can i just saw the tree's roots to get that stump out?

joeyboy

I had an 8' orange tree in the backyard that was chainsawed to a stump. Problem is, can't get that stump out (yup, I thought I could just shovel it out lol).

Don't have the chainsaw anymore (borrowed), can I just use my circular saw to go through the main roots? Should I drill holes in the stump and fill with roundup/herbacides first? (the tree was cut about a week ago)

handy man88

You'd be wasting your time using a chainsaw because it would dull in seconds. Maybe minutes if you're lucky. Using a circular saw is equally pointless because there is no digging motion. How do you expect to get at the roots and continually cut if you're not digging into them.

If you must do this manually, what you need is a mattock, a shovel, and maybe another mattock. You may also need loppers. Start digging around the rootball until you see roots, then use your mattock or lopper to cut the roots. You may need another helper to drag the rootball out. You'll be left with a large hole that will need to be backfilled.

Brik

Yea, or just hire, or rent a stump grinder. An 8' tree is not that big and you may be able to go at it like described above. Also, somone with a backhoe could do it pretty quick.

also, don't even thing about being able to pull it out with a pickup truck and a chain. Wont happen.

joeyboy

awesome, thanks for the quick responses!

handy man88

if you live in a very rural area, you can pour gasoline in it and burn it.

joeyboy

lol ya I read that somewhere, drill holes, pour some kerosine in, let soak, then more kerosine/fire. I'd love to do that but houses are waaaay too close

smallcrpt

Did you cut the stop extremely close to the ground? If you are just putting grass in over it, just get some backfill and put it over the stomp. it will eventually settle out a few years down the road, but its not a huge whole. if you just make a smooth hump over the top of it and seed it, esp in florida w/ some of the more aggresive grasses, you'll just have a small bump in your yard. thats a lot cheaper than renting a stump grinder and cleaner too.
Also i'm not sure about orange trees. if they have a tap root you're not going to have much luck w/ lopers either.
-chris

mt232

If so......
get a maul (axe with an 8 or 10 pond head) and whenever you feel an argument brewing......step outside and beat the @#$% out of the stump.

Works for me!
(sorry, I couldn't resist)

joeyboy

lol I'll have to try that haha

I got 'grants stump killer' (their ant product worked well, figured i'd give them a shot here). I drilled a bunch of 1/2" to 1" holes in the stump, and filled with the product, and added hot water. Supposed to wait a couple weeks, we'll see how that goes.

joeyboy

Never got the grant's product to work (granules barely dissolved).

We DID get it out today. It was hilariuos, I wish I video taped it. This was a thick tree, mind you. With a combination of shovel, hand axe, and sledgehammer, and maybe 30 minutes of intense labor, my brother and I ripped the bastard out of the ground. It was amazing. We just kept finding roots, smashing through them, until we could actually wiggle the stump. Then we kept loosening it further with the sledgehammer (running up and hitting as hard as I could, going for the homerun!), then eventually after half an hour of making my neighbors think we were smoking crack, the thing finally came out! I'm dreading tomorrow, I really jacked my body up getting that thing out of there haha

sedwick

Thats how i've allways gotten stumps out, its a good work out to say the least.

joeyboy

yeah it is, my body aches today haha

mikemy6

My next door neighbor lost a tree oak i think a biggie,ants and a storm. Well after he replaced part of my fence, and my back neighbors above ground pool. No insurance, act of God or some mumbo jumbo. He threw a hell of a party, a stump burrnin, beer drinkin, ant cursin, God fearin shindig!he stuck about 100 bottle rockets in the top of the stump 5 gals. of kero and a match. Well neadless to say the wives were pissed the cops too, F them. The next morning me and the die hards beat that stump down, whatta great weakend. As they say the Lord works in mysterious ways.

joeyboy

that's funny, I wanted to do the same, everytime I walked past my bottle rockets and what not, I just wanted to explode that sonnuva out of the ground, but really didn't want the cops coming hahaha

I also wanted to burn it, but the neighbors are too close, and we're in 'drought' right now, so any burning is prohibited anyways, it would've been asking for trouble.

I know your feeling though, when you got it out of the ground. I held the bastard above my head like some freshly killed game haha!

mikemy6

Yee haa, blood n guts
My wife might be right me and (those idiots) my friends can find a reason to have a party no matter what the dilema.
I still cant believe I have a stump story.