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I have a gardening problem!
We have an old cobnut tree which unfortunately fell victim to some storms a couple of years ago. We got a tree surgeon in to cut it down and he assured us the stump would rot down enough to be easy to remove.
Anyway, it hasn't and the tree is starting to regrow from the stump. I suspect he just did the bits he thought were easy and left the rest.
We had a chap come to give us a quote for grinding it out, but he pointed to the fact that there are remnants of an old iron fence embedded in the stump, which the tree has seemingly grown around. He said he won't, and no-one will, come and put a grinder on that because the iron fence part will knacker the blades, and it's potentially dangerous.
I spent a day yesterday chopping around the stump to try and get at the fence - I've exposed it on both sides of the stump but can't get in to where the tree has seemingly bifurcated around it, to free the metal.
Had a go with a hatchet, a bowsaw, spade and various other tools but there's limited space to move and cut, so any strike is just getting stuck or glancing off the other parts of the stump. We can't burn the stump out as it's too close to other vegetation and the neighbour's fence/shed.
I was wondering whether one of those oscillating multitool saw jobs might be worth a go? Has anyone tried anything similar?
Difficult to advise without some sort of visualisation of the particular case but I'd think a ruddy great drill and a pry bar are likely your best starting point.
SDS Drill on chisel setting.
We got a tree surgeon in to cut it down and he assured us the stump would rot down enough to be easy to remove
I assume he must've known it wouldn't. I took a stump out from a tree that came down about 50 years ago and it was still solid.
If it is difficult to grind I'd consider digging it out. Its hard job but quite satisfying. I've done a few now and have refined my technique. The key is chopping all the roots. Dig a trench around the stump and cut a section out of every root you meet. Cut enough of a section to keep digging the trench. A reciprocating saw is the best tool, you can get pruning blades. Plunge it into the soil and cut the root, you may kill a couple of blades on the way. Keep slicing and digging and eventually you can get under it and cut the last few. Then a big lever or a bottle jack to free it. Dealing with the stump is a pain though. They don't burn easily.
To be honest I'd just hire a stump grinder and grind it out. The teeth are massive lumps of hardened steel which I would expect to eat up thin metal wire, worst case you stall it. They are designed so everything which is spat out (eg 100s of stones at 200 mph + ) are fired under the machine, so a few bits of flying metal won't make it any more dangerous.
A combination of grinding and using bolt croppers / reciprocating saw to work your way through it.
OP
Can you isolate the main trunk by digging around ,chop through the roots and then hauling the whole lot out?
Helped a mate remove a really awkward one and we ended up digging (a lot) then using a Turfer/winch bolted to his car tow point.
Thermite
Thermite
I have a friend who does tree stump removal using explosives - sounds a bit radical but he has mitigation techniques that allow him to work in close proximity the buildings and so and and get them out without any collateral damage.
I was wondering whether one of those oscillating multitool saw jobs might be worth a go?
You'll die of old age 🙂
I assume he must’ve known it wouldn’t. I took a stump out from a tree that came down about 50 years ago and it was still solid.
I'm beginning to think he did, just did as quick a job as he could and got out of there before we realised.😡
SDS Drill on chisel setting.
Possible, but don't have one. Good excuse to go shopping, though...
f it is difficult to grind I’d consider digging it out. Its hard job but quite satisfying. I’ve done a few now and have refined my technique. The key is chopping all the roots. Dig a trench around the stump and cut a section out of every root you meet. Cut enough of a section to keep digging the trench. A reciprocating saw is the best tool, you can get pruning blades. Plunge it into the soil and cut the root, you may kill a couple of blades on the way. Keep slicing and digging and eventually you can get under it and cut the last few. Then a big lever or a bottle jack to free it. Dealing with the stump is a pain though. They don’t burn easily.
Can you isolate the main trunk by digging around ,chop through the roots and then hauling the whole lot out?
To be honest I’d just hire a stump grinder and grind it out. The teeth are massive lumps of hardened steel which I would expect to eat up thin metal wire, worst case you stall it. They are designed so everything which is spat out (eg 100s of stones at 200 mph + ) are fired under the machine, so a few bits of flying metal won’t make it any more dangerous.
A combination of grinding and using bolt croppers / reciprocating saw to work your way through it.
It's not a wire fence (though there are parts of one of those too!). It's sort of this stuff:
(not my pic or garden I hasten to add!)
I've cut either end off and removed the rest of it, just one of the horizontal bars is embedded in the trunk/stump.
Sounds like there's a lot of manual labour in my immediate future... 😞
Drill a few holes into the stump and poor in some SBK - it will die and eventually rot.
Stumps are a PITA though.
Alternatively hire a mini digger and have some fun.
Thermite
You’d need more than one surely?
Usually takes thousands of the little buggers 🐜🐜🐜🐜🐜🐜🐜🐜🐜🐜🐜🐜🐜🐜🐜🐜🐜🐜🐜🐜🐜🐜🐜🐜🐜🐜🐜🐜🐜🐜🐜🐜🐜
Just leave it, keep chopping new growth off if you like.
Go out on your bike instead.
Just leave it, keep chopping new growth off if you like.
Go out on your bike instead.
🤦🏼
That might get in the way of the work we're planning on doing in the space where the tree stump is, and the reason we want to remove it...
Small bobcat-style digger, available to hire from your local gardening place. Dig/pull/scrape it out. Boards down on any bits of garden you don't want chewing up by the digger tracks.
Fire.
Houns
Fire.
We can’t burn the stump out as it’s too close to other vegetation and the neighbour’s fence/shed.
Mini digger (assuming it's not a giant Cobnut). I hired one to get the stump of an old apple tree out after digging by hand and cutting on and off for a week. Gone in 60 seconds (well, actually 5 minutes.
I then spent the rest of the afternoon using it to pull other roots and ivy out of the flower bed and digging in a couple of tons of manure.
A large tree had recently been cut down in my front garden when I moved in (about 5 years ago), it clearly wasn't a thorough job as it was sprouting from the stump. I used stump killer on it and it significantly rotted away relatively quickly, there are a few more solid bits remaining but they'll get the pickaxe treatment this year.