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Taking out root ball of 20 yr old fallen treat

11 years ago

Hello. One of the recent storms took down a 20 year old pine tree in my yard. (It hasn't been a good year for trees inNJ).

We cut up the tree and took it away but now have to take out the rootball (I have another tree waiting to go in its place). Any tips or advice on how to do this? There are so many huge roots... axe? chainsaw?

This is turning out to be quite a bit of work and wondering if anyone has any advice or tips... is this just too big for me and my husband to take care of?

Thanks.

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Comments (5)

WxDano
11 years ago
Standard digging up with pickaxe. Your local rental place has stump grinders if you want to go that route. Age-old problem as old as agriculture - elbow grease and your back into a pickaxe/mattock.
krnuttle
11 years ago
If you did not have to have it out immediately, I would let it rot out. It only takes a year or two and there are ways to speed that up.

I agree with the Mattock with a wide blade. Because of its design you can take out roots quite easily, in a couple of hours. On new roots I use an axe to splinter them and and mattock to remove the chunks.

I don't know how any one can plant and maintain a yard with out a mattock. We live in eastern Carolina and have clay with about 10%? quartz rocks. It is the only way to dig holes.
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rhizo_1 (North AL) zone 7
11 years ago
A professional with a heavy duty stump grinder could make short work of it, plus carry the big pile of chips away, if you don't want them. You can call and ask for competitive bids.
Huggorm
11 years ago
Where I live farmers has always used a special lifting rig for taking out stumps. I don't know if it has an english name, but it looks like three or four thin loggs put up in a pyramidial shape around the stump and connected in the top. From the connection point a differential pulley can be attached, so that you can lift the stump. When there are tension in the roots, they will be much easier to cut with an ordinary axe.

Here is an image of what I'm talking about:

Here is a link that might be useful: {{gwi:348142}}
ken_adrian Adrian MI cold Z5
11 years ago
your only real problem.. is that you insist on planting in the EXACT same spot ...

cant you just move a few feet .. one way or another.. and plant there?? ... and leave this one to rot??? .. even if you have it ground out.. you arent going to be able to dig much of a hole where it was ground out .....

use it as a pedestal for garden art???

that is what i would do on 5 acres.. but is not a real solution in space-limited suburbia..

ken

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