How to kill a tree stump?

Denise
by Denise

How to kill tree stump does epsom salt really work

  10 answers
  • William William on May 07, 2019

    Drill 1" holes in the stump. Pour in salt (regular or rock salt) into the holes. Wet it down. It will take time.


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  • Kelli L. Milligan Kelli L. Milligan on May 07, 2019

    I use stump killer and Drill holes in stump pour in gasoline and let it soak in and burn it. Must be off by itself and away from anything a quick fire could harm.

  • 17335038 17335038 on May 07, 2019

    Depending on the wood, even trying to burn it will be a slow process, and will also require a certain amount of strength with an ax is try to break up the wood into small dry kindling pieces. Some wood is very dense.

  • Lisa S. Lisa S. on May 07, 2019

    Drill holes in the stump. Fill the holes with driveway salt (like used for ice)

  • Little Sprouts Learning Little Sprouts Learning on May 09, 2019

    We have killed many by drilling 5-7 large holes as deep as we could get them and filling it with table salt. It takes about a year, but after that, we could kick them out and discard.

  • Chloe Crabtree Chloe Crabtree on Sep 06, 2023

    Use this product and you should have success. Bonide

  • Chloe Crabtree Chloe Crabtree on Nov 07, 2023

    Begin by gathering a few supplies: a drill with a large bit or an ax, Epsom salt, water, wax, a tarp, and a shovel. Proceed to drill several 1-inch-wide holes in the stump's surface, including its aerial roots, ensuring each hole is placed at a distance of at least three to four inches. While six holes are sufficient, bigger stumps may require more. Ensure you drill down to around eight inches to allow for deeper salt penetration. Alternatively, you may use an ax to make hollows in the tree stump. Next, directly pour Epsom salt ¾ of the way up in the drilled holes and fill the rest with water to keep the salt moist. Then, plug the holes with wax. Additionally, cover the trunk remnant with a non-porous tarp to minimize rain and sun exposure so that the roots do not sprout again and the salt does its job of rotting the stump. Repeat the procedure every three weeks until the stump is dead, and dig it out using a shovel.


    If you don't wish to strain yourself by drilling holes, you can use the soaking method to remove a tree stump. In a bucket, combine Epsom salt and water in a 1:2 ratio. Generally, soaking a single tree base requires two gallons of water and one gallon of salt. Pour this solution all over the tree stump and its largest exposed roots. After drenching the stump, cover it with an opaque tarp or a plastic sheet, and add a layer of mulch on top to weigh it down. You can also sprinkle a nitrogen-rich fertilizer around the tree trunk's base to further boost its breakdown. Repeat this method at least once a week and chip away at the wood as it decomposes. Finally, pull out all the stump remnants, especially the root system, when it completely dries out. After disposing of the stump, you can repurpose the space by adding soil and sowing grass or flower seeds.

  • Deb K Deb K on Nov 11, 2023

    Hi Denise, hope this helps you. Drilling holes into the stump will help the hot water kill deep and exposed roots. After you're finished drilling, carefully pour boiling water over the stump, making sure to cover the entire stump. The hot water will shock the system and begin the decomposition process using heat. Then you could pour some epsom salts in the holes and cover them ( to prevent them getting diluted by rain)to let them break down the stump.

  • Libbie B Libbie B on Nov 12, 2023

    They can be a pain! We take a chainsaw, make several cuts to the roots, and then pour salt into them. It takes about a year, but you can then dig them up.