Topic: Tree stump killing

[richardglobal]

I have an ash tree stump cut down a long time ago and now dead BUT some of the bark has come to life and is sprouting. Last year I used some tree stump killing crystals on some trees I cut down, including an ash, with great success, but I can't find it in the shops and I've forgotten the name! The stuff on sale I've found doesn't seem suitable for putting on ledges cut into the bark. Any ideas, please?

[Baccy Man]

Any reason it can't be dug out? Even large stumps don't take long to remove with a grubbing mattock.

There were a lot of products still for sale last year despite the fact they should of been withdrawn in November 2007, full list at http://www.pesticides.gov.uk/garden.asp?id=1997 if it was root out you used then that is still available. They now state it is a compost accellerator & should not be used for killing tree stumps but it is exactly the same stuff in the box.
http://www.garden-products.info/rootout.htm

[richardglobal]

Thanks, Baccy Man. The stump is in a hedge and would create a great deal of mayhem to get out. Anyway, I'm quite happy having it there, as long as I can kill that bit of the bark that's come alive. Perhaps it was Root Out I used. Do you know where can I get it now?

[Baccy Man]

You can get it direct from the manufacturer on the garden-products.info link above, just fill in & post the order form.

[saddad]

Is Amcide still available?
 :-\

[Baccy Man]

No Amcide is gone all products containing ammonium sulphamate had to be withdrawn, root out is still available on the basis it's for a completely different purpose same sort of thing armillatox did when that was supposed to be withdrawn they changed the description of use to patio cleaner & they can still sell it.

[Bjerreby]

Ash trees have huge root systems. If it was a big tree, all you can do is chop off any new shoots that appear.  :)

[Kepouros]

There are two other remedies much older than ammonium sulphamate, although they still work as well.  One is to drill two or three holes immediately under the bark and adjacent to the new shoots, and to fill these with a mixture of SBK and sump oil; although the current SBK formula is not as effective as the original it should still do the trick.  The other is the very old fashioned one of drilling similar holes and filling them with Sodium Chlorate crystals - topping up as they dissolve.  This used to have the added advantage that after 12 months or so one could simply light a fire on top of the stump and it would slowly smoulder away and burn throughout the root system, but I believe that the Gauleitters in Brussels have somehow managed to make Sodium Chlorate less flammable, so the burning out part may not now work.

[richardglobal]

Thanks to everybody. I think I can do it now from all your very useful information. Thanks again.

[campanula]

No no do not use sodium chlorate - it is horrible stuff which will travel and kill everything else nearby - i have had better success drilling holes and using SBK and a carrier (think i used parafin) then covering stump with a plastic bag and tape

[Kea]

Here is a technique i developed when doing my MSc research on a climber (Clematis vitalba) which is a serious weed problem in NZ lowland forests.

Get some pieces of wooden dowel (like you use to join furniture pieces together) soak overnight in a solution of suitable translocatable herbicide. Drill a hole in the stem big enough for the piece of dowel and push it in (wear gloves!), the dowel gives a slow release of herbicide and doesn't affect surrounding plants.