Wayne's method sounds pretty neat, but no matter what you do, you might find that the success and the appearance of your current plantings changes. After all, they no longer will have a tree above them. Shade-loving plants may be discomfited and resentful.
Martin M. Meiss 2013/1/17 Wayne Tyson <[email protected]> > You can cut out a large cavity (about half the diameter, but at least four > inches of trunk left all the way around) in the stump and fill it with > charcoal, and set it afire. Under most conditions, the tree and large roots > will burn slowly from the inside out. You might later get a nice crop of > morels in some areas. If it stops burning, add more charcoal. There should > be no flame, just glowing hellfire. Protect the area from children and > other curious critters; it may take a day or more, depending upon how deep > you want to go. When it's deep enough. I've seen big tree roots burn as far > down as six or eight feet. It may take a lot of water to cool it down > completely. If the outside of the stump fails to burn to within a couple of > inches of the bark, you may have to mechanically cut it away from the > inside. You also can do more burning, but usually it will burn all the way > to the bark, as the heat dries out the fuel ahead of the burning core, as > it progresses down and out. > > WT > > ----- Original Message ----- From: "Scott Creary" <[email protected]> > To: <[email protected]> > Sent: Thursday, January 17, 2013 8:42 AM > Subject: [ECOLOG-L] Tree stump removal in sensitive area > > > Does anyone have any experience removing tree stumps from very sensitive >> areas? We have a botanically important planting around a tree that we >> need >> to remove for safety reasons, but we cannot leave an unsightly stump in >> the >> process. However, the traditional grinders or pick-axe method won't work >> as it would destroy the surrounding plantings. Does anyone know of a way >> to remove stumps or decompose them quickly such that the area is >> plant-able >> soon after tree removal (a year or so)? >> >> I'm going out on a limb with this, but I feel that managed areas are >> sometimes the most ecologically important, especially in a highly urban >> environment like where we are. >> >> Thanks much! >> >> >> -- >> Scott Creary, M.S. Entomology, ISA Certified Arborist >> IPM Specialist >> Phipps Conservatory and Botanical Gardens >> www.phipps.conservatory.org >> >> >> ----- >> No virus found in this message. >> Checked by AVG - www.avg.com >> Version: 10.0.1430 / Virus Database: 2638/5539 - Release Date: 01/17/13 >> >>
