Stump Removal

[dfurman]

I’m starting to build a new shed next week, and just realized where the shed is going is where a crap apple tree is. I’m planning to cut the tree down, but I’m concerned about the stump. The shed will be about 6-8 inches off the ground, but will the stump continue to grow if it’s under the shed and not getting any sunlight? The tree stump will only be about 7- 8 inches across, which would be easy to grind out, but the problem is we have a fenced in backyard with a gate only about 36” wide.

I’ve read about drilling holes in the stump and then pouring a chemical in the holes to rot the stump, but it seems like it takes a long time, and I’m not sure if it would continue to grow until the chemical takes effect. Worst case scenario I could do the old school way of digging it out and chop away at it with an ax, which sounds time consuming and exhausting.

Thanks in advance for any advice.

 

[tuffy]

You could always try and burn it out.

 

[Sparky617]

I've rented stump grinders, they'd fit through your gate. If your local rental place offers them. Running a rental stump grinder is a workout.

 

[bud16415]

If your shed has a raised floor and the stump doesn’t interfere with the pole locations, just cut it off close to the ground and forget it. It will not keep growing without light.

 

[elbo]

or, if it keeps growing , call it a tree house in the making

 

[Gary]

Cut it short as mentioned, Then drill a good sized hole in the top with a spade bit and top it off with round up or similar. You could even plug the hole if you like. I've done that with stubborn trees in the fence line that just kept coming back. After the round up cocktail, they would go away.

 

[joecaption]

A few things to be aware of if that stump is left in place.
Guess what Termites eat, dead wood.
As the old wood rots the grounds going to settle in that area.
Best idea, build the shed away from where the stump is.
I've seen some interesting things over the past 65 years.
Even in newer homes I've seen where they just left scraps of wood under the house, the plumbers almost always just leaves any plugs he cuts out laying on the ground, almost always when I pick them up there's termites.
Many, many times I've seen 100 plus year old houses built over cut off trees, everyone of them was eaten up with termites.
The last house I lived in (but I did not own) had a tree growing at the corner where they poured the slab and they had just cut it off close to the ground.
I told the lady that owned the house that she had termites at least in that corner of the garage.
After being told I was a know it all, had no idea what I was talking about, she asked me to fix the bottom of the siding that someone had hit with Line trimmer.
All the sheathing and studs where eaten up with Termites.

 

[RudisFL]

In Tampa the going rate for stump grinding is $100 per stump. Best money I spent.
Your opening is more than wide enough to get a machine into the yard.

I tried the potassium nitrate route and it takes too long for any results. The time spent drilling the holes alone is ridiculous.

 

[dfurman]

If your shed has a raised floor and the stump doesn’t interfere with the pole locations, just cut it off close to the ground and forget it. It will not keep growing without light.

Yes, it will be a raised floor, and the stump won't be in the way. I was thinking of just leaving it there as well, just wasn't sure if it would continue to grow.

 

[bud16415]

Yes, it will be a raised floor, and the stump won't be in the way. I was thinking of just leaving it there as well, just wasn't sure if it would continue to grow.

The point made about termites is a good one. We don’t have much of a problem here with termites our winters get to cold.


Being as it is a shed and the deck will be pressure treated materials I wouldn’t be overly concerned. I wouldn’t recommend building a house over a stump.


Stump grinding does not remove the stump all they do is take it down a few inches below grade and then after you clean up the mess, and fill the low spot with dirt you can then plant grass. After many years the stump will rot away and you will have a low spot to fill again. To get a large stump out is quite a project and you need to bring in some digging equipment.


The big tree I recently had taken down in our front yard I had the guy saw off as close as he could get. It sticks up about 2”. Mowing around it is a little tricky and when I get some time I will put a old chain on my saw and score it to get it down a bit more so the mower deck wont catch it. other than that nature will do the job. My guy offered to grind it for 100 bucks also.

 

[Gary]

That reminds me of the tree we had in the way of our addition. It was probably 3' + or - in diameter. Tree service took the tree down and the guy pouring the foundation took the stump out. It was right where the front door was to be. They had a huge crater by the time they had it dug out. They back filled it with concrete up to the footing level. I forget how many yards, but it was the better part of a truckload. Hole was deep and covered a pretty good circumference.
20 years later and everything is still fine. Someday, someone will tear the house down, dig up the foundation and wonder what the heck was all that concrete for.