Save time, money, and your back by rotting a tree stump
Unfortunately, a stubborn tree stump can linger for years or even decades. Instead of waiting it out or forking over hundreds for a stump grinding service, learn how to rot a tree stump fast using the right chemicals and a few proven methods to speed up that stump’s demise. Find out how to rot a tree stump quickly and easily.
If figuring out what to do with what remains of a fallen tree has you stumped, then get started with the following prep work.
You’ll need to add a few things to your shopping cart before you say goodbye to your tree stump, no matter the method you choose.
Gloves
Safety glasses
A chainsaw
A drill
The largest diameter drill bit you have
Opaque heavy plastic sheeting
Mulch
A chemical that kills tree stumps (more on this in a second)
Rotting a tree stump works better when the stump is thirsty. A stump that’s been sitting in dry weather for days will soak up chemicals faster than one that’s swollen from rain and high humidity. For best results, hold off on your stump removal efforts until you’ve had at least a few days of low humidity and dry weather.
The less material there is for the chemicals to chew through, the faster the stump will rot away. Remove the stump with a chainsaw by cutting the stump as low to the ground as possible while still being safe. (Once you get down to the final few inches, it’s definitely time to stop, as you risk injury during the kickback zone.)
Remember to outfit yourself with the proper safety gear when using a chainsaw, including safety goggles, proper footwear, and a pair of chainsaw chaps if you have some. Only attempt to use the equipment if you’re confident that you can do so safely.
Check out options for getting rid of an old stump quickly. Some are more hazardous than others, even if they may take longer to rot a stump. If you have children or pets that will frequent the area, choosing a safer method is a better bet.
One of the most effective methods is potassium nitrate pellets, which is the active ingredient in many stump-killing products. Be aware that potassium nitrate is a danger to pets and wildlife, so use it sparingly to minimize run-off into the surrounding soil.
To use potassium nitrate pellets:
Drill holes in the stump.
Add the pellets to the drilled holes, and then apply water. The potassium nitrate will soak into the tree’s living tissue, killing it and promoting decomposition.
Soak the stump with water so that the pellets dissolve and disperse.
Cover the stump with a tarp to keep it dark and moist.
Mulch around the stump on top of the tarp to keep it in place.
We normally associate fertilizer with something you apply to help plants grow, but it also does a pretty good job of killing tree stumps. That’s because many garden fertilizers are loaded with nitrogen, the key ingredient to speeding the demise of a tree stump.
To use fertilizer:
Drill holes in the stump.
Apply it to the holes you drilled in the stump, just like potassium nitrate pellets. Pile mulch over the holes, then apply water to activate the fertilizer’s stump-killing powers.
Soak the stump with water so that the fertilizers spread but don’t over-fertilize your garden.
Cover the stump with a tarp to block out sunlight and make sure the stump doesn’t keep growing.
Mulch around it to make sure the tarp doesn’t move.
Most of the stump killers available at your local home improvement store use one of these two active ingredients. While they are one of the most effective ways to kill tree stumps, they also present the greatest environmental risk, especially if these chemicals find their way into groundwater and waterways.
Luckily, you don’t need to saturate the trunk for it to be effective. Most products containing these chemicals use a squeeze bottle design that makes it easy to treat the stump while minimizing run-off.
To use triclopyr or picloram:
Put on rubber gloves, as these chemicals can cause skin irritation.
Apply triclopyr or picloram just inside the bark around the entire circumference of the stump for the best results.
Soak the stump with water after you apply the chemicals.
Cover the stump with a tarp.
Mulch around the top of the tarp to hold it in place.
If you can't guarantee that you’ll keep pets and children away from the stump, you can use yeast nutrient, a food-grade urea beer makers use during the fermentation process when brewing beer. It isn’t as effective as potassium nitrate, but it will still get the job done. You can find yeast nutrients online or in stores that specialize in homebrewing.
To use yeast:
Drill holes in the stump.
Pour the yeast into the holes and reapply as necessary.
Soak the stump with water after putting in the yeast.
Cover the stump with a tarp to block out sunlight.
