It's been almost three years since the dead or dying cottonwood trees were hacked down and hauled away. We didn't pay for stump removal at the time and have tried a few low-cost, low success methods of disposing of the above ground remnants of the trees. Two years ago I bought some Stump Out, drilled holes in the stumps, poured the chemicals into the holes, poured water over the chemicals to help carry the chemicals into the holes. My small, low powered electric drill and my impatience failed to penetrate the wood as far as the instructions recommended. From time to time I would revisit the stumps with other attempts at removal. I've tried lighter fluid and charcoal with the effect of burning the top down a bit and leaving a charred outside and a lingering smell in the neighborhood.
I'm making manly progress these past two weekends. As the weather has cooled slightly, I have dug around the base of the stumps and found roots that are susceptible to blows from an axe. I picked on the smallest of the remaining stumps and assaulted it with shovel, axe, pick and some old lighter fluid I found in the storage shed.
I found a second stump to be in a more decayed condition than the first. The second one virtually fell apart after a bit of digging with a pick and shovel and a few strategically placed blows from my newly sharpened axe. It's interesting that a little time in preparation (sharpening an axe, for example) can enhance ones performance.
The last remaining stump is from the tree that was still live at the time of removal. I've treated it with Stump Out and will let the chemicals do their work for a few weeks before attacking with fire and axe. That will give my sore back time to recuperate....
