How to remove Ailanthus stumps?
April 12, 2010 7:45 AM Subscribe
What's the best/easiest way to do DIY stump removal in a tiny Philadelphia backyard?
We had a pair of Ailanthus trees removed a couple of years ago -- these weren't just little sprouts, they were about 24" in circumference & probably 30' tall. Since we live in a rowhome in Philadelphia, it's not really possible to get a stump grinder down our (tiny) alley, so the guy who removed the trees suggested that we could just cover them up & let them rot out. More research (and the visual evidence of constant tiny sprouts coming up in our neighbors' yards) reveals that Ailanthus won't just rot out -- the stump is constantly growing little suckers from the existing root system & is happily chugging along, taking up space in the garden.
Does anyone have any suggestions for manually removing the stump without heavy equipment? I'm debating drilling some holes & pouring a bunch of chemicals in there, but I'm also wary of killing everything else around it in our garden. Note that the stump is about 14 feet from the back of our house & our neighbors are also pretty close (it's a Philly rowhome, like I said), so I'd also be wary of burning it out or anything. However, I really would like to get them out of there ASAP since I'm sick of looking at them.
We had a pair of Ailanthus trees removed a couple of years ago -- these weren't just little sprouts, they were about 24" in circumference & probably 30' tall. Since we live in a rowhome in Philadelphia, it's not really possible to get a stump grinder down our (tiny) alley, so the guy who removed the trees suggested that we could just cover them up & let them rot out. More research (and the visual evidence of constant tiny sprouts coming up in our neighbors' yards) reveals that Ailanthus won't just rot out -- the stump is constantly growing little suckers from the existing root system & is happily chugging along, taking up space in the garden.
Does anyone have any suggestions for manually removing the stump without heavy equipment? I'm debating drilling some holes & pouring a bunch of chemicals in there, but I'm also wary of killing everything else around it in our garden. Note that the stump is about 14 feet from the back of our house & our neighbors are also pretty close (it's a Philly rowhome, like I said), so I'd also be wary of burning it out or anything. However, I really would like to get them out of there ASAP since I'm sick of looking at them.
We just had a crazy yardwork weekend involving, in part, the removal of five pretty entrenched stumps. There was no chainsaw involved. What -t did was dig down and around, maybe a foot in each direction, exposing the major roots; he then sawed through them with a $20 Bear Saw and lifted each stump out in big pieces. They were in our lawn, so we patched the (emormous) resulting holes with soil and then sod.
It took maybe an hour for each stump and was really hard work. But it was definitely doable.
posted by peachfuzz at 8:04 AM on April 12, 2010 [1 favorite]
It took maybe an hour for each stump and was really hard work. But it was definitely doable.
posted by peachfuzz at 8:04 AM on April 12, 2010 [1 favorite]
Any reason why you can't just bring the stump grinder through the house? I think that the ones you can rent at Home Depot are the lawnmower-sized ones, not the tractor-sized ones.
(We don't have an alley, so everything came in and out the front door when we were doing heavier work on the house. Locals tip: Go to the Home Depot on 22nd and Oregon, not on Delaware Ave -- their rental tools in better condition.)
Ghetto palms never, ever ever die. Damn thing would probably would absorb the poison and become more powerful and possibly develop a personality and maybe start sending you messages.
posted by desuetude at 8:05 AM on April 12, 2010 [2 favorites]
(We don't have an alley, so everything came in and out the front door when we were doing heavier work on the house. Locals tip: Go to the Home Depot on 22nd and Oregon, not on Delaware Ave -- their rental tools in better condition.)
Ghetto palms never, ever ever die. Damn thing would probably would absorb the poison and become more powerful and possibly develop a personality and maybe start sending you messages.
posted by desuetude at 8:05 AM on April 12, 2010 [2 favorites]
It's pretty dangerous to use a chain saw so close to/actually in the ground. At least make sure you are wearing the right safety gear so that when the chain breaks you have a chance of avoiding a few hundred stitches.
A stump grinder is what you need and the smaller models aren't any bigger than a snow blower. This one for example is the sort of thing rental shops around here rent out and is only 22" wide so you should be able to get it down any alley you can walk down.
Note this won't stop the shoots in your neighbour's yards as they are growing from roots that are in your neighbour's yards.
posted by Mitheral at 8:12 AM on April 12, 2010
A stump grinder is what you need and the smaller models aren't any bigger than a snow blower. This one for example is the sort of thing rental shops around here rent out and is only 22" wide so you should be able to get it down any alley you can walk down.
