Tree root removal

[Armleywhite]

First off, apologies if this is in the wrong section, but unsure where to put it.

Just removed a large Weeping willow from the garden (previous occupants planted it far too close to the house) and the large'ish stump requires removal. Been reading on't net that the best option is to use potassium nitrate, fed into large holes drilled into the stump.

What other methods can be used that appears to be successful?

Cheers

[Kristen]

Stump grinder?

e.g.

Tree Stump Chipper Hire | HSS Hire

[Mikey]

You can generally hire someone with the stump buster at a cost of around £200 a day. This is more cost effective if you have a number of trees to come down.

[chris]

Being a tight so and so I'd personally just dig it out.

Longest session to date was three weeks to remove a stump (couldn't get my arms around the trunk!) hard work, but £200 off my mortgage instead


Sent from my iPhone using Grow Your Own Forum mobile app

[AllInContainers]

If you're leaving it to rot to make it easier to get out later, get a splitting maul or a wood grenade and bray the living doodah out of it on the cut face. It'll open it up to more water and air if you can create a number of good size splits, and encourage the rot. After the rot has had hold a while, it will be a lot easier to dig out. If the stump has been there a while this could be harder, as green wood splits easiest generally

[mothhawk]

I believe potassium nitrate is only effective on dead stumps, that have dried out and have no sap in them. Not sure it would work on a fresh stump. If you don't want to have it ground out (costs £30 - £50 round here but it depends on the size of the stump - if it's massive it'll cost a lot), and can't face digging/chopping it out, then you will still have to kill it, because willow is one of the best coppicing trees - it will re-shoot vigorously from the stump and from any shallow roots.

[Thelma Sanders]

rootout is good stuff I used it on a cherry stump, it never suckered at all, after treatment

ROOT OUT for root removal kill roots clear overgrown garden

[Two_Sheds]

What other methods can be used that appears to be successful?

I prefer to let nature take its course, ie fungi.
We inherited a large sycamore stump in our front garden, which has been rotting slowly (v.slowly) for 6 years now. It's been really interesting to see the fungi colonising it

[snakeshack]

How about some oyster mushroom spawn drilled into the stump and kept moist. Rots the stump and gives you a crop too


Sent from my iPhone using Grow Your Own Forum

[RedThorn]

As MH said, you sure it's dead?

Otherwise dig it out and axe / saw the thicker roots

[DuncanM]

I've removed quite a few stumps from trees and large bushes before. I've always dug it out. Even the largest trees should be manageable - at least to the extent that you've dug around it and severed as many roots as possible (even the tap root, if willows have one).