built a fire on top and
fed it and when it went out, no stump left.

so pour diesel or put candles on it or use old engine oil on it and get
a good blaze going that will draw in air.

It WILL burn.



--
Ineptocracy

(in-ep-toc’-ra-cy) – a system of government where the least capable to
lead are elected by the least capable of producing, and where the
members of society least likely to sustain themselves or succeed, are
rewarded with goods and services paid for by the confiscated wealth of a
diminishing number of producers.

On Sun, 23 Mar 2014 13:24:48 +1100, F Murtz wrote:

You could stretch this idea to drilling holes in the flush stump and
pouring SBK in them before placing the slab plinth. That way it will
rot away out of site and be safe for passing animals and children.

SBK
SBK Superbike (racing motorbikes)
SBK Svenska Brukshundklubben
SBK Snowboard Kids (gaming)
SBK Stichting Bouwkwaliteit (Dutch)
SBK Short Bus Kids
SBK South Brooklyn Railway Company
SBK Single Below Knee (amputation)

There's this wonderful new invention called "context".
http://lmgtfy.com/?q=sbk+tree

On 23/03/14 10:23, Adrian wrote:
On Sun, 23 Mar 2014 13:24:48 +1100, F Murtz wrote:

You could stretch this idea to drilling holes in the flush stump and
pouring SBK in them before placing the slab plinth. That way it will
rot away out of site and be safe for passing animals and children.

SBK
SBK Superbike (racing motorbikes)
SBK Svenska Brukshundklubben
SBK Snowboard Kids (gaming)
SBK Stichting Bouwkwaliteit (Dutch)
SBK Short Bus Kids
SBK South Brooklyn Railway Company
SBK Single Below Knee (amputation)

There's this wonderful new invention called "context".
http://lmgtfy.com/?q=sbk+tree

True, but there's this wonderful old concept of "writing
for the audience, not for yourself"

I've got an old cherry tree stump which I really want rid of. It's
probably about 10" high by 15" across, and the problem is that it's in an
awkward position at the foot of a banked area, and surrounded by paving
stones, so would be very disruptive and difficult to dig out. It's
inaccessible to a tree stump grinder (other than maybe something hand-
held).

Burning it out seems the way forward, and I've tried several times (over
years), burying the thing in burning coal. Trouble is the stump doesn't
really burn much as such; it just chars over, and has got quite dished on
top, but there's a lot more to go.

Don't waste your time and fuel. Just attack it first of all with a drill or
saw. I used an old blade in the circular saw crossing the top from all
directions, then finish it off with hammer and wood chisel. It only took me
a couple of hours chiselling spread over several sessions and it was gone.

Mike

In article ,
says...

On 23/03/14 10:23, Adrian wrote:
On Sun, 23 Mar 2014 13:24:48 +1100, F Murtz wrote:

You could stretch this idea to drilling holes in the flush stump and
pouring SBK in them before placing the slab plinth. That way it will
rot away out of site and be safe for passing animals and children.

SBK
SBK Superbike (racing motorbikes)
SBK Svenska Brukshundklubben
SBK Snowboard Kids (gaming)
SBK Stichting Bouwkwaliteit (Dutch)
SBK Short Bus Kids
SBK South Brooklyn Railway Company
SBK Single Below Knee (amputation)

There's this wonderful new invention called "context".
http://lmgtfy.com/?q=sbk+tree

True, but there's this wonderful old concept of "writing
for the audience, not for yourself"

SBK is a gardening product and brand name familiar to any experienced
gardener. And for those who are not, it's known to and available in
every garden centre and hardware shop. Just ask for SBK; the
instructions are on the packet.

Spoons are available in any homewares shop. Bibs available in
Mothercare.

Janet.

On Sat, 22 Mar 2014 18:32:35 +0000, harryagain wrote:

You can buy a fungus to infect it with.
Gets rid of most stumps (by rotting) in a couple of years. Forestry
people use it.

I went for a walk in the forest and collected all kinds of rotten timber.
I put that on top of my tree stump, and after a few months it went rotten
and was easily chopped out with a pick axe.

On 22/03/2014 17:41, Lobster wrote:
I've got an old cherry tree stump which I really want rid of. It's
probably about 10" high by 15" across, and the problem is that it's in an
awkward position at the foot of a banked area, and surrounded by paving
stones, so would be very disruptive and difficult to dig out. It's
inaccessible to a tree stump grinder (other than maybe something hand-
held).

Burning it out seems the way forward, and I've tried several times (over
years), burying the thing in burning coal. Trouble is the stump doesn't
really burn much as such; it just chars over, and has got quite dished on
top, but there's a lot more to go. Anyway, it occurred to me that maybe I
could try again this summer but first impregnate the remaining timber over
a period of time (maybe honeycombing it with a drill first) to encourage it
to burn properly. Anyone tried this? What would be good to use, that
wouldn't just evaporate off?

If you are serious then the only chance you stand and it is an outside
chance at that is to drill a large number of 1" holes into the top as
deep as you can and pack them with potassium nitrate fertiliser. Leave
for about a year refilling as necessary and then after the longest hot
dry spell you get build a fire on top and cross your fingers that the
impregnation of the nitrate is enough to make it smoulder away until
underground. It may still be too wet in which case you are stumped.

This sort of works but it also primes the wood for fungi to take hold
and I got a spectacular chicken of the woods on my former pear tree
stump. The ground where it was is still subsiding as the deeper roots
were not eliminated by this method. In the end I prized the last bits up
with a scaffold pole using an axe to cut the tap root. YMMV

I'm not after getting the whole thing out - if I just get the stump below
ground level and cover it with a plant tub or something, that would be
fine!

