If you have an annoying stump to remove you may have considered burning the stump out. To some this may seem like the best choice vs hiring a professional stump grinder. In this post I will discuss the process of burning a stump vs hiring a professional. Hopefully after reading this post the choice is clear on which option is best for you.
Option one is hiring a professional stump grinder to remove your stump is affordable, hassle free, less stressful and the professionals with a grinder can usually get the stump removed very quickly. A good stump removal professional can normally get your stump removal job done in about 1-3 hours for most stumps. Most stump removal companies are less than a week out so chances are they can get you scheduled fast.
Keep in mind your stump removal professional might charge more if you tried to burn the stump first. A burnt stump, even though some of the stump is burnt away can take a lot longer to grind out than a normal stump.
You need to also keep in mind that if the soil grade is angled upwards around stump or mounded it a lot more hassle and labor to try to burn the stump out so ground can be level again. This is because you might have to burn the roots out as well. To expose the roots to burn, burn them out and level the ground is a lot more work and hassle. In my opinion it is not worth trying to burn a large stump that is seated on mounded ground around the stump. But if you have all the time in the world and don’t mind working hard for hours on end, go for it.
The second option I will discuss is burning the stump out. Burning the stump out can be done, but it comes with some pros and cons. Burning the stump out can be the lower cost option, but typically requires a lot of time and labor. Most of the time it’s not as simple as just lighting your stump on fire.
You need to check with your local area or city before you burn a stump out. Your might have deal with your local authorities real quick when the smoke starts billowing out of your stum through the neighborhood. If you live in the country, you may want to check with your neighbors just to be courteous.
Burning a stump out is a very smokey process. It does not burn, producing little smoke like a normal fire. The reason for this is the stump will have dirt, dead wood and it will be saturated with moisture. If you have ever tried to burn saturated, wet, dirty, rotten wood you know what I mean. If you try to burn a green stump out it can take weeks to months of re- kindling the embers in the stump and adding more fuel to the stump. Green stumps produce way more smoke as well.
If your stump is over 1-2 years old, you may not have to “age” stump first before trying to burn it out. If your stump is dead and aged for over 2 years than “aging” the stump is not needed before burning out the stump. When you age the stump I’m referring to most of the stump remover chemicals you buy to remove the stump. If your stump is freshly cut you need to apply these stump removal chemicals to accelerate the aging and degradation of the stump in order for the stump to burn out a lot faster and with less smoke.
Some stump remover chemicals can be very toxic to the environment. It would be a better choice to choose chemical stump removers that are less toxic to the environment such as potassium nitrate. You definitely don’t want to pre-soak the stump with toxic chemicals before you burn the stump. The smoke from these toxic chemical removers being burnt in the stump can be toxic as well.
Potassium nitrate will work fine for prepping the stump to be burnt. Check the ingredients on the stump removers before you make a purchase to use it. The ingredients Triclopyr and Glyphosate should be avoided the purpose of prepping stump to be burnt out. Triclopyr is generally regarded as the most toxic stump remover for the environment, and it is known to produce toxic smoke.
Read the detailed steps below for the best way to burn your stump out. To do this project you’ll need a 1-2” Auger bit, A ½ drive cordless drill, a supply of potassium nitrate, a jug of vinegar, contractor bag(s) with bungees, and a garden sprayer.
Step 1. Make sure there are no plants around the stump that you don’t want kill. Try to ensure the stump is cut down to a maximum height of 6 inches measure from ground level. Then drill 1-2” holes in the top of the stump at least 6 inches deep. It is a good idea to go as deep as possible without going all the way through the stump. You’ll need drilled holes about 2 inches in diameter for every 10 inches of diameter measured at the top of the stump cut. So, if your stump measures 20 inches in diameter across the top then you will need to evenly space and drill (4) 2-inch holes or (8) 1-inch diameter holes. Remember the depth of the holes needs to be at least 6 inches.
Step 2. Fill the holes with potassium nitrate. Pour an even layer of potassium nitrate across the top of the stump and lightly spray with vinegar from a garden sprayer until full saturation is complete.
Step 3. Cover with a heavy-duty trash bag. Use heavy objects such as bricks to hold bag over the stump. You can also use bungees and tightly wrap them around the bag securing them to the stump. The bag starves the stump of sunlight and helps keep Potassium nitrate from washing away with rain. Wait a week and repeat once a week for 2-4 weeks. After 2-4 weeks remove the trash bag and wait for the stump to dry a little bit. The drying process might take a few weeks.
Step 4. Pour Kerosene into the holes and the top of the stump. Repeat this process every few days for a week.
Step 5. After the stump is pre-soaked thoroughly with kerosene apply a fresh soaking of kerosene on the stump and light the kerosene. Use extreme caution and make sure to remove all flammable material from at least a 10-foot radius around stump. Keep a fire extinguisher on hand and keep a close eye on the stump as it burns. Repeat the process until the stump is gone. Fill back in with topsoil and level the grade to surround area. Now is the time to plant grass. For more information on the fastest method to re-grade and plant grass refer to my blog post on this topic here: https://indianastumpgrinding.com/2023/12/the-fastest-way-to-make-your-yard-great-again-after-stump-removal.
You are now all done. Which method will you choose for stump removal? How did it work for you? Please let us know if you have anything to add. Enjoy your new yard.