How to destroy a stump with salt and milk?

1. A tree stump removal tool

Before moving on to the steps for digging up, removing and destroying a stump, I must tell you about the hoist.

The hoist is a tool to help you remove stumps and tree trunks more easily and quickly. Of course, you need to have a VERY solid anchor point close to the stump to successfully remove the tree stump effectively.

Make a stump pulling system:

You can also make your own tool to remove a tree stump using a 2T or 4T hoist and 3 shores. This trick works really well for removing and digging up small to medium stumps with great effort.

Here is a video that shows how to do it:

If you don’t have a hoist at home then here is a quality one. This is a manual hoist with a capacity of 4 tons, ideal for removing stumps from a tree.

Dig up and remove a stump with shovel and pickaxe, it is possible, provided of course that the stump is not too big and deep.

Depending on the size of the stump, you can try to remove it manually with a few tools. So to stump a tree you need:

• a saw
• a shovel
• a pickaxe
• an axe
• a chainsaw

Also, don’t forget to wear gloves and eye protection while grubbing up the tree.

Personally I use this technique to remove small tree trunks on my land:

1. Start by digging all around the stump, exposing it as much as possible and the largest roots.
2. Cut off all visible roots using a handsaw, hatchet or chainsaw (be careful not to damage the chain with dirt and rocks).
3. Pull out the biggest roots from the tree trunk one by one and start moving the stump around.
4. Continue to dig deep into the stump with the pickaxe and wiggle the stump again until it completely pulls out of the ground.

Depending on the size of the tree to be removed, it takes between 2 and 4 hours to completely remove the stump and its roots.

Here is a video that shows step by step how to destump a tree:

3. Burn a tree stump

Personally, I have never used this technique to get rid of a tree stump, because I have too many trees and shrubs nearby on my land.

You should also take all the necessary precautions before burning a stump and check the regulations of your city and municipality regarding outdoor fires.

Two techniques for getting rid of a stump with fire:

• Make holes in the stump and soak them in gasoline and then set them on fire.
• Place small pieces of wood on top of the stump and light the fire.

Both of these techniques take time and the fire will need to be fed until the stump has burned completely.

Personally, I don’t really like the idea of ​​using fire to remove a stump. But if the stump is far from other trees, buildings and other objects it can be a solution to destroy it.

4. Destroy a tree stump with sodium chlorate

An effective and still quick way to destroy a tree stump is to use sodium chlorate to speed up the decomposition of the wood.

Attention, although effective in destroying a tree, sodium chlorate is a chemical product that can be harmful to health and harmful to the soil.

So to speed up the decomposition of the stump here is how to do it:

1. Drill holes at least 2 centimeters in diameter on the top of the stump and 20 to 30 centimeters deep.
2. Fill the holes with sodium chlorate and plug the holes with corks or wax.

The wood in the stump will have softened enough for you to remove it with a shovel after about 2-3 months.

As with the technique using sodium chlorate, coarse salt can also destroy a tree stump naturally.

Here’s how to use this coarse salt:

1. Drill several holes in the surface of the tree stump and fill the holes with coarse salt.
2. Seal the holes and the salt with a cork or with wax.

If you’re worried about harming the plantings around the stump from coarse salt, use Epsom salt instead, following the same steps.

6. Rot a stump with garlic

Did you know that it was possible to destroy a stump naturally with garlic? In fact, garlic makes a stump rot quickly!

So if you don’t have coarse salt or sodium chlorate and prefer a more natural solution then garlic is an ecological solution to try. So here is how to rot the tree trunk:

1. Dig around the stump to clear the trunk and the larger roots.
2. Drill holes on the surface of the stump and directly into the roots.
3. Insert garlic cloves in all the holes, seal and let the garlic act.

After a few weeks/months, the garlic will have rotted the inside of the stump thanks to its natural fish, allicin.

6. Destroy a tree stump with milk

Another garlic-like trick that can quickly rot a tree stump is to use milk.

So here is how to rot the stump with milk:

1. Drill holes with a drill in the stump of different depths and even in the roots.
2. Pour milk (ribot milk for more efficiency) in all the holes and plug with a cork.
3. Add more buttermilk every week to rot the stump quickly.

After a few months, you should see the first signs of the tree stump decomposing.

7. Remove a tree stump with a garbage bag

To accelerate the decomposition of a stump, you can simply cut off the light by covering it with a garbage bag or a tarp, which you will hold with stones or bricks.

Moisture will break down the stump quietly!

Eventually, the humidity will encourage the growth of fungi which will begin the process of decomposition of the stump.

This may take several months, but eventually you can destroy and remove the stump piece by piece using a shovel and a pickaxe.

8. Destroy a stump with a trimmer

The trimmer or stump grinder if you prefer, is a machine that can quickly and easily grind and destroy stumps and tree trunks of all sizes.

The trimmer works with a circular saw that trims and shreds the stump and roots of the tree easily and quickly.

It is possible to rent a trimmer for individuals or to call on a stump removal professional in your area. Although expensive, it is the fastest and most effective way to remove a stump without doing too much damage to the ground.

9. Stump and root destroyer

There are several chemicals on the market specifically designed to destroy tree stumps and roots.

Unfortunately, these are not miraculous products and they are not necessarily faster in destroying a strain than sodium chlorate or coarse salt, for example.

Nails to kill tree stumps?

Another stump killer is the copper nail which is said to be specially designed to kill stumps. I’m only talking about it briefly, because I’ve never tested this product… So it’s hard for me to comment on the effectiveness of these nails, but nothing prevents you from testing it.

10. What to do with a tree stump?

Rather than removing that big tree stump why not turn it into something practical and pretty in the garden?

Here are some ideas for transforming a tree stump:

• a garden bench
• a little table
• a game of checkers or chess
• a pedestal for flowers and plants
• a nice sculpture
• a bird trough

Take inspiration from sites like Pinterest, where you’ll find plenty of great ideas for turning your tree stump into something practical for the garden.