How to obtain potassium nitrate? (stump remover)

[Janar_Dhan]

I have a huge yucca tree stump. Literally around 2mtr wide. Stump grinder is not an option due to its location.

I was told poison it with potassium nitrate. Can we get this relevant ( stump remover) potassium nitrate in Australia?

[MitchellMc]

Hi @Janar_Dhan,

Potassium nitrate-based stump removers are generally not available for sale in Australia due to restrictions on its use. While potassium nitrate is commonly used in other countries for stump removal, it is a regulated substance here.

If you're looking for an alternative method to speed up the decomposition of your yucca stump, you can encourage natural decay by keeping the stump moist and covering it with a tarp to reduce oxygen exposure. Over time, this will accelerate rotting, and you can periodically remove softened sections. 

Please let me know if you have any questions.

Mitchell

[GlennB]

I also have a few large stumps from conifers that have lifted and cracked my driveway. A narrow garden bed and fence don't allow me to grind them out. What other options to help the decomposition of the roots and stump are there? Trees were removed about 4 years ago but stumps still feel pretty solid. Thanks

[EricL]

Hello @GlennB 

Welcome to the Bunnings Workshop community. It's sensational to have you join us.

As I'm sure you are aware potassium nitrate is a controlled substance so we can remove that from the equation. Natural decomposition is not having much of an effect on your stump and you're saying that there is not enough room for a grinder to be effective as there is no space due to your fence.

If you are really keen in removing your tree stumps, have you seriously considered removing your fence temporarily and moving the plants from your narrow garden bed into pots while you remove the stumps. I'm referring to a full fledge major roadworks exercise that will see you remove all the physical obstacles in order for you to drive in a stump grinder and get those stumps out. The only other option I can suggest is to engage the services of a professional stump remover.

Let me call on our experienced members @Dave-1, @Nailbag, @TedBear and @JoeAzza for their recommendations.

If you have any other questions we can help with, please let us know.

Eric

[Dave-1]

Good Evening @GlennB 

Mmmmm I dislike poisoning things in my yard as something will always end up "hanging" around in my soil. So the natural decompistion route id favour. To aid this you could burn the stump out, and I mean slowly. Using an empty 20L metal container cut out the top and bottom of it. Then making sure you have a hose and buckets of water handy near by build a little bbq fire inside the vertical tube, it will take time to burn out the old stump in sections, the metal will help control the heat (tho not totally) Ive seen a bunch of videos on it, never tried it myself  

My only concern is to make sure the burnt section is out when you finish each section and never leave it alone.

Dave

[JoeAzza]

Hi @GlennB when I had a tree removed many years ago,  I poured weed killer onto the freshly cut tree stump, appreciate 30 cm diameter, and place thick black plastic over the stump, I left it and forgot about it for a few years, one day I was doing some gardening in the area, I stepped on the s plastic covering the stump, to my amazement my foot sank into the plastic, no stump left, all gone. I have since told another person of what happened, he tried it on some Yucca stumps , same thing happened , the stumps disappeared under the plastic.

it jus takes a long time to work and the stumps were freshly cut.