SQWIB
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I'm stuck need help planting a Japanese Stewartia

I had a red maple that I cherished, I planted this 25 years ago and half of it died in what appeared to be a weeks time, never saw anything like it.

I sent these photos to a very helpful Arborist at Temple and she said the tree was planted too deeply and it never had a chance and to remove it.
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I already know the answer to this and it's killing me but I'll ask anyhow, maybe I can get some ideas.

I am really stuck on location of this new tree, I can not get the stump out and not going to have any pros grind it.
I am working on a hole directly in back of the tree stump (closer to the house).
This is the only feasible place due to how the patio pavers are laid out, If I go Left-Right or in front of the tree, it will alter the pathway too much.


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I have a few months before the new tree is here (small 2' Stewartia) and will continue working on the stump and try pulling out with my truck but if that fails, I plan on digging, chopping and sawing as much of the roots out as possible then chainsaw the stump below ground level and plant up against the stump.

Any other options?

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rainbowgardener
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Not sure why you are so opposed to having it ground out. That is the simplest solution and not that expensive.

Alternatively, saw it off just a little above ground level. Pile the stump up with charcoal briquets over the top and all around the sides and burn it out. I did that once and the fire smouldered for a couple days and burned out all the roots as well as the stump. You want to leave some stump to burn, so the fire is going well enough to keep going into the roots. It isn't much hazard, becase it never really flames.

SQWIB
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rainbowgardener wrote:Not sure why you are so opposed to having it ground out. That is the simplest solution and not that expensive.

Alternatively, saw it off just a little above ground level. Pile the stump up with charcoal briquets over the top and all around the sides and burn it out. I did that once and the fire smouldered for a couple days and burned out all the roots as well as the stump. You want to leave some stump to burn, so the fire is going well enough to keep going into the roots. It isn't much hazard, becase it never really flames.
I don't have $350.00 extra to spend on stump removal, don't think the charcoal thing is a safe idea for me, my gas line enters at the front of the house.

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ButterflyLady29
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You would have done better to remove the tree and wait a couple years before replanting but what's done is done. Remove all you can manually.

But, as for the death of the maple, I have a couple questions. How long after you laid the path and driveway did the tree die? What is the black substance on top of the soil under the vines? Maples are notorious for sending up surface roots. If you removed those roots or covered them it easily would have lead to the early death of the tree. If it was planted too deep at the beginning it would not have lived and obviously thrived for 25 years. Physical damage would kill a tree suddenly.

The stewartia looks like it would be a good choice for that location.

SQWIB
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ButterflyLady29 wrote:You would have done better to remove the tree and wait a couple years before replanting but what's done is done. Remove all you can manually.

But, as for the death of the maple, I have a couple questions. How long after you laid the path and driveway did the tree die? What is the black substance on top of the soil under the vines? Maples are notorious for sending up surface roots. If you removed those roots or covered them it easily would have lead to the early death of the tree. If it was planted too deep at the beginning it would not have lived and obviously thrived for 25 years. Physical damage would kill a tree suddenly.

The stewartia looks like it would be a good choice for that location.
I had one of those rubber tree mat things at least 10 years or so, pavers have been there near 10 years as well.

However you may be on to something, my neighbor poured a concreted driveway next to me...about 6' from the tree.You can see the driveway directly under the arrow in the picture in my earlier post.

imafan26
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I think if you plan to plant in the same place. I would hold off on that. If you are not grinding the stump, you will have to wait for it to rot. If you are getting your new tree keep it in a pot for the meantime.

You can cut the tree down as much as you can and then drill holes all over it. Pour stump killer into the holes water it and then cover it with plastic. If you don't burn the stump, it will take a couple of years for the naturaly decay to rot the stump out. You cannot plant the new tree until that happens. You don't know what killed your tree, I suspect your neighbor's driveway probably did have something to do with it. The trees roots had to have been under there. The roots will take up space until they decay. While the roots are decaying, not much will want to grow there. You will have to amend the soil to replenish nutrients before you can plant your tree.

ButterflyLady29
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The driveway would have done it. Maples die easily if a few inches of soil is spread over their roots. 6 or so inches of concrete would have smothered those roots and kept the tree from getting enough moisture.

Cut the stump as low as possible. Since it's already dead you don't need to put any herbicide on it. You can use stump remover but from what I've seen on those you are still supposed to burn the stump out. I've never done this but putting some nitrogen fertilizer on it might help. I piled a bunch of compost and manure on mine and it rotted out completely in a couple years.

You can put your stewartia in a large pot on top of the stump. Spread some wood chips around to level the area and set the pot on top.

SQWIB
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Thanks for all the advice.

I decided to start the long strenuous, tedious task of digging out the stump. The soil is a clay soil so I've been chopping with an axe, then using a spade bit on a drill to loosen the soil then shop vac the loose soil, then sawzall larger roots. I'm going to work around the entire tree then chainsaw any huge roots. Don't want to use the chainsaw till I clear most of the soil out due to tons of rocks, when I'm finished digging I'll irrigate then hit it with the chainsaw.

The week I plan to pull it out I'm gonna saturate with water the entire week and try pulling with my truck, if that fails, I'll try a mechanical lever using an 8' 2x6. I'm gonna get the edited OUT, its my only option.

Hard to tell by the pic, but I got about 14" dug out around the one side.

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ButterflyLady29
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It's a lot of hard work. I've helped hubby dig out a few trees like that. Be very careful if you try to pull it out with the truck. That recoil if a root snaps or the pulling chain slips can be very dangerous. Really better to just dig, cut, chop. You can use the truck to pull it over so you can get the roots underneath better.



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