What Are The Fastest Ways To Remove A Tree Stump – 2024 Guide
We all love greenery and lots of trees around our house. But what if an old stump and roots remain? That might disturb us and destroy the look of our yard? Of course, then we will want to get rid of that stump. However, sometimes it is not as easy as we thought. So, what could be the easiest and most efficient ways to remove a tree stump?
Old Trees And Stumps Are Often A Danger To The House
We all love to have beautiful landscaping in the yard. Plants, trees, and greenery enrich our space, making it a more beautiful and pleasant place to live. However, plants, trees, and shrubs can dry out and rot over time, and then they need to be removed. This is done primarily for safety reasons – because rotten branches, wood, or stumps can endanger our house. Branches and wood can lean on the roof, electrical installations, and the stump of the tree can sometimes leave huge roots that can even undermine the foundation of our home.
Removing Old Trees And Stumps Is A Necessary Thing
If you have an old and dried tree on your property, or it is too close to the house and threatens to do damage – it is clear that you will have to remove it. Whether it is an evergreen plant or some other tree – the procedure is always the same. You must remove the tree if it is dry or rotten. Sometimes rotting of the tree is not a problem, but the tree has simply grown too much – and endangers the house, electrical installations, or the roof. Then, removing such a tree is a necessary thing. When we cut down a tree, the problem is still not solved – because we are left with a stump, with roots that can also be a factor that is endangering us.
Why Do We Need To Get Rid Of Stumps?
When the old dried tree falls down and the cutting work is finished – we will have a largely rooted stump in the ground. With smaller wooden plants – the stump would not be so difficult to extract. By using adequate tools such as an ax, pick, or other garden tools – this is a relatively simple thing to do. However, with large trees, this can’t be done in the same way without professional tools and machinery. And why is it so important to get rid of an old stump? Because if we don’t destroy it, we can have new problems such as the outbreak of new shoots that will turn into inconspicuous bushes. In addition, the root of such a large tree sometimes goes very deep and spreads in all directions – so if it is too close to the house, it can threaten to collapse the foundation itself. Then we have to remove the stump as well – which is not always an easy job as we said. So how can we do it most easily?
● Hire professionals
This is always the No. 1 tip because companies that deal with this business professionally, know exactly how to successfully and efficiently do the tree cutting or stump removal. We don’t even have to talk much about it. Just browse the internet, and in places like this website, you will see that professional companies have the manpower, mechanization, tools – but also chemicals that will successfully and, most importantly permanently, remove the stump. In addition, professionals will always do it in a way that is safe for people and the environment. It often happens that when we do this work ourselves, we later have problems with new shoots that break out – and thus cause us several new problems. That is why hiring professionals for this job is always the best solution.
● Drilling holes and using magnesium sulfate
If you don’t have professionals nearby or you think you can deal with the problem yourself – drilling can help. This is almost the simplest and most natural solution to destroy stumps from the yard. Start with a drill and drill holes a few centimeters from the outside. Drill a hole as deep as possible at a distance of at least one centimeter. When you drill enough holes, fill those holes with magnesium sulfate. Finally, sprinkle magnesium sulfate around the stump – and cover it with nylon or anything that would prevent rain from getting in and washing it away. You can repeat this procedure after a month.
● Mechanical removal
As we have already mentioned, mechanical removal can be useful for smaller woody plants that do not have too strong and deep roots. Although many people will tell you that this is a good solution – we would say YES BUT only in exceptional cases. Moreover, mechanical removal of stumps and roots in some plants, such as acacia, produces the opposite effect – so new shoots grow even faster and spread even more. So you need to know which stump from which plants you can mechanically remove – and which you should not.
● Chemicals
Shoots from stumps and, of course, shoots around the stump can be destroyed by chemical means as well. These are the so-called arboricides. Arboricides are herbicides that have a system of action, in a way that they are easily absorbed through the leaves into the plant’s body. By simply spraying the leaf mass, the plant absorbs a sufficient amount of arboricide – and then by moving the juices inside the plant, this chemical substance descends into the root system. This is also known as translocation action. This stops the growth and development of tissue function in the root system and over time the plant loses water and food. The result is drying of the above-ground part. When removing stumps, the principle is the same as with magnesium sulfate. So, drill holes in the stump – pour in enough arboricides, and that’s it. However, the effect of such chemicals is not immediate, but it takes one to two weeks after treatment for the symptoms of drying to manifest – and for the plant to be destroyed. It is recommended that you do such a treatment in the summer, preferably in August or September.
The Bottom Line
Although plants adorn our environment, sometimes old stumps can cause us a lot of problems. Therefore, they should be removed promptly. We hope we have helped you with our tips – or at least given you an idea of how to do it fast and easily.