Stump removal

[marlingardener]

axescot, we have done both methods with stumps. We had a large hackberry taken down before it fell down, and had about 3' of stump left. I put a ceramic pot on top, filled with a vine. The hole in the bottom of the pot was put over a very large nail to keep the pot from falling off.
We had another, smaller hackberry taken down, and there was about 1' of stump left. We drilled four holes, filled them with Epsom salts, and after about 18 months the stump was rotted to the extent that we could just manually pull it out of the ground. If we had drilled more holes, the process would probably have been quicker.

 

[Esther Knapicius]

And it's been helpful. The Epsom salts are a good idea. When I was doing research on how to do this, some people will cut it down to a lower stump, hollow it out, and use it as a planter. This might be the best idea yet.

I actually have two stumps that are too close to lots of bulbs around them for me to heave it out. So I did just that got the center to rot out with a pile of soil on it. Today both have centers hollowed out and in them planted are hardy geraniums, which drape about the stump. Slowly the outside of the stump is breaking down under the hardy geraniums. One day I can break away most of it by hand. I have also seen stumps carved into a cute whimsical frog house, or elf hut. They put a slanted roof on it, hammered a door on the sides, windows etc.