Or any other constructive ideas!?

I'd tend to favour digging it out.

--
Regards,
Martin Brown

On 24/03/14 09:43, Martin Brown wrote:

I'd tend to favour digging it out.

or just hire a bloke with a stump grinder in and get instant satisfaction.

On 24/03/14 11:03, Martin wrote:
On Mon, 24 Mar 2014 11:00:24 +0000, Tim Watts wrote:

On 24/03/14 09:43, Martin Brown wrote:

I'd tend to favour digging it out.

or just hire a bloke with a stump grinder in and get instant satisfaction.


or a machine with a stump removing attachment that will pull out the whole thing
roots and all.


Must check those out...

Having destroyed lots of spade bits on a single stump, sometimes DIY is
not always the most straightforward course of action!

On Sun, 23 Mar 2014 13:24:48 +1100, F Murtz
wrote:



You could stretch this idea to drilling holes in the flush stump and
pouring SBK in them before placing the slab plinth. That way it will
rot away out of site and be safe for passing animals and children.


SBK
SBK Superbike (racing motorbikes)
SBK Svenska Brukshundklubben
SBK Snowboard Kids (gaming)
SBK Stichting Bouwkwaliteit (Dutch)
SBK Short Bus Kids
SBK South Brooklyn Railway Company
SBK Single Below Knee (amputation)

SBK Sarcastic Bugger Killfiled.

G.Harman

On 24/03/2014 11:25, Jethro_uk wrote:
On Sat, 22 Mar 2014 17:41:34 +0000, Lobster wrote:

I'm not after getting the whole thing out - if I just get the stump
below ground level and cover it with a plant tub or something, that
would be fine!

Or any other constructive ideas!?

Just a thought, thermite ?

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thermite

Too fast and violent. A bit like throwing petrol on a bonfire.

The only method that stands a chance is to saturate the wet wood with
potassium nitrate and wait until it is the dryest day and then light a
bonfire on top. You need both dry wood and oxygen to make it burn.

With any luck it will smoulder away deep into the ground, perhaps with
the addition of some extra brushwood on top from time to time.

My burn attempts served only to hollow and weaken the large stump into
three manageable pieces that I could then crowbar out with scaffold
poles. Eventually they were dry enough to go in the wood burning stove.

--
Regards,
Martin Brown

On 23/03/2014 23:50, MattyF wrote:
On Sat, 22 Mar 2014 18:32:35 +0000, harryagain wrote:

You can buy a fungus to infect it with.
Gets rid of most stumps (by rotting) in a couple of years. Forestry
people use it.

I went for a walk in the forest and collected all kinds of rotten timber.
I put that on top of my tree stump, and after a few months it went rotten
and was easily chopped out with a pick axe.




I'm glad it worked for you. In principle, it's a good idea, but you
could have introduced Honey Fungus or other problems. I wouldn't
recommend it.
--
Spider.
On high ground in SE London
gardening on heavy clay

On 24/03/2014 11:00, Tim Watts wrote:
On 24/03/14 09:43, Martin Brown wrote:

I'd tend to favour digging it out.

or just hire a bloke with a stump grinder in and get instant satisfaction.




The OP said there wasn't access for a stump grinder.

--
Spider.
On high ground in SE London
gardening on heavy clay

On 24/03/2014 11:25, Jethro_uk wrote:
On Sat, 22 Mar 2014 17:41:34 +0000, Lobster wrote:

I've got an old cherry tree stump which I really want rid of. It's
probably about 10" high by 15" across, and the problem is that it's in
an awkward position at the foot of a banked area, and surrounded by
paving stones, so would be very disruptive and difficult to dig out.
It's inaccessible to a tree stump grinder (other than maybe something
hand- held).

Burning it out seems the way forward, and I've tried several times (over
years), burying the thing in burning coal. Trouble is the stump doesn't
really burn much as such; it just chars over, and has got quite dished
on top, but there's a lot more to go. Anyway, it occurred to me that
maybe I could try again this summer but first impregnate the remaining
timber over a period of time (maybe honeycombing it with a drill first)
to encourage it to burn properly. Anyone tried this? What would be good
to use, that wouldn't just evaporate off?

I'm not after getting the whole thing out - if I just get the stump
below ground level and cover it with a plant tub or something, that
would be fine!

Or any other constructive ideas!?

Just a thought, thermite ?

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thermite




A *termite* would enjoy doing it, but then it would probably eat all the
wood in your house :-/

--
Spider.
On high ground in SE London
gardening on heavy clay

On 25/03/2014 12:08, Martin wrote:
On Tue, 25 Mar 2014 11:48:05 +0000, Spider wrote:

On 23/03/2014 23:50, MattyF wrote:
On Sat, 22 Mar 2014 18:32:35 +0000, harryagain wrote:

You can buy a fungus to infect it with.
Gets rid of most stumps (by rotting) in a couple of years. Forestry
people use it.

I went for a walk in the forest and collected all kinds of rotten timber.
I put that on top of my tree stump, and after a few months it went rotten
and was easily chopped out with a pick axe.




I'm glad it worked for you. In principle, it's a good idea, but you
could have introduced Honey Fungus or other problems. I wouldn't
recommend it.

I refrained from mentioning Honey Fungus :-)



Until now. Copy cat. Nah nah nah nah nah :~)

--
Spider.
On high ground in SE London
gardening on heavy clay