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Palm stump removal question - No stump grinder

Followers

November 30, 20241 yr

So here's the progress thus far on my stunted queen. Cut down to the ground, and roots cut around it with reciprocal saw.

Next step is to drill a bunch of 1 inch holes into stump, and add {insert recommendation here} into the holes to expedite decomposition.

The BIG question - I want to add something to decompose stump, yet not injure the healthy queen just two feet from it.

Dr Google tells me epsom salts, and cover it with a black trash bag?

But that could affect soil on neighboring queen?

Appreciate recommendations.

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November 30, 20241 yr

Just let Mother Nature decompose it. Cut more groves with the saw as deep as you can into the stump and below the soil line or as deep as possible. Cover it with some mulch and time is your friend in this case. Mycelium will start to do there job. Apart from really getting stuck into it with some heavy duty work, just let time decompose it. Keep wet or moist it will breakdown faster that way.

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November 30, 20241 yr

You may try drilling holes too . As the palm starts to decompose you can chisel out chunks of it until it is pretty much gone. It will take a while but eventually it will be gone. Harry

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December 1, 20241 yr

Author

3 hours ago, Harry’s Palms said:

You may try drilling holes too . As the palm starts to decompose you can chisel out chunks of it until it is pretty much gone. It will take a while but eventually it will be gone. Harry

That did the trick. Plus my recently delivered 'Long Prong' from the outback to pry out the chunks. Thank you gents!

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December 1, 20241 yr

Good job ! Didn’t even have to wait for decomposing. Harry

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December 1, 20241 yr

Nice! I have a queen I cut down that I've been waiting on to decompose for about 2 years now. This last spring I went out there with a pickaxe to give it a go and it was still too bouncy. I'll try again this spring. I have a Sabal Riverside that's been itching to get in the ground for YEARS!

Oakley, California

55 Miles E-NE of San Francisco, CA

Solid zone 9, I can expect at least one night in the mid to low twenties every year.

Hot, dry summers. Cold, wet winters.

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December 3, 20241 yr

Author

On 11/30/2024 at 5:37 PM, Patrick said:

This last spring I went out there with a pickaxe to give it a go and it was still too bouncy. I'll try again this spring.

YouTube'd this from awhile back, mixed with a few other tricks I learned on my own.

If you don't want to wait till Spring ..

Get a hammer drill with a 1in wide bit (10in long) and drill holes through your stump until you hit dirt. You'll be surprised how the stump is not very deep. Here's a rudimentary drawing. Then you take a split wedge + heavy club hammer and pound the wedge in-between the holes. Then you'll slowly watch the stump begin to split into pieces. Quite satisfying to say the least.