If you do go down the route of digging them out, I can thoroughly recommend the use of a reciprocating saw to assist with root cutting. It might be worth checking out the local hire place to see if you can get a tirfor winch or similar too, can be handy in the right situation. Mattock, digging bar, root chopper are all helpful, as is a varied selection of swear words and plenty of plasters. Good luck!
Tree stumps
- Thread starter sauer
- Start date
Don't do this
Ed
This is an excerpt from a letter written by Evelyn Waugh to his wife Laura on 31 May 1942. Waugh was a member of No. 8 Commando. You can find plenty of lessons from Commando training and operations and more besides among the Letters Of Evelyn Waugh.
"Darling...
So No. 3 Cmdo were very anxious to be chums with Lord Glasgow so they offered to blow up an old tree stump for him and he was very grateful and he said don't spoil the plantation of young trees near it because that is the apple of my eye and they said no of course not we can blow a tree down so that it falls on a sixpence and Lord Glasgow said goodness you are clever and he asked them all to luncheon for the great explosion. So Col. Durnford-Slater D.S.O.
said to his subaltern, have you put enough explosive in the tree. Yes sir, 75 lbs. Is that enough? Yes sir I worked it out by mathematics it is exactly right. Well better put a bit more. Very good sir.
And when Col. D. Slater D.S.O. had had his port he sent for the subaltern and said subaltern better put a bit more explosive in that tree. I don't want to disappoint Lord Glasgow. Very good sir.
Then they all went out to see the explosion and Col. D.S. D.S.O. said you will see that tree fall flat at just that angle where it will hurt no young trees and Lord Glasgow said goodness you are clever.
So soon they lit the fuse and waited for the explosion and presently the tree, instead of falling quietly sideways, rose 50 feet into the air taking with it half an acre of soil and the whole of the young plantation.
And the subaltern said Sir I made a mistake, it should have been 7.5 lbs not 75.
Lord Glasgow was so upset he walked in dead silence back to his castle and when they came to the turn of the drive in sight of his castle what should they find but that every pane of glass in the building was broken.
So Lord Glasgow gave a little cry and ran to hide his emotion in the lavatory and there when he pulled the plug the entire ceiling, loosened by the explosion, fell on his head.
This is quite true."
There is of course one very important message for civilians and soldiers alike here: bad maths can do a lot of damage. Check your figures
Ed
This is an excerpt from a letter written by Evelyn Waugh to his wife Laura on 31 May 1942. Waugh was a member of No. 8 Commando. You can find plenty of lessons from Commando training and operations and more besides among the Letters Of Evelyn Waugh.
So No. 3 Cmdo were very anxious to be chums with Lord Glasgow so they offered to blow up an old tree stump for him and he was very grateful and he said don't spoil the plantation of young trees near it because that is the apple of my eye and they said no of course not we can blow a tree down so that it falls on a sixpence and Lord Glasgow said goodness you are clever and he asked them all to luncheon for the great explosion. So Col. Durnford-Slater D.S.O.
said to his subaltern, have you put enough explosive in the tree. Yes sir, 75 lbs. Is that enough? Yes sir I worked it out by mathematics it is exactly right. Well better put a bit more. Very good sir.
And when Col. D. Slater D.S.O. had had his port he sent for the subaltern and said subaltern better put a bit more explosive in that tree. I don't want to disappoint Lord Glasgow. Very good sir.
Then they all went out to see the explosion and Col. D.S. D.S.O. said you will see that tree fall flat at just that angle where it will hurt no young trees and Lord Glasgow said goodness you are clever.
So soon they lit the fuse and waited for the explosion and presently the tree, instead of falling quietly sideways, rose 50 feet into the air taking with it half an acre of soil and the whole of the young plantation.
And the subaltern said Sir I made a mistake, it should have been 7.5 lbs not 75.
Lord Glasgow was so upset he walked in dead silence back to his castle and when they came to the turn of the drive in sight of his castle what should they find but that every pane of glass in the building was broken.
So Lord Glasgow gave a little cry and ran to hide his emotion in the lavatory and there when he pulled the plug the entire ceiling, loosened by the explosion, fell on his head.
This is quite true."
There is of course one very important message for civilians and soldiers alike here: bad maths can do a lot of damage. Check your figures
Cootmeurer
Well-Known Member
As mentioned earlier, KNO3 (potassium nitrate) and a drill. Drill your holes, pour in the KNO3 and add water. What this does is supercharges the little cellulose degrading microbes and within a year they have turned the stump to pulp. If you can't find KNO3 (we have it here in our garden stores, not sure about the UK) you can use a handful of regular garden fertilizer mixed with a handful of plain old sugar. Again, makes the microbes happy.
Monkey Spanker
Well-Known Member
Best thing to do is get a grinder in. About 10 minutes work and your stump will be a mixture of woodchip and mud!
Someone like this but in your area:
https://www.stumpygrinder.co.uk/
MS
Someone like this but in your area:
https://www.stumpygrinder.co.uk/
MS
enfieldspares
Well-Known Member
I asked a friend if he had any saltpetre spare and he said none. Used up. But that pure Epsom Salts worked well.
roedeerred
Well-Known Member
I dug six out today for my neighbour with a digger started at 9-30 finished before 1pm one had grown under the fence so 3ft deep hole on our side and slid it out job done no damage one root weighed about 3/4 ton nearly tipped digger over loading it onto trailer .levelled and then it rained so he will have to rake and seed later. Thing is many people think they can drive a digger !!
roedeerred
Well-Known Member
Stumps are bad to burn but ground up or left to rot is worse I had two ground up and the area does not even grow decent grass fungi of many guises yes black ones brown ones smelly ones slimy ones but worthless area of sinking rotting wood chips is all I have.
better to hire a skip than that
better to hire a skip than that
Monkey Spanker
Well-Known Member
Digging stumps out is fine as long as you have a means to get rid of a horrible big stump that can't be burnt, sawn up, or chipped with any ease.
Digging is not always possible either if you are near buildings, roads, paths or services.
Grinding is usually the preferred method, but leaving the grindings in the hole is a very bad idea! It can promote nasty stuff such as honey fungus which may spread to healthy trees as well as leave a sinking rotting hole where nothing will grow for years. The grindings should really be removed or burnt on site. The hole then filled with topsoil or similar depending upon what the area will be used for next. Grindings are not good for mulching borders either! As well as encouraging nasty fungal growths, the wood draws Nitrogen from the soil as it rots.
MS
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My pals a fireman .....
And these slow controlled burns go for days ....I'm not prepared to leave something smouldering unattended .....
I've seen my self almost out ashes being rekindled with a breeze then sparks flying that could set something slit elsewhere ..
Not my thing sorry, wouldn't entertain that one
Paul
And these slow controlled burns go for days ....I'm not prepared to leave something smouldering unattended .....
I've seen my self almost out ashes being rekindled with a breeze then sparks flying that could set something slit elsewhere ..
Not my thing sorry, wouldn't entertain that one
Paul
enfieldspares
Well-Known Member
I've put Epsom Salt in my stump today 17/04/17. I'll let all know how it goes. Or doesn't go.
Hornet 6
Well-Known Member
Fair enough, it could be a risk I suppose.
How about a spade a pickaxe and a little hard work
Neil.
Homeloader? Use your imagination
Don't even blow the bloody doors off!
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