Many times, when we want to cut down a tree in our backyard or around us, we always tend to forget that we will, in the end, be left with a reminder, which is their stump. Cutting the tree was only the first part of the job. The second part is how to get rid of the stump.
This is especially a problem if you have a big tree that has been there for a while whose root will be so difficult to excavate. At such times, the only option left to you is to rot the tree stump to get rid of it.
Leaving a tree stump to rot by itself can be an agonizingly long affair, so to speed it up, you can resort to simple strategies that work. We are here to tell you all about them.
Why Should I Remove a Tree Stump?
Many people like that rusty look a tree stump gives to their backyard; others have turned something that you could refer to as an eyesore into a piece of art, while others have used them to make furniture and other beautiful things indoor items that are beautiful.
But there are still a lot of people who do not want a tree stump left in their backyard for the following reasons:
- Leaving a tree stump in your backyard can be risky because it can become unstable because of lightning striking.
- They can pose a safety hazard, especially if the tree is low on the ground and is overgrown by grasses. It is easy for someone to trip on the tree stump without seeing it as the grasses are camouflaging it.
- As it is a safety hazard to man, it can also be for gardening machinery like the landowner. When you are mowing the grasses, you can easily forget that you have a stump somewhere around, and what happens is that the landowner can hit the tree stump, and then it gets damaged, which means spending that cash you do not want to on fixing it or buying another one.
- It can also obstruct your garden maintenance work: having to go around a tree stump as you work can ‘put a spanner in work.’
- Tree stumps can harbor unwanted pests that carry diseases transmitted to your garden plants. They can also attract insects and fungi that are a nuisance to you, your garden, and the environment as a whole.
- Some view a tree stump as an unsightly dent to the beautiful view that their garden or backyard gives.
- Trees are resilient, and so if you cut and feel them and do not get rid of the stump, then the tree will grow new shoots and regenerate, and you may not want that.
How Long Does It Take for A Tree Stump to Rot?
The most tree stump will rot until after three to seven years of felling them. The factor that determines the length of time it will take them to include:
- The type of tree: some trees can be cut and felled, yet after more than even seven years, they will not even begin to rot; they will remain intact. For example, the Eastern red cedar is a tree-like that. Another is the Hicroy that might take up to 15 years before it rots. But a tree that is soft like pine trees rots a lot faster.
- The soil composition: the soil comprises not just organic matter and dirt but also organisms, water, and air. Nutrient-rich soils with an optimum supply of all these components will produce very healthy trees with a lot of reserve of energy that even if you cut and fell them, they can survive on this energy they got for years so that they will rot very slowly.
- Climate: decomposition happens faster in humid and damp places, so in a humid environment that sees a lot of rain, tree stump will rot a lot faster, while in colder and drier weather, the decomposition process becomes slow.
- The stump height: when a tree is cut too close to the ground, it will take less time for the stump to rot completely because the material to decompose is less. If the tree stump is a lot higher, more wood will have to be decomposed, which will take more time.
How Do You Rot a Tree Stump Naturally?
There are many ways you can accelerate the rotting process of a tree stump by using homemade remedies because leaving tree stumps to rot by themselves can take a very long time. So, these methods below will help the natural rotting process:
Learn: How to Get Rid of a Tree Stump With Charcoal
1. Burning
Burning the tree stump is a very effective yet natural way of killing and rotting a tree stump. But before you can burn a tree stump, you must ensure that the climate is not hot and that you have permission from the authorities to burn your tree stump.
The procedure to follow include:
- Drill some holes into the tree stump and then pour some kerosene into the holes, which is best for making a controlled fire.
- You should also make criss-cross lines about 6 inches deep with a saw and pour kerosene into them.
- Light the tree stump and monitor the stump burn to not get out of hand. This will destroy most of the tree stumps and make them rotting very fast.
2. Digging Out The Tree Stump
If you have a young tree that has not grown so big and whose roots have not gone that deep underneath the soil. When the tree is felled, you can dig out the tree stump.
3. Boiling Water
This is perhaps one of the simplest home remedies to rid your backyard of that pesky tree stump that is an eyesore. You can use hot water to kill and accelerate the rotting process by following these steps:
- Expose as much as possible the root of the stump by removing the soil around it.
- Drill some holes into the roots and top of the stump—the deeper the holes, the better and faster the rotting process.
