How do I kill tree stumps?

It will take time short of cutting, chopping, grinding, and burning. Drill 1" holes in the stumps. Pour salt into the holes and wet down. Repeat as needed.

YOu can drill holes in them and salt them, it takes a while, but they will disentegrate.

Wack it out with sledgehammer, wedge, maul and or mattock. If its rotted it should be much easier than a new stump.

In the past we’ve tried drilling out the stumps, attempting to burn them, and using a Stump out root disintegrating chemical on a large willow tree and found it not to be very helpful. On subsequent sizeable trunks we’ve been calling a professional stump grinder and having the issue over and done with in less than an hour. On smaller cedar stumps we leave them for a matter of time and hack away with sledge hammer maul wedges till it breaks up.

I did recently see they do rent out two different sized hp -stump grinders at my local Home Depot Tool rental.It can be pretty physically intense work, it’s easier to call professional unless you’re up for a challenge.

Best wishes with your tree stump elimination efforts.

I had a large tree stump in my yard that I tried to kill with all kinds of "home made" solutions---- none really worked. I finally had to call in the pros to grind the stump with a mechanical grinder. It was expensive, but effective. Not only was the stump totally removed, but most of the tree roots sticking up from the ground are gone now, too.

Is there one you can hollow out and use as a planter? They look beautiful!

Use this product and you should have success. Bonide

Use this product and you should have success. Bonide

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.