Peter James wrote:

kaz44 wrote:


hi i have 2 sycamore tree stumps 2 1/2 to 3 feet wide,i want to kill
them because 1 is starting to sprout again,someone mentioned drilling
holes in the stump and putting some pellets in the holes,but i can't
seem to find any anyware,all i get in a search is the DEEP ROOT TREE
KILLER,does anyone knowwhere i can get it please?i have tried my local
garden centre,but they have'nt got any,i don't really want to go to the
expense of grinding them out.thank you kaz44

You want ammonium sulphamate sold under the tradename rootout eg
http://www.daxproducts.co.uk/rootout.html

I am not too sure about the truth or otherwise of this suggestion, but!
A farmer once told me that the best and easiest way to get rid of tree
stumps was the following technique.
In the top of the stump, drill as many holes as you can using a brace
and a large bit and drill as deeply as you can. Pack the holes with
saltpetre and plug the top of the holes with putty and leave it all
winter. In the spring build a bon-fire on top of the stump and set
fire to it. He said that the bonfire would burn the stump away down to
the roots.

It might work if you live in the mediterranean where the ground is bone
dry in winter, but it doesn't stand a cat in hells chance of working in
the UK. I loaded my pear tree stump with 2kg of potassium nitrate
(roughly this way) and was only rewarded with a huge crop of fungi. No
way would it burn as the wood at ground level was still saturated with
water even in mid summer.

This is only hearsay, but it might well work. It won't cost you a lot
to try it. If it doesn't work you'll have to dig the stump out by hand,
or hire a stump chipper.

Strangely copper nails or copper sulphate might help accelerate the tree
roots demise by inhibiting the enzymes that protect it against fungal
attack. I have never tried this but it is supposed to help.

Ultimately you may find spade, crowbar and scaffold pole the most
satisfying way to remove them after they are dead.

Regards,
Martin Brown