You can completely get rid of old stumps on your site without the involvement of heavy equipment and high costs. To do this, just choose between fast but risky burning or slow but safe chemical method.
Method one: salt softening of wood
This method is suitable for those who do not want to use open fire and are willing to wait a few months. Instead of aggressive chemicals or hard physical labor, ordinary table salt is used. It gradually destroys the structure of the tree and completely suppresses root growth.
The algorithm of actions looks like this:
- Take a drill and drill vertical holes about 20 cm deep into the stump.
- Pour 0.5 kg of coarse salt into each hole.
- Cover the stump with a piece of thick film or roofing felt to prevent rain from washing away the salt.
- Leave the structure alone for 6 months.
After six months, the wood becomes loose and rotten. The stump is easily destroyed by hand or with a shovel, and young growth does not appear around.
Method two: burning from the inside (Finnish candle)
If you don’t want to wait a long time, and safety precautions are followed, you can use the fire method. It is effective for any large stumps and only takes a few hours. However, it is important to remember that the method is only suitable for open areas away from buildings, dry grass and peat bogs.
Drill a deep hole in the center of the stump, split the stump lengthwise with an ax (not all the way), put a rag soaked in gasoline inside and set it on fire. The fire will smolder inside, gradually burning through the wood from the bottom up. As a result, there won’t even be a wet spot left at the site of the stump, says the author of the blog “Away from the City” (18+).
Precautions
Both methods work. Salt acts slowly, but safely and does not require constant monitoring. Fire overcomes a stump in a day, but requires caution.
Do not burn near wooden structures, fences, or living tree roots. Embers can go deep into the soil along lateral roots and cause an underground fire that will only be noticed a few meters from the stump. In doubtful cases, it is better to choose the salt method or contact a specialist.
