[DoomsDave]

Howdyall:

I've been editing the palm garden, and it's got lots of stumps, with more to come. While palm stumps are spongier and faster to rot than "hardwood" trees, they're taking their time. I'd like to move things along.

I suppose it's possible to get a grinder, but some of the stumps are in awkward places you can't get a grinder in easily. I've heard of preparations that speed decay; anyone have any experiences, thoughts?

Thanks in advance.

 

[de-nagorg]

Decay- Schmekay, who wants to wait for that.

As a teenager I worked for a guy that used a Winch Truck to pull those stumps out of the ground.

You will need to dig a bit to get enough "bite" on the stump, but an easy task.

Then you wrap a cable "choker" around the stump as close to the base as you can get.

Then hook the poles on the truck above the stump (centered), and hook the winch cable to the choker, and pull.

Stumps are no match for this method.

For the ones that are awkward, an A frame and chain hoist works well.

ED

 

[joecaption]

I'd check at Home Depot in the rental dept. or any tool rental place and see if they have one like this for rent.
https://www.northerntool.com/shop/tools/product_200512501_200512501

 

[Mystriss]

We pulled out three fairly large black spruce stumps with a pickup at our place when we first moved in 18 years ago.

We lost more last summer and it's costing us $800 to get 2 stumps done, granted these trees were probs 50-70 years old so they have HUGE stumps. Almost twice the size of the ones we pulled with the truck all those years ago.

I don't think palms get as big as spruce do they?

Do they have deep roots like birch? You can't hardly pull a birch stump with a truck. We still have birch stumps in the back yard from 18 years ago lol

 

[DoomsDave]

Oh, thank you-all!

Time was, I'd have tried to yank them out by hand. . . .

But, I'm not in a hurry. Those power thingies will tend to destroy other things. Some of these stumps are in crowded places. I might try @de-nagorg's method on the Pepper Tree stump, though it's still gonna be hard. I don't have a truck that's up to the task, I don't think. Will a Chevy S10 pull out a stump?

Palm stumps do decay, but they take like 10 years.

 

[DoomsDave]

We pulled out three fairly large black spruce stumps with a pickup at our place when we first moved in 18 years ago.

We lost more last summer and it's costing us $800 to get 2 stumps done, granted these trees were probs 50-70 years old so they have HUGE stumps. Almost twice the size of the ones we pulled with the truck all those years ago.

I don't think palms get as big as spruce do they?

Do they have deep roots like birch? You can't hardly pull a birch stump with a truck. We still have birch stumps in the back yard from 18 years ago lol

Most palms, thank heaven, are a lot skinnier than old conifers. The fattest one I ever had was four feet across. I have others that are about three feet across; the majority are a foot or less, with a few bigger.

My big problem is sheer numbers.

Hmm. Just out of curiosity, how big across were the $800 stumps?

 

[Mystriss]

most palms, thank heaven, are a lot skinnier than old conifers. The fattest one i ever had was four feet across. I have others that are about three feet across; the majority are a foot or less, with a few bigger.

My big problem is sheer numbers.

Hmm. Just out of curiosity, how big across were the $800 stumps?

The blue spruce trunk is about 26" across

The black spruce trunk is about 21" across

 

[DoomsDave]

The blue spruce trunk is about 26" across
View attachment 595583
View attachment 595593

The black spruce trunk is about 21" across
View attachment 595589
View attachment 595595

Wow!

My 800 pound gorilla palm had the spruces beat!

Thankfully for us removers, it was shorter, and the wood is soft and spongy.

Spruce, if memory serves, is pretty hard as conifer wood goes.

 

[Mystriss]

Wow!

My 800 pound gorilla palm had the spruces beat!

Thankfully for us removers, it was shorter, and the wood is soft and spongy.

Spruce, if memory serves, is pretty hard as conifer wood goes.

Palms are pretty fat as I recall. Probs been 12 years seen I've been up close with a palm... They don't like our winters :vs_laugh:

Yeah most spruces are still considered softwoods, though spruce tends to be a bit stronger, straighter grained, and less likely to twist and warp than pine is.

I wish I could have kept the wood from these two for projects, but with the beetle's in them I had to have them chipped and taken away to be burned to stop the spread (the beetles have been on a run the past year or two, they've already taken out well over half the older spruce trees in our neighborhood.)

 

[DoomsDave]

Palms are pretty fat as I recall. Probs been 12 years seen I've been up close with a palm... They don't like our winters :vs_laugh:

Yeah most spruces are still considered softwoods, though spruce tends to be a bit stronger, straighter grained, and less likely to twist and warp than pine is.

I wish I could have kept the wood from these two for projects, but with the beetle's in them I had to have them chipped and taken away to be burned to stop the spread (the beetles have been on a run the past year or two, they've already taken out well over half the older spruce trees in our neighborhood.)

Ouch, sorry to hear. We have a bug/fungus problem in our forests, too.

 

[Mystriss]

Ouch, sorry to hear. We have a bug/fungus problem in our forests, too.

Heh thanks, I'm still getting used to not having them in the yard. It seems so empty now. I look out the front window and I'm like "OMG SOMETHINGS WRONG!" :vs_laugh:

 

[de-nagorg]

Rent one of these, and learn a new skill.

While having fun.

https://www.ebay.com/itm/Takeuchi-T...752759?hash=item3417551ab7:g:TkwAAOSwCH9eHnKU


ED

 

[DoomsDave]

Rent one of these, and learn a new skill.

While having fun.

https://www.ebay.com/itm/Takeuchi-T...752759?hash=item3417551ab7:g:TkwAAOSwCH9eHnKU


ED

I'm giggling already! When I think of all the stuff I'll [inadvertently] destroy.

 

[Mystriss]

I accidentally watched a review of the different models of those and I've been all "WANNTTTT!!!!" for almost a year now. My husband was only mildly interested :/ I'm hoping it's cause he hasn't been feeling well and he'll change his mind when he feels better

 

[de-nagorg]

I'm giggling already! When I think of all the stuff I'll [inadvertently] destroy.

They are a lot of fun, once you master the controls.

It's a learning curve, some take longer to "get it", than others, but once you learn you can pick up a raw egg off the ground, and place it over yonder, without breaking the egg. :wink2:

ED

 

[Bondo]

Ayuh,..... I run the bigger models,........

The little ones are fun, but, well, Littler,....

Switchin' from a tractor/ backhoe to a track-hoe is the tricky part, the sticks are exactly opposite,......

 

[DoomsDave]

They are a lot of fun, once you master the controls.

It's a learning curve, some take longer to "get it", than others, but once you learn you can pick up a raw egg off the ground, and place it over yonder, without breaking the egg. :wink2:

ED

Prerequisites, always, such a pain . . . . . :vs_cool: :vs_mad: :vs_laugh: