Author Topic: Tree stump planter? (Read 15443 times)

280plus · « **on:** May 24, 2011, 09:47:52 PM »

How can I turn new huge stumps into some kind of planter like all hollowed out and stuff growing inside. Anybody ever do this?

Regolith · « **Reply #1 on:** May 24, 2011, 10:08:09 PM »

You could burn it out, kind of like how they made dugout canoes. I think that'd be the easiest way...you'd have to watch it to make sure you don't burn the entire stump, though.

grampster · « **Reply #2 on:** May 24, 2011, 10:10:37 PM »

Small hand ax, a couple of chisels and a stout hammer and sweat equity to hollow it out. A cooler and beer will help. It'll last a long while. I had an oak cut down 18 years ago and had a stump left that is about 3 feet high. I use it to feed squirrels. Put some nails into the stump and ram corn cobs down onto the nails. Bark is all gone and it's 1/2 rotted away, but what's left is still sturdy.

41magsnub · « **Reply #3 on:** May 24, 2011, 10:11:25 PM »

Thermite (it's the new detcord).

AJ Dual · « **Reply #4 on:** May 24, 2011, 10:36:58 PM »

I recommend a power drill and a big auger bit. Drill a bunch of holes and bash the remainder out with a hammer.

Harold Tuttle · « **Reply #5 on:** May 24, 2011, 10:38:53 PM »

termite (its the wood detcord)

RoadKingLarry · « **Reply #6 on:** May 24, 2011, 11:34:34 PM »

I had a huge old oak die in my backyard last year, the power company took it down for me since it was close to the lines. It is about 32" in diameter at the point they sawed it off.
I'm still cutting and splitting the wood from that and it's been 6 weeks on the ground.

280plus · « **Reply #7 on:** May 25, 2011, 05:30:00 AM »

I have a bunch of 2" long 3' diameter chunks I'm still thinking about how I'm getting onto my pickup.

vaskidmark · « **Reply #8 on:** May 25, 2011, 05:41:09 AM »

The olde timey way is to drill a few holes to create a circle with a diameter roughly 2/3 the diameter of the stump plus some more scattered inside the circle (not as many, or as deep, as to cause excessive perspiration) and then fill them with "coal earl" (OK, if you can't get that stuff kerosene will do). Let the stuff soak into the stump - as in a week or two. Keep topping up the fluid in the holes and allow the stuff to seep into the stump as much as possible.

When the holes are basically dry (no overt pool of liquid) light it off to create a smoldering fire. If you get big flames and smoke either it's too wet or you have a volcano erupting. In the first instance smother the fire with stuff as opposed to drowning it with water, and wait another week before relighting. In the second instance take pictures and then run.

Let your stump smolder until you have burned out as much of a hole as you want. Take a pickaxe (or other impliment of choice) to the burned-out portion to get rid of the charred portion.

NOTE: Your local fire department may strenuously object to your doing this, especially if there are laws regulating the times when open burning or unattended burning are prohibitted. How your homeowner's insurance underwriter and the company that issued your policy will feel about it are anybody's guess.

stay safe.

280plus · « **Reply #9 on:** May 25, 2011, 08:40:05 AM »

Yup, sounds right but the town or someone around here may take issue with a long term smoldering fire. Modification might be to make the cuts and then start a hotter short term wood fire on top of it, cover it with wet cloth to put it out completely out when I'm tired of effin with it and chop out the burnt stuff as I go along. It may take a few sessions but I believe it sounds like a plan.

I got some nice fat augers and a 1/2' milwaukee.

vaskidmark · « **Reply #10 on:** May 25, 2011, 10:08:41 AM »

Quote from: 280plus on May 25, 2011, 08:40:05 AM

Yup, sounds right but the town or someone around here may take issue with a long term smoldering fire. Modification might be to make the cuts and then start a hotter short term wood fire on top of it, cover it with wet cloth to put it out completely out when I'm tired of effin with it and chop out the burnt stuff as I go along. It may take a few sessions but I believe it sounds like a plan.

I got some nice fat augers and a 1/2' milwaukee.

The goal is to get as much damage as possible from a low, slow fire of essentially banked coals, and then scape everything out. Lather, rinse, repeat.

Barring the charring process, just boring holes will allow rot to spread and you will lose the entire stump to some high-class acidic mulch in about a year.

stay safe.

