This is a public-interest archive. Personal data is pseudonymized and retained under GDPR Article 89.

stump removal/degradation

At 12:08 PM 6/29/2004 -0400, Lorraine wrote:

>Hopefully some of you have some experience with using buttermilk as a
>decomposition accelerator for stumps.  I heard about this the other day
>from a somewhat reliable experienced gardener and it was news (GREAT) to
>me.  Apparently, you drill holes in the stump and pour the buttermilk in
>them and then all over/around the stump.  Although it takes longer to work
>than the commercially available chemical approach, it does work.
>
>Has anyone used this approach -- or any other non-chemical approach -- to
>remove stumps?

Availability of nitrogen is the rate-limiting factor in determining the speed of decomposition of woody materials such as stumps.
If you'll compare it to a compost heap, 'greens' degrade much more rapidly than 'browns', due mainly to their higher nitrogen (and moisture) content.
In the Amish country of PA & OH (I've not noticed our local KY Amish or Mennonites doing this), they'll often accelerate decomposition of stumps in newly cleared land by mounding horse/cow manure over the tops of remaining stumps, completely covering the stump. Usually, within one to two years, enough decomposition has occurred that they can hitch a team of horses to the unwanted stump and it will pull right out.

I think if you'll look at the list of ingredients for most 'chemical' "stump removers", you'll find that most are a high-nitrogen compound - an ammonium or nitrate source. Guess good old ammonium nitrate (33-0-0) would work just as well, if not better than some of the (probably) more high-priced 'stump removers'.

Lucky Pittman
USDA Cold Zone 6
AHS Heat Zone 7
Hopkinsville, KY

_______________________________________________
gardenwriters mailing list
gardenwriters@lists.ibiblio.org
http://lists.ibiblio.org/mailman/listinfo/gardenwriters

GWL has searchable archives at:
http://www.hort.net/lists/gardenwriters

Send photos for GWL to gwlphotos@hort.net to be posted
at: http://www.hort.net/lists/gwlphotos

Post gardening questions/threads to
"Gardenwriters on Gardening" <gwl-g@lists.ibiblio.org>

For GWL website and Wiki, go to
http://www.ibiblio.org/gardenwriters

Other Mailing lists | Author Index | Date Index | Subject Index | Thread Index