An alternative solution for a tree stump is to make it into a planter. Hollow out the stump with the chainsaw and plant with low growing plants. These photo's show my last stump just after planting and one month later.

Flickr: Michael_Flikr's Photostream

Hi. Converting a tree stump into a planter is one of the best way to decorate your garden. It's beneficial also, because the new plants will get all sorts of nutrition from the dead tree. Nowadays, more & more people are using dead tree stump as planters. By this, we can reuse the dead tree, can decorate our garden & grow more plants.

On Jun 19, 1:52*am, Jason Burke
wrote:
Hi. Converting a tree stump into a planter is one of the best way to
decorate your garden. It's beneficial also, because the new plants will
get all sorts of nutrition from the dead tree. Nowadays, more & more
people are using dead tree stump as planters. By this, we can reuse the
dead tree, can decorate our garden & grow more plants.

--
Jason Burke

But isn't it challenging to hollow out the stump? Or am I not getting
it...?

HB

On 6/19/12 7:04 PM, Higgs Boson wrote:
On Jun 19, 1:52 am, Jason Burke
wrote:
Hi. Converting a tree stump into a planter is one of the best way to
decorate your garden. It's beneficial also, because the new plants will
get all sorts of nutrition from the dead tree. Nowadays, more & more
people are using dead tree stump as planters. By this, we can reuse the
dead tree, can decorate our garden & grow more plants.

--
Jason Burke

But isn't it challenging to hollow out the stump? Or am I not getting
it...?

HB


Many years ago, my neighbor planted a row Italian cypress (a southern
California garden cliche) too close together along the property line
between his front lawn and mine. When they grew up, every breeze caused
them to batter each other, leaving bald vertical bands where they faced
each other.

About 10 years ago, he had alternating trees removed, cutting them down
but not grinding out the stumps. The remaining cypresses recovered and
filled in where they had become bare.

Although they are regularly wet by his and my lawn sprinklers, the
stumps of the removed trees are still too hard for anyone to dig out a
hollow for use as a planter.

--
David E. Ross
Climate: California Mediterranean, see
http://www.rossde.com/garden/climate.html
Gardening diary at http://www.rossde.com/garden/diary

Higgs Boson writes:

On Jun 19, 1:52Â*am, Jason Burke
wrote:
Hi. Converting a tree stump into a planter is one of the best way to
decorate your garden. It's beneficial also, because the new plants will
get all sorts of nutrition from the dead tree. Nowadays, more & more
people are using dead tree stump as planters. By this, we can reuse the
dead tree, can decorate our garden & grow more plants.

--
Jason Burke

But isn't it challenging to hollow out the stump? Or am I not getting
it...?

HB

If the tree died, it might rot from the inside and
leave a hollow stump.

Now I think about it, my neighbor put some plants
in a stump like that. Used mulch too.
Looked pretty good.

--
Dan Espen

On Tue, 19 Jun 2012 22:28:04 -0400, Dan Espen
wrote:

Higgs Boson writes:

On Jun 19, 1:52*am, Jason Burke
wrote:
Hi. Converting a tree stump into a planter is one of the best way to
decorate your garden. It's beneficial also, because the new plants will
get all sorts of nutrition from the dead tree. Nowadays, more & more
people are using dead tree stump as planters. By this, we can reuse the
dead tree, can decorate our garden & grow more plants.

--
Jason Burke

But isn't it challenging to hollow out the stump? Or am I not getting
it...?

HB

If the tree died, it might rot from the inside and
leave a hollow stump.

Now I think about it, my neighbor put some plants
in a stump like that. Used mulch too.
Looked pretty good.

To me, that is the way to do it...maneuver a tad of space in the
center and plant something...the planting itself will help to open up
the center. It'll take more than a while, but it'll happen.

Boron

On Tue, 19 Jun 2012 19:24:16 -0700, "David E. Ross"
wrote:

On 6/19/12 7:04 PM, Higgs Boson wrote:
On Jun 19, 1:52 am, Jason Burke
wrote:
Hi. Converting a tree stump into a planter is one of the best way to
decorate your garden. It's beneficial also, because the new plants will
get all sorts of nutrition from the dead tree. Nowadays, more & more
people are using dead tree stump as planters. By this, we can reuse the
dead tree, can decorate our garden & grow more plants.

--
Jason Burke

But isn't it challenging to hollow out the stump? Or am I not getting
it...?

HB


Many years ago, my neighbor planted a row Italian cypress (a southern
California garden cliche) too close together along the property line
between his front lawn and mine. When they grew up, every breeze caused
them to batter each other, leaving bald vertical bands where they faced
each other.

About 10 years ago, he had alternating trees removed, cutting them down
but not grinding out the stumps. The remaining cypresses recovered and
filled in where they had become bare.

Although they are regularly wet by his and my lawn sprinklers, the
stumps of the removed trees are still too hard for anyone to dig out a
hollow for use as a planter.

Cyprus is naturally rot resistant and can last a lifetime, but can
still be hollowed quite easily. I've hollowed hardwood stumps (cedar)
to use as a planter many times; drill a series of holes with as large
a drill bit as you can handle (1/2" dia. works well), then finish with
a wood chisel... it's not necessary to go more than 6"-8" deep for
planter... stay a good 3' from the perimeter or your stump planter
won't last but a few years before it rots through... and even then
placing a plastic plant nursery pot with it's bottom cut out in the
hollow works very well. Don't even need to hollow the stump, just
place a planter atop. With soft woods the stump will rot and collapse
in five years. Regardless, whether directly in the stump or in a pot,
whatever is planted needs watering and constant moisture will
accelerate the stump rotting. If a stump is less than 12" in diameter
it really doesn't pay to hollow it, just place a planter atop.
http://i47.tinypic.com/2338y.jpg
http://i49.tinypic.com/2eoaa1s.jpg

On Tue, 19 Jun 2012 22:28:04 -0400, Dan Espen
wrote:

Higgs Boson writes:

On Jun 19, 1:52*am, Jason Burke
wrote:
Hi. Converting a tree stump into a planter is one of the best way to
decorate your garden. It's beneficial also, because the new plants will
get all sorts of nutrition from the dead tree. Nowadays, more & more
people are using dead tree stump as planters. By this, we can reuse the
dead tree, can decorate our garden & grow more plants.

--
Jason Burke

But isn't it challenging to hollow out the stump? Or am I not getting
it...?

HB

If the tree died, it might rot from the inside and
leave a hollow stump.

In my experience that's pretty rare and even rarer that such a stump
will be suitable for use as a planter, those would be very old and
large trees that when cut down are so unevenly rotted it's best to
completely remove them. And an old tree doesn't need to have died to
be rotted inside... last year I cut down a huge silver maple in a
hedgerow that was still very much alive but so rotted on one side that
it was unsafe. Every winter after a heavy snow I spot trees that have
recently fallen in the woods, they'd be slanted and held up by healthy
trees nearby, but with snow on their trunk they stick out like a sore
thumb. In most cases such trees are best left to rot on their own, it
can be very dangerous taking a chainsaw to such a precariously
balanced tree, with those leaning so they'd fall in an open area that
I mow I mark with surveyer's tape to remind me to stay away and wait
till they fall, they rarely make a second winter. Once on the ground
they become cord wood... I have two birch that I just marked last
week.