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Stump in garden

tony williams2tony williams2 Posts: 288
in Problem solving
Hi there, i had a tree cut down in my garden and the tree surgeon said thats the end of it ! I did ask did you remove the roots  (i was ill in bed ! ) yes he said no bother , when i saw that he did'nt tried to phone him no answer. How now can i rid of stump from the middle of a lovely bed HELP PLEASE !!!
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  • DovefromaboveDovefromabove Posts: 88,147
    In the autumn when plants have died down you can hire a stump grinder (about the size of a petrol rotary mower) or hire some muscle and a stump grinder   ...  unless it's a huge stump it's only a half hour job.

    Hope you're fully recovered now  :)

    Gardening in Central Norfolk on improved gritty moraine over chalk ... free-draining.





  • josusa47josusa47 Posts: 3,530
    edited July 2018
    Before you do anything, take a photo in case you decide at some stage to pursue the tree surgeon.  Do you need to remove it?  Could you make a feature of it: have a wood carver turn it into a sculpture, or use it as a plinth on which to stand a stone sculpture or a classy potted plant? Even hollow it out with a hammer and chisel and plant something in it? If it was a deciduous tree, it may throw up shoots from the base; if a conifer, this is less likely.

    You can probably dig it out yourself.  Start by digging the soil away around the base, and cut through lateral roots as you come to them, with secateurs, loppers, a saw or an axe, depending on their thickness.  You will get to the point where you can rock it slightly, and start to dig below it.  Just keep digging, cutting and rocking until you can wrench the whole thing free with a sense of triumph and satisfaction that few things can equal.

    As you may guess, I've done a few myself!  Watch out for buried pipework.

    And next time you're ill, wait until you're up and about again before getting a workman in.
  • valerierobertsvalerieroberts Posts: 726
    Is it situated where you can put a really strong rope round it and attach it to a car.  We got rid of large shrubs that way. Val
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  • quarteracrefarmhelpquarteracrefarmhelp Posts: 16
    stump grinders are great , the pulling stumps out method is very problematic , easier just to grind it back and let the roots rot out of sight into nothingness on their own another option I have used in a really problematic corner was built a garden bed over three tree stumps as I did not want to rip the stumps out due to a retaining wall and possible pipework in the area , what was three ugly evergreens has become a herb garden right by the kitchen door . . . 
    Grow it yourself, it's worth it in the end. . . 
  • Valley GardenerValley Gardener Posts: 2,851
    We took down a dozen huge Leylandii,and had to keep the stumps as they were too close to a dry stone wall,however they have now blended in well,I planted ferns and grasses near them,and made a feature of the biggest,used one to fix the bird table to,they are slowly rotting,with lots of insects living in them.
    The whole truth is an instrument that can only be played by an expert.
  • plant pauperplant pauper Posts: 6,904
    scroggin said:
    I would follow either Doves or Josusa47 advice. I've done both but favour a stump grinder for anything over 8" diameter. Attaching it to a car is likely to end in an expensive trip to the garage or a trip to A& E! 
    My friend nearly killed his young son using the rope-on-a-car method. He told the boy to go indoors so he went and stood in the hallway. By a combination of driving down the side of the house and the stump giving way suddenly,the slight elasticity of the rope, the stump was catapulted up the hall at considerable speed and missed the child by about a few inches. Oh how his wife laughed! 
    Too be fair if he'd sat down and tried to figure out a method of catapulting a conifer stump up the hall he wouldn't have been able to do it. Total fluke.
  • tony williams2tony williams2 Posts: 288
    Thanks to you all for your advice, the stump is right in the middle of a circle of plants so its awkward ! I was hoping for a stump posion , or would it contaminate the surounding soil ? Tony. 
  • DovefromaboveDovefromabove Posts: 88,147
    You'll get a quicker and much better result with a grinder ... and you won't risk contaminating anything. 

    Gardening in Central Norfolk on improved gritty moraine over chalk ... free-draining.





  • Valley GardenerValley Gardener Posts: 2,851
    Thank you for that info Dove,I'd never heard of one before,so I've contacted someone to remove one of our stumps which is on the edge of the garden where we need to put a hardstand.I can't find anywhere close to hire one,but this this is what these people I've contacted use.
    The whole truth is an instrument that can only be played by an expert.
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