cheap way to kill a tree stump

there have been various discussions about eliminating tree stumps, but I couldn't find it. I had read somewhere on daves about getting nitrogen fertilizer, drilling holes in the stump, applying the nitrogen for quick decomposition and watering. This is a pic of what happened 24 hrs after applying fert. Before applying fert. the stump surface looked like freshly cut wood. This is way cheaper that buying stump killer. Since it looks like it is rotting very quickly, I may not even bother to pay for stump grinding (another pricey alternative). I bet that in 1 year, there will be no stump! Thanks to the DGer that shared the tip. Since I am creating a new bed, I also plan to throw compost right over the stump, which is another way of accelerating the rotting process.

We bought scott fertilizer for lawns, which is very high nitrogen and the other 2 numbers were like 1 or two. Cost $6

I believe we determined this was a red oak. very very old and rotted in the center. Last year during Rita, a huge branch fell on hubby's nearby workshop and did a good amt of damage. We decided to cut it down this year to prevent another branch falling or worse yet, the entire tree.

voss,

thanks for the tip! i am sure i will need it in the future!

That's better than what my husband did. He and his uncle tied up the root ball of a dead tree in our front yard to the ball hitch of his uncle's big pickup truck. They ripped it up out of the ground and dragged that sucker across my front yard. When i got home from work, I thought a meteor had struck my front yard! The crater was huge! All the kids in the neighborhood came to stare at the hole in my front yard. Unbelieveable. Next time I'll try your trick. :)

Greenbud, Sounds like your husband came from east Texas with redneck genes. : ))

Better than what we do in the woods too. Unless it is in the yard, we let the fireants have it. They can make quick work on a stump!

podster, oddly enough, hubby is originally from Pittsburgh, PA! Moved down to Houston when he was about 7 or 8. It's MY redneck East Texas relatives that have rubbed off on HIM! :) My relatives live all up in the woods in East Texas - Woodville, Jasper, Marshall, Port Arthur area, etc. I'm sure you're familiar with these places.

LOL Pittsburgh isn't too far from the Appalachian foothills, and there are plenty of rednecks up there, too!!

Greenbud... and I bet they taught him everything he knows. Probably even put him up to some of it! ; ))) Where did his Uncle get it tho?

Uncle Mike also comes from Pittsburgh. He has spent the last 30 years working with Texas/Louisiana/Mississippi/other Southern rednecks in the oilfields and offshore, so he has Northern AND Southern Redneck in him. Wow, is that possible?!? So my husband has absorbed it from all around him...LOL...Oh, and this just makes the story a little better...Hubby and his redneck friend from Alabama cut down the top of the tree with a baby chainsaw, jig saw, hack saw, axe, and I think they even tried a steak knife. THEN uncle Mike showed up to rip up the stump. So there were multiple rednecks involved in this project. I REALLY should have taken pictures, but I didn't have a digital camera yet.

Sorry for hijacking your thread, vossner!

This message was edited Aug 7, 2006 12:48 AM

Yes, my apologies V ~

Beware of redneck osmosis! : 0