In sprucing up our barn, we moved the big door to right behind a stump. Now it was time to take that stump out.
It was a cherry tree, dead a few years. My first thought was to cut it off at ground level, and deal with the remnant later. A couple of cuts told me that was not going to work. It was hard as can be, and my saw was not so sharp.
So I did it the old fashioned way.
Finally it started to wiggle. A little more digging revealed two more roots, going almost straight down. It was not long before it was laying on its side.
I filled the hole in with dirt and rocks, and mounded it a bit, hoping it will compact to level over winter. I was much happier with this result than if I had just cut it off. I know we would have been fighting that remnant, and eventually hired someone to come and grind it out. This way, all it cost was two hours of my time, and a new edge for my chain.
(The only mishap was the groggy yellowjacket who somehow got into my pants. A sting or two on the back of the knee was all the damage. Not bad, considering.)
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Looks like a good way to take out a stump. I need to devote an afternoon to the two Port Orford Cedar stumps in my front yard. Could be interesting to see how big a hole that will require! ;)
ReplyDeleteHaving watched my own husband do this with a couple of stumps, I know that this is a big job! The other advantage to this method is that you're not leaving a huge underground chunk of tree which will rot away and leave a sink hole.
ReplyDeleteHello Lee and Leigh. Thanks for the comments.
ReplyDeleteLee, it is a nice way to get a stump out. As Leigh says, it removes most of the rottable mass, so you don't develop a big hole later. And it saves the money a stump grinder would charge. That said, stump grinders are pretty cool, if that is what you need.