Gardeners looking to clear a stubborn tree stump without hiring a professional now have several tested options, according to a report on methods popularised by gardeners in China. A stump left behind after a tree is felled can be a persistent nuisance, since its roots stay firmly anchored in the soil, and waiting for it to rot away naturally can take years.
Chinese gardeners have developed a handful of manual techniques that let a stump be dug out by hand in a short amount of time, and the methods have since spread worldwide because of how effective they are.
Slow methods without equipment
For gardeners not in a hurry, special mixtures can be applied to speed up decay, turning a stump into soft, crumbly matter in around a year, far faster than natural decomposition. Several deep holes are drilled into the cut surface and filled with dry urea, then the area is watered generously, covered with soil and sealed with plastic film.
A second option uses potassium nitrate in the same way, poured into drilled holes and then watered. The chemical makes the wood porous and brittle. After about six months, the stump can be set alight, and what remains burns away easily.
Removing a stump in an hour
For anyone wanting to clear a stump in as little as an hour, specialised equipment is required. Chinese gardeners often use a winch rated at 2 to 3 tonnes for the job.
One end of the winch cable is anchored to something sturdy, such as a thick tree or a metal post. The thickest roots are cut through with a saw or axe, and a loop of cable is fitted around the base of the stump and connected to the winch. The mechanism is then tightened gradually, without sudden jerks. For a small stump, the whole process can take roughly 40 to 60 minutes.
Using a lever
Another method relies on a simple lever and works best after rain, when the ground is still soft. Before levering the stump out, the soil around it is dug away in a circle to expose the largest roots.
A crowbar with a bent end is worked underneath a root to get purchase, and a long, sturdy pipe is slid over the free end to create a long lever that requires little effort to operate. Each large root is gradually raised with the lever until it snaps, freeing the stump, which is then rocked side to side with the same crowbar until it can be pulled out completely.
Hiring professionals
For those who would rather not deal with the stump themselves, removal can be arranged using a specialised stump grinder or an excavator. This option is the most expensive, since it involves paying for professional labour, but it is fast and reliable. Once the work is done, the empty space left behind is filled with soil and tamped down to prevent the ground from sinking later.