- Pour boiling water over the stump, both on the top of the stump and the exposed roots alike. The heat of the boiling water will shock and damage the roots, meaning they will die and rot faster.
How Long Does It Take for Epsom Salt to Rot a Tree Stump?
Epsom salt can accelerate the decomposition process of the tree stump to just eight to fourteen months which is good if you remember that if you leave the trees to rot on their own, you will have to wait for about three to seven years.
Epsom salt contains Magnesium and Sulphur, which is good for the plants in small quantities, but when there is an overdose in the soil, it can remove water from the stump, which causes the stump to rot faster. The steps below will tell you how to use Epsom salt to kill and rot stump:
- Use a power drill to make a hole on the tree stump; the more the holes, the better. These holes should be at least one inch deep.
- Soak the stump with water
- Cover the surfaces of the stump with Epsom salt, ensuring that all parts of the tree surfaces get Epsom salt and not the top surface alone.
- To prevent the rain from washing off the salt, cover the entire stump with a tarpaulin.
- Repeat this process at least once a month to get a faster and successful result.
What Is the Best Tree Root Killer?
Different people have their preferences when we talk about the best root killer, some people will only resort to natural means of killing tree roots, but if you are looking for the best chemicals to kill your three roots, these are two of the best that there are:
1. Resolva Tough Stump Killer
As the name implies, this stump killer effectively kills tough tree roots that remain for years after the tree trunk has been cut down.
To use this chemical root killer, drill holes into the tree roots exposed and, on the stump, pour the stump killer into the hole.
The good thing about this root killer is the convenience of application because it does not need to be dissolved. You can repeat the process every so often, and this will kill the roots of the tree.
2. Roundup Weed Killer
even though this weed killer is controversial because of its glyphosate content. It is, however, effective in killing tree roots and stumps as it is on killing grasses.
All you need to do is drill holes at the base of the tree stump and pour the solution of this chemical into the holes.
This remedy is about the fastest of all solutions for killing tree roots and stumps.
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What Poisons Kill Tree Stumps
Like Epsom salt, there are other solutions that kill tree stumps, like weed and root killers already mentioned; they are effective poisons against tree stumps. Other poisons kill tree stumps like:
1. Copper Tree Stump Nail
This is an age-long poison for killing tree stumps. They are toxic to trees and other shrubs. The nails poison the inner wood of the tree, which causes them to die.
To use this remedy to poison your tree stump, hammer these copper nails into the roots and base of the tree stump at 70° angle to the horizontal and leave it for a long time, and you will notice that the tree stump will die and start rotting.
This method is so simple that people neglect it, but it is a very effective tree stump poison. The older the tree, the more copper nails you will have to use. You also use more nails for very thick trees.
To speed up the action of this metallic poison, you can drill holes into the tree stump and then insert the killer copper nails into the holes.
2. Rock Salt
This solution works just like Epsom salt in the sense that it draws the moisture out of the tree stump, thereby causing them to die, and then the decomposition process starts.
To use Rock salt as a poison on a tree stump, drill holes into your tree stump using a power drill and fill the holes with rock salt as much as the hole can take.
Then pour soil and mulch all over the stump so that it is completely covered.
Then add water to the mulch; this will help dissolve the salt which the roots and the stump will absorb. You keep this stump moist by spraying water on it once in two days for a month.
This process helps the growth of fungi that are decomposed to help make the decomposition process go faster. The addition of Potassium nitrate fertilizer will increase the speed of the process too.
Do It Yourself Stump Killers
All the solutions aforementioned are simple solutions that you can do yourself at home without the help of professionals; in fact, some of them are so simple that you will not need to buy anything to accomplish this task except the simple supplies you have at home.
You can even resort to the tarpaulin method of stump killer by simply using a tarp to cover the tree stump to prevent it from getting the much-needed sunlight. This lack of sunlight is enough to kill these tree stumps, only that it will not give fast action.
Conclusion
You don’t have to be stuck with that irritating stump in your backyard any longer; all you need to do is follow simple home remedies that get rid of tree stumps faster than naturally. So, go ahead and try one today; you will be glad you did
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We trust this article helped you learn How To Rot a Tree Stump Fast. You may also want to bookmark our report on Easy Way to Remove a Tree Stump.
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