Tallpine · « **Reply #11 on:** May 25, 2011, 10:39:31 AM »

Could carve out a hollow with a heavy duty chainsaw

Would be boring work, though...

But - why would you want to plant a tree stump?

280plus · « **Reply #12 on:** May 25, 2011, 03:08:00 PM »

Quote from: vaskidmark on May 25, 2011, 10:08:41 AM

Barring the charring process, just boring holes will allow rot to spread and you will lose the entire stump to some high-class acidic mulch in about a year.

stay safe.

Yup, I'll char it with a wood fire built on top, like burning out a canoe.

Quote from: Tallpine on May 25, 2011, 10:39:31 AM

But - why would you want to plant a tree stump?

Tree stump farm...

jmpbink · « **Reply #13 on:** June 20, 2012, 11:11:45 AM »

Have read, and enjoyed answers to Tree Stump planter...but I have anew questions...We had a large tree cut down and are left with about 5 large stump like pieces that are too big to go through the splitter, and I want to make those into planters...same premise???

Scout26 · « **Reply #14 on:** June 20, 2012, 12:03:42 PM »

Yep. Char them out with a low, slow fire...

geronimotwo · « **Reply #15 on:** June 20, 2012, 01:04:40 PM »

i think the burning process (charcoal brickets, blowtorch?)would be the least amount of effort, and the chainsaw would get the job done the fastest (if there were no dirt to dull the chain.). would a planter built on top not be asthetically pleasing? the redneck guidebook would show one of those inside-out tire planters nailed on top!

280plus · « **Reply #16 on:** June 20, 2012, 02:00:49 PM »

yea, that sounds real classy like.

Are you guys trying to remind me I never did a thing about this and the stumps are still out there?

(Never mailed Physics that part on my desk for elctromicroscoping either. Hmmmm...)

Tallpine · « **Reply #17 on:** June 20, 2012, 03:28:57 PM »

Quote from: 280plus on June 20, 2012, 02:00:49 PM

yea, that sounds real classy like.

Are you guys trying to remind me I never did a thing about this and the stumps are still out there?

(Never mailed Physics that part on my desk for elctromicroscoping either. Hmmmm...)

A few more years, and the stumps will rot out hollow

280plus · « **Reply #18 on:** June 20, 2012, 07:07:40 PM »

Sounds like a plan!

geronimotwo · « **Reply #19 on:** June 20, 2012, 08:46:35 PM »

i wonder how a few holes and drano would do?

RevDisk · « **Reply #20 on:** June 20, 2012, 11:16:51 PM »

Started doing that to a couple stumps. On lawn care days, just put some charcoal in the stumps, light em up. Repeat for a few weeks.

French G. · « **Reply #21 on:** June 21, 2012, 03:28:57 AM »

Potassium nitrate? I still like thermite, requires less patience. Is it legal to make tannerite into a shaped charge? Not sure if it would work, be fun to try.

vaskidmark · « **Reply #22 on:** June 21, 2012, 06:51:55 AM »

Quote from: French G. on June 21, 2012, 03:28:57 AM

Potassium nitrate? I still like thermite, requires less patience. Is it legal to make tannerite into a shaped charge? Not sure if it would work, be fun to try.

Get somebody to run the video camera (at extreme zoom?). Be sure to say "Hold my beer and watch this" before you set it off.

And since tannerite requires a direct hit with some impact, how are you planning to hit it from above? Ladder? Dark green helicopter? Meteorite? (Which is why the need for video. Among all the other reasons.)

stay safe.

Tallpine · « **Reply #23 on:** June 21, 2012, 12:44:07 PM »

Quote from: RevDisk on June 20, 2012, 11:16:51 PM

Started doing that to a couple stumps. On lawn care days, just put some charcoal in the stumps, light em up. Repeat for a few weeks.

The interesting part might be getting the fire put out.

It will eventually travel down each root.

Burning stumps are hard to put out and are a common source of reignition on wildfires :(

vaskidmark · « **Reply #24 on:** June 21, 2012, 01:32:37 PM »

Quote from: Tallpine on June 21, 2012, 12:44:07 PM

Burning stumps are hard to put out and are a common source of reignition on wildfires :(

And the opportunity for an expenses-paid vacation is bad how?

stay safe.

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Author Topic: Tree stump planter? (Read 15443 times)