Note this won't stop the shoots in your neighbour's yards as they are growing from roots that are in your neighbour's yards.
posted by Mitheral at 8:12 AM on April 12, 2010
On the other hand wiki says "Ailanthus produces an allelopathic chemical called ailanthone, which inhibits the growth of other plants.[27] The inhibitors are strongest in the bark and roots, but are also present in the leaves, wood and seeds of the plant." Sounds like something you want to dig up rather than leaving to decompose in your garden. A stump grinder leaves the wood chips in the soil.
posted by Mitheral at 8:17 AM on April 12, 2010
posted by Mitheral at 8:17 AM on April 12, 2010
Get that ailanthus out of there. I actually did a botany thesis on the little devils of Heaven, and you will be very sorry if you "leave it to rot" (LOL -- little suckers is certainly an understatement).
If you can't grind out the stump, your second-best bet is to get some brush-be-gone type of product and paint the open cut of the stump with it. Or maybe talk to a licensed landscaper who'll be able to get more potent stuff (what you buy in the store will be diluted for layperson's use). You'll want to wait until the weather will be consistently above 50 degrees for a few days, so that the juices in the stump and roots will be flowing and will pull the herbicide throughout the plant.
I don't like to use chemicals if I don't have to, and there is a risk that it will contaminate/spread to other plants, but with that ailanthus in there, you won't have too many other plants anyway.
posted by thebazilist at 8:32 AM on April 12, 2010
If you can't grind out the stump, your second-best bet is to get some brush-be-gone type of product and paint the open cut of the stump with it. Or maybe talk to a licensed landscaper who'll be able to get more potent stuff (what you buy in the store will be diluted for layperson's use). You'll want to wait until the weather will be consistently above 50 degrees for a few days, so that the juices in the stump and roots will be flowing and will pull the herbicide throughout the plant.
I don't like to use chemicals if I don't have to, and there is a risk that it will contaminate/spread to other plants, but with that ailanthus in there, you won't have too many other plants anyway.
posted by thebazilist at 8:32 AM on April 12, 2010
Using a chain saw near/in the ground is a recipe for serious injury or death. Don't use a chain saw on the roots.
I'd use stump killer then dig it out later. Cut big roots with an ax or a hand saw but not a chain saw.
posted by anadem at 9:48 AM on April 12, 2010
I'd use stump killer then dig it out later. Cut big roots with an ax or a hand saw but not a chain saw.
posted by anadem at 9:48 AM on April 12, 2010
ixnay to the chainsaw. Too dangerous. A good sharp axe is the fastest safe way to attack the roots. This is pretty time consuming, and very hard work. Alternatively, drill a series of large deep holes into the stump and fill with stump remover (saltpeter) and water.
posted by caddis at 11:25 AM on April 12, 2010
posted by caddis at 11:25 AM on April 12, 2010
Dude, seriously... listen to me here. I've tried it all. Burning, chainsaw, axes, chains... none of them work *properly*.
The only effective way of removing a stump is to saw it down as low as possible, then hire a grinder for a half day. It's cheap and they're about the same size as a push lawnmower. You will save yourself and enormous about of frustration than going by any other method.
posted by ReiToei at 11:29 AM on April 12, 2010
The only effective way of removing a stump is to saw it down as low as possible, then hire a grinder for a half day. It's cheap and they're about the same size as a push lawnmower. You will save yourself and enormous about of frustration than going by any other method.
posted by ReiToei at 11:29 AM on April 12, 2010
Best answer: I'm currently working on something similar, and I found that digging out around the stump as much as possible to expose the major roots is the first step you need to take to get that sucker out of the ground. What I did is use a reciprocating saw with some 6 inch and 9 inch blades to cut the roots. It took some time to get through everything, but it works well and isn't anywhere near as dangerous as trying to use a chainsaw. Make sure you have plenty of room to work and cut, you don't want to bury the blade in dirt unless absolutely necessary. Unlike a chainsaw the blades don't require oiling and won't get dull if they do hit the dirt. This is gonig to work best if you work in short bursts, because the vibration of the saw is pretty tiring, and if the blades get too hot they do tend to dull or break easily. Of course, safety first, wear safety glasses, heavy gloves, long sleeves and pants.
posted by ganzhimself at 11:31 AM on April 12, 2010 [1 favorite]
posted by ganzhimself at 11:31 AM on April 12, 2010 [1 favorite]
Even if it was a tree that would die when you cut it, rotting out can take years. In this case, Tree of Heaven(ha!), should die a quick and childless death!!
