On 22/03/2014 17:41, Lobster wrote:
I've got an old cherry tree stump which I really want rid of. It's
probably about 10" high by 15" across, and the problem is that it's in an
awkward position at the foot of a banked area, and surrounded by paving
stones, so would be very disruptive and difficult to dig out. It's
inaccessible to a tree stump grinder (other than maybe something hand-
held).

Burning it out seems the way forward, and I've tried several times (over
years), burying the thing in burning coal. Trouble is the stump doesn't
really burn much as such; it just chars over, and has got quite dished on
top, but there's a lot more to go. Anyway, it occurred to me that maybe I
could try again this summer but first impregnate the remaining timber over
a period of time (maybe honeycombing it with a drill first) to encourage it
to burn properly. Anyone tried this? What would be good to use, that
wouldn't just evaporate off?

If you are serious then the only chance you stand and it is an outside
chance at that is to drill a large number of 1" holes into the top as
deep as you can and pack them with potassium nitrate fertiliser. Leave
for about a year refilling as necessary and then after the longest hot
dry spell you get build a fire on top and cross your fingers that the
impregnation of the nitrate is enough to make it smoulder away until
underground. It may still be too wet in which case you are stumped.

This sort of works but it also primes the wood for fungi to take hold
and I got a spectacular chicken of the woods on my former pear tree
stump. The ground where it was is still subsiding as the deeper roots
were not eliminated by this method. In the end I prized the last bits up
with a scaffold pole using an axe to cut the tap root. YMMV

I'm not after getting the whole thing out - if I just get the stump below
ground level and cover it with a plant tub or something, that would be
fine!

Or any other constructive ideas!?

I'd tend to favour digging it out.

--
Regards,
Martin Brown