Burning out tree stumps

I bought a product that removes tree stumps by burning them out. You drill holes in the stump, fill it with the product and after a few weeks, the stump is set on fire. It's supposed to get rid of the entire stump, even roots.

I want to plant a garden in this spot and I'm worried that this process may contaminate the soil. Does anyone have any experience with this product?

I have never heard of it. What is on the list of ingredients?

I would be very dubious of a stump, in the ground, with roots running random, being able to "burn", since my experiance with burning stumps, that were dug up with backhoe, had to have the dirt between the wood, and the environment chipped away, just to get air.Now imagine all that going on under ground, where there is no air.Look long and hard. Mike

Well - the granular product is KNO3 (potassium nitrate) and won't harm the soil at all. It's a fertilizer component. Poured into the holes you were instructed to drill, it feeds the micro-organisms that "eat" the stump. What actually occurs, is the extra available nitrogen causes the micro population to explode. Since the hydrocarbon chains in cellulose are easier to cleave than those in lignin, they consume the cellulose, leaving the lignin for desert. This makes the stump porous and able to absorb the kerosene (or liquid you were given) you were instructed to pour into the holes before you burn it. The added porosity also helps deliver O2 to the smoldering fire. Large stumps treated this way will burn for many days, so use care.

Your concern should be for any residuals left after the kerosene is oxidized - probably not good for the soil. ;o) If you scrap the kerosene & burning idea, the KNO3 will still fractionalize the decay time you should expect if you let nature take it's course entirely. Quick removal w/o chemicals requires an axe, a grub hoe, and a strong back, or a stump grinder.

Good luck.

Al

I read the instructions on some stump killer, which said the the roots would turn to glowing coals down to their very tips. since the root tips extended under my 100 year old house which is mostly yellow pine, I decided to just go with the straight potassium nitrate instead.

I would like to ask Al about stump treatments such as Pathway, to keep vines and brush from resprouting once you've cut them. Any tips for land clearing?

Incidently, I would like to say that your discussion of the physics of container soils is for me one of the most important sources of information on DG. thanks for your insight.

Ohhh - you are soo kind, Gloria. Thank you for those words.

Sorry - Victoriany. I'm not trying to hi-jack your thread. This is still sort of on topic.

You wouldn't want to use anything (including stump removers) with KNO3 in it. Potassium nitrate is rich in nitrogen and will PROMOTE all kinds of vegetative growth. I'm not familiar with "Pathway", and a quick search turned up nothing.

If you keep removing anything green that arises from the old vines and brush, the plants will not be able to make food and will soon exhaust their energy reserves. There are chemical treatments that would be effective at killing the original plants when applied to newly emerging stems and foliage, but I'm reluctant to suggest them. ;o)

Al

http://www.dowagro.com/ivm/forestry/prod/pathway.htm

This product was recommended to me as a way to keep stumps/vines from regrowing.

Got a lot of clearing to do: privet, wisteria, scrub trees, paper mulberry, etc.

FWIW - The active ingredient in Pathway (I had searched it in the context of a stump remover, which is why nothing turned up) is 2,4-D, a broad leaf herbicide that is effective on a wide variety of dicots. It is the same active ingredient that was in the infamous "Agent Orange" herbicide that was widely used as a vegetation killer/defoliant in the Viet Nam War era.

Al

A friend of mine died of bone cancer after he was sprayed with Agent Orange in Viet Nam. I think they (his unit) spent several days in an area that was sprayed. Is it a soil contaminant?
Well of course it is. But I mean does it eventually break down in the soil.

The high concentrations of potassium nitrate (saltpeter) will initially inhibit growth. You can add the saltpeter to the stump, and as the stump softens, you can add pieces of it to your compost pile, thus preserving a lot of the nitrogen as fertilizer.

Saltpeter is very soluble, however, so be careful about runoff.

Just so we're clear: While it is true that heavy applications of KNO3 can/will create plasmolic effect in plant tissues (fertilizer burn) and possibly cause death, it is not a phytotoxin except when applied in excess. It's o/a effect on the surrounding vegetation will be a net increase in biomass over what would have occurred w/o the application.

Al

Thanks, tapla, I could have been clearer. That's why I suggested moving chunks o' stumps to the compost pile...

Does anyone think this product (Pathway) is helpful in the death if ivy?

dun1kirk: both ivy and people. the question is: Is there a way to use it safely? Round-Up can be used to treat ivy stumps-the part still left in the ground when you cut it. Several treatments are probably necessary. thats what Ive been using on wisteria here, but its not really effective. Is an ongoing fight, with wisteria mostly 1-up. Round-Up is supposed to be a "safe" herbicide that does not contaminate the soil.