If you aren't experienced with chain saws, I would recommend against using one on the roots. All kinds of things can go wrong(rocks, funky stuff tied up in the roots, difficult stances on uneven ground).
My preferred way of dealing with difficult, lonely tasks is to have a work party. You don't mention the spacing of the stumps, but 5-10 people could switch off if necessary. Basically start digging and expose the larger roots, cut them and start to get the stump to wiggle. Hopefully the guys left some length on the top so you can get leverage on them, but probably not if they were recommending letting them rot. Ask people to bring gloves if they have them, but buy some cheap pairs to have on hand. Remind them about sturdy clothes and shoes. Also have 3-4 shovels and a couple of sharp saws on hand. A digging bar(one with the cutting blade on one end) helps immensely.
Put out a 5-6 hour window of time, people can come whenever. Break out some snacks early, tasty beverages and follow up with a big meal that you or your partner cook up while the other helps with the removal. Have fun. You'd be surprised, even if most of your friends are more urban, how much people like to help, enjoy a one time challenge and how much you'll get done.
I advise to also try and work with your neighbors to kill off the sprouts in their yard. I don't know about Philly, but here in CA they become nasty quick!
posted by a_green_man at 11:39 AM on April 12, 2010
If you aren't experienced with chain saws, I would recommend against using one on the roots. All kinds of things can go wrong(rocks, funky stuff tied up in the roots, difficult stances on uneven ground).
My preferred way of dealing with difficult, lonely tasks is to have a work party. You don't mention the spacing of the stumps, but 5-10 people could switch off if necessary. Basically start digging and expose the larger roots, cut them and start to get the stump to wiggle. Hopefully the guys left some length on the top so you can get leverage on them, but probably not if they were recommending letting them rot. Ask people to bring gloves if they have them, but buy some cheap pairs to have on hand. Remind them about sturdy clothes and shoes. Also have 3-4 shovels and a couple of sharp saws on hand. A digging bar(one with the cutting blade on one end) helps immensely.
Put out a 5-6 hour window of time, people can come whenever. Break out some snacks early, tasty beverages and follow up with a big meal that you or your partner cook up while the other helps with the removal. Have fun. You'd be surprised, even if most of your friends are more urban, how much people like to help, enjoy a one time challenge and how much you'll get done.
I advise to also try and work with your neighbors to kill off the sprouts in their yard. I don't know about Philly, but here in CA they become nasty quick!
posted by a_green_man at 11:39 AM on April 12, 2010
good luck with this. i had about 8 trees total removed from my property, and only one of those had the stump ground out. i'm less worried about the remaining stumps than i am the roots that crisscross my backyard & keep trying to grow new trees. i've been exposing roots & pulling up the small ones since before i had the trees taken out. now i'm exposing the bigger roots, drilling holes in them, and filling the holes with stump killer. (NOTE: drilling the holes may sound easy but my experience is that it's time consuming and doesn't make a really big dent. i use successively bigger round drill bits & work my way up to a flat drill bit and try to gouge out a 1" diameter hole. there's more than one of those drill bits stuck in an exposed root out back.) this has been a boring, strenuous, tedious job that i've been working on in dribs & drabs for the past 2 years. i don't recommend it, but i'm about to the point where i start filling the drilled-out holes with plain old table salt. (the salt can poison the surrounding earth so that nothing will grow, so it's not an ideal solution. but it can be very effective.)
again, good luck.
posted by msconduct at 12:51 PM on April 12, 2010
again, good luck.
posted by msconduct at 12:51 PM on April 12, 2010
Best answer: Get some copper flashing nails and nail them into the stump. This will do absolutely nothing to help you remove the stump, but it will kill the stump and halt its spread into the surrounding area. It took me about 1 growing season to kill an alianthus this way, and I'm leaving the stump to rot a bit before I remove it.
posted by kuujjuarapik at 2:38 PM on April 12, 2010 [1 favorite]
posted by kuujjuarapik at 2:38 PM on April 12, 2010 [1 favorite]
This thread is closed to new comments.
posted by notsnot at 7:58 AM on April 12, 2010