Review of Spectracide Stump Remover, Austin, TX

Stump removal project in Austin, Texas. Cleared out a brush area in my backyard to leave only Elms, Oaks and a few Hackberries. This left 50 or so stumps to remove. Can't burn them in the city limits. Decided to try Spectracide brand of Potassium Nitrate.
Applied Spectracide in early 2017, it's now October 2017 (7 or so months later) and I didn't get the rot I expected. I followed instructions but may not have drilled as many holes as necessary or used as much as I should have. Instructions say to expect the stump to be rotten in 4 to 6 weeks. Expect it to take longer.
Stumps in the yard were Cedars and Japanese Ligustrum (called Privets). Applied straight, non-mixed Roundup before applying Stump Remover. Applied Spectracide a couple of days back to back, made sure it was dissolved.
Cameo by my backyard helper, Jake Dog.

[@aaronrose186]

3:11 thats not a happy stump lol

[@harrys.3165]

Mix the powder and hot water up before you put it in the holes but drill out many more holes for a faster result.

[@bradvanschouwen7314]

This might have helped, thanks for watching.

[@jnesper7]

I’m not an expert or a chemist, but I believe roundup only works on green material. It’s a respiratory accelerant that basically puts green plants on a treadmill and cranks it up till it can’t sustain itself anymore. As such, applying roundup to a stump won’t prevent any future shoots. At least that’s how I’ve always understood it. To prevent the shoots, I think you’d need to use something like groundclear/killzall. Also, to another commenter, the purpose of KNO3 (potassium nitrate, i.e. this stump remover) is to accelerate the oxidation and rotting process of the stump. If anything I suspect it’d make any kerosene or diesel fire burn out faster, not slower. This stuff is also used to make amateur rocket propellant. I also didn’t realize cedar would be that resistant to the rot. That’s cool. Best solution here (as someone pointed out) is probably to rent a stump remover and make a weekend of it.

[@chrisferrante9699]

I looked to see if anyone else commented this. Wait for the shoots to come up and spray the leaves. It only works on parts that are green. Then after no more shoots.... do the stump remover.

[@kkutube1972]

I bought a bunch of this product but never used it but will now thanks. I took down 400 tree. Still have 100 more stump.

[@ledzeppelin1212]

Thanks for the video, sir!

[@shanek6582]

I thought you filled it up with potassium nitrate then after a few months, pour kerosene on and burn it, the nitrate is supposed to soak into the roots and keep the kerosene burning.

[@1bizjets]

My grandfather was a demolition man. I don't have to tell you how he handdled stumps.

[@TS-vr9of]

All it is is a nitrogen fertilizer source for the microbes(potassium nitrate). Microbes are what cause rot but they need water to function. Use spectracide then top with compost or manure and plant some type of legumes, grass, or flowers on top. It just needs more consistent moisture rot faster, and plants will make that happen. also consider adding sugar water to your mix, 1 cup sugar per gallon water.(microbe food)

[@justincalvarez]

Powered milk and a large plastic bag pinned over top of each stump to create a greenhouse. It rots quick. A stump grinder is best, but not always possible, say if a family tied a large chain around a tree and the tree grew around it. Happens more than you think.

[@heavymechanic2]

Cedar resists rot, those stumps will be there a long time.

[@dannydubai4403]

Use a wedge to split the stump

[@FoggyHollowMan]

I thought the stump was supposed to be dead before you used the remover?

[@francismorganstern6455]

If you got a clear plastic bag put it over the stump wrap it up make a humidity dome I did this 3 out ten trees i cut the 3 i wrap seem to rot alot faster than the other 7

[@CocoChanelle-1]

FYI, for a bush I cut down, I poured pure Clorox over the small stump on a hot sunny day and it dried it up and it died.

[@gblueslover8807]

Newest packaging says after initial putting granules in and hot water, and adding ( hot, I assume) water again for several days afterwards that the "Stump will be ready for removal in 4-6 weeks" Hmmm we'll see what HAPPENS. Hope the packaging instructions are correct.🤔

[@oscars7948]

chain, hook, and truck

[@voodoomagicwhitney9932]

Thanks for the video, doesn't look like its a big time saver. Btw you want to use crossbow to kill tree's. If you want to kill everything mix roundup and crossbow.

[@zeusgodaboveallgods7813]

The last stump is not very happy

[@downloadableskills]

3:25 that cedar stump is miserable. Great video tho! Just what I wanted to know.

[@bradvanschouwen7314]

True! The cedar stumps are way harder than the stumps of the soft invasives

[@kfelix2934]

@@bradvanschouwen7314 cedar is actual a softwood , very invasion in central TX. Other examples of softwood would be Pine. Hard wood trees would be oka, mesquire, hackberry, etc.. I'm removing cedar stumps 3-18" by using a excavator ;)

[@GrantZPrice]

life will.... um... find... a way....

[@secondswell]

You need to rent you a stump grinder they work wonders.

[@bradvanschouwen7314]

Yep, that would have been quicker and worth the money but the slope in the yard is too steep of a grade

[@Siganmelosbuenos]

I agree that 4-6 weeks is too little time for the stump to break down. In case you would like to see it, here is my video of the same process: kzbin.info/www/bejne/qnfNdp2LrM6om68

[@NeverTakeNoShortcuts]

Not all species rot the same..

[@flewggle]

More holes.

[@bradvanschouwen7314]

This might have helped, thanks for watching.

[@jimbomorrison7133]

Rent a stump remover. There not that much for a 24hr.rental.

[@brockbaker3able]

The stump has to be completely dead for a year for potassium nitrate to work. Trust me when I say it works. The fact that you have shoots means the stump isn’t dead.

[@bobbg9041]

My dogs had one tree stump they loved to piss on, for a whole summer they kept pissing on this stump. Its mostly covered with weeds or other plants. Well this stump is 90% gone its rotten, a good swing with an axe or sleg hammer it will go flying. Epsom salts will give the same results, but so will that stump remove, you missed one important step, you've got to cover the stump with a black plastic bag, it has to stay moist and dark for the fungus to decay the wood fibers. All your doing is feeding the fungus and making it eat more wood faster. The way you did it wasted time and money. Read the label its right on the bottle in black and white. Or you can get a pack of dogs to piss on all of the stumps for a whole summer. But I'm going to warn you they poop too and it stinks until its dry. Its not on the label but use dogs wisely! Or hire your kids to play poopy pick up patrol.

[@bradvanschouwen7314]

You're right, a plastic bag sealing out moisture would have helped them rot. I can't remember the instructions on the bottle saying anything about doing this but after watching other videos that was more effective.

[@geecarrr2327]

U need to burn it the potassium nitrate uses the wood as a catalyst when it soaks in its a very controlled slow burn u can also make smoke bombs and tannerite with it lol

[@armandohernan4610]

Try car battery acid, it works..

[@bobbg9041]

With that many stumps I'd rent a stump grinder and go to town on them. Plunge cut with your chainsaw straight down until you hit dirt try and make a bowl.

[@censored7881]

Awww... Sad stump! (3:11). I destroyed my expensive Milwaukee 2706-20 drill using this shit product. Now I feel like I'm wasting my time and so I think I will go out and just tear ass into the stump with a maul and wedge.

[@FiZiKaLReFLeX]

Jeez man… how lazy are people… get a damn shovel and dig those things up if you want them gone. Couple days elbo grease vs years of waiting for this stupid shit to kinda work.