Equipment with cables, winches, and pulley systems can be used to drag the stump out of the ground. Both vibratory and steady pull systems are available. Deeply soaking the soil with water hours before can greatly reduce extraction power requirements. A cable, chain, or grapple is affixed to the stump and a winch is used... Continue Reading →

Blasting or blowing stumps was a standard practice for stump extraction in the past. In rural areas and on large sites disrupted by construction, blasting can still be used under carefully controlled conditions. Usually a hole is bored or dug beneath a stump and the blasting charge inserted. In areas away from underground utilities, wells,... Continue Reading →

Another traditional means of stump reduction was to set it ablaze, usually using petroleum-based accelerants or charcoal briquets. Stumps must be dried before they will sustain ignition. Other woody parts of the tree which are already dry can be used to burn for heating the stump, driving off the water, and igniting the stump. Stumps... Continue Reading →

One means of removing stumps is to hand dig around the stump, cutting any large diameter roots. This job is hard and tedious. As soil is removal and large roots cut, the stump may be extracted with a lever bar or a hand winch and chain. Once you complete this process on a small stump,... Continue Reading →

Digging stumps with a backhoe, excavator or loader can be fast and effective. Digging does disrupt and disturb an established landscape. Machine extraction requires good access to the site for the equipment and for debris removal and transport. The foot print on the landscape of stump removal using mechanical extraction can be large. Stump Removal... Continue Reading →

Accelerate Chemical Degradation Many traditional products used to accelerate the degradation and decay of stumps contain concentrated salts to dry the stump for burning, attempt to infuse the stumps with potassium nitrate (saltpeter) to assist with burning, contain alkalis or sulfiting agents used to break down lignin, or contain exzymes which weaken wood cell walls.... Continue Reading →

Sites where heavy equipment can be used and not compact the soil or damage the landscape features, can have stumps physically pushed out of the ground. Stump pushing or clearance is a process used in initial development clearance of forested sites and on commercial campuses where no landscape work has commenced but large equipment is... Continue Reading →

There are four primary types of stump grinders: hand manipulated handlebar machines; selfpropelled machines; tow-behind machines; and, truck / tractor mount machines. Stump grinders pushed by hand can fit into small areas but may take a long time to grind. Small machines may also be limited by the depth of grinding. On the other hand,... Continue Reading →

Removing soil from around a stump (including beneath the stump) can be accomplished using jets of water or air. A high pressure water jet can be used to separate the stump and large roots from the soil. The roots can then be cut and the stump extracted. The water jet process is more effective when... Continue Reading →