Make sure the tarp is secured with mulch to keep it in place.
This popular bathwater additive that does wonders for aching muscles also happens to be an effective means of killing a tree stump. The same magnesium and sulfate that relaxes muscles and reduces swelling also pulls moisture out of tree tissue, drying out the remaining trunk and the roots. Better yet. Epsom salt is safe to use around people, won’t harm the environment, and has the added benefit of nourishing the soil for future plantings.
To use Epsom salt:
Drill holes in the stump.
Fill the holes with Epsom salt.
Soak the stump and the holes with water.
Cover the stump with a tarp to hold the salt and moisture in.
Mulch around the stump and over the tarp to keep it in place while the stump is decomposing.
No matter which of these measures you take to rot a tree stump, it will take time. You should begin noticing results within six to eight weeks, but it will take months for the stump to decompose. Be patient and take heart in the knowledge that you're shortening a natural process that takes years into months. You’ll also be saving your back from manual removal and your wallet from the cost of professional stump grinding.
If you absolutely must have that offending stump gone yesterday, then you’ll need to hire a professional stump removal service near you to grind it out.
The cost of stump grinding is between $170 and $500, depending on where you live and the stump's size. Since much of that cost is associated with hauling the grinder out to your house and onto your property, it’s more affordable to have multiple stumps taken out at once than it is to hire a company to come out for individual stump removals.
If you're planning on removing multiple trees over a period of months, wait until you’ve taken all the trees down, then hire a professional to come out and remove all the stumps at once to save money.
There are many potent household chemicals already sitting in your garage or cupboard that can technically bump off a tree stump—bleach, gasoline and trisodium phosphate (TSP), to name a few—but you’ll be barking up the wrong tree if you use them.
Covering a stump in bleach, TSP, gas and other toxic chemicals will certainly kill it, but it will also take out just about everything else it comes into contact with and render the soil toxic for future plantings. More importantly, these chemicals pose enough of a threat to the larger environment that using them for this purpose is simply irresponsible.
Simply put: Don’t try to use these methods alone and especially not mixed together. Try one of the suggestions below instead.
While there’s more than one way to kill a tree stump, there are several reasons to pick stump rotting as your weapon of choice. First, stump rotting using the methods below accelerates the decomposition process from the years it would take to rot away naturally to mere months.
It’s also more affordable and safer than other stump removal options. Though it takes much longer to rot a stump than it does to hire a professional to grind it out, you’ll save hundreds of dollars.
Rotting out a tree stump also requires very little physical effort, especially when compared to the backbreaking alternative of physically removing a tree stump.
The fastest way to remove a tree stump is to use a stump grinder. You can hire a professional stump removal service or rent the machine. If you choose to grind the stump out yourself, keep in mind these machines are large and can be difficult to transport and operate. A more affordable way to remove a tree stump is to use potassium nitrate pellets to accelerate decomposition, which can take four to six months.
Unless there’s some sort of rule in your community’s homeowners’ association that requires you to remove a stump, there’s no law that says you have to take it out. If you’re not wedded to the idea of removing it, there are plenty of ways to get creative with this tree remnant. Using the stump as the medium for a wood carving or turning it into a planter are just two examples of ways to repurpose a tree stump.
It is possible to burn out a tree stump if it is dried out and in an area of your property with a large buffer. Drill holes in the stump and dig around the base so it burns more easily. Then, build a small campfire on top using kindling and firewood. You’ll need enough to keep the fire going for many hours to completely burn out the stump, especially if it’s large.
Monitor the fire closely to ensure it doesn’t spread, and have a hose on hand if it starts to get out of control. When the fire is out, break apart the burned stump and dig out what’s left of it.
If this sounds like a good option, learn more about how to burn a tree stump before attempting it, as it does come with risks.
If you have a strong back and a lot of patience, you can dig out a tree stump. You'll need to use a pointed shovel to dig out the soil around the stump, cutting away roots with a pair of clippers as you go. You’ve removed enough soil when you can access the taproot at the bottom of the root ball. After you cut that major artery with a saw or loppers, you should be able to roll the stump over and haul it away.
