[AlaninCarlisle]

This last weekend I took down a 35 year-old plum that had stopped fruiting a couple of years ago. After a couple of hours of futile back-breaking toil, I gave up trying to get the extensive root system out and simply sawed it off at ground level. To save me going out and buying a bottle of stump-killer which I'll probably never use again, is there another way of killing off the roots? I seem to remember that drilling holes into the rim of the stump next to the bark and dribbling something in is quite effective but I can't recall what that something is. Diesel or glyphosate weedkiller maybe? Any thoughts?

[Aunt Sally]

Stump killer is quite cheap on fleebay.

[RichardA]

Sorry to be negative but I have never had any success with any of the treatments you mention. Especially with anything that is at all resinous and plum can be. Some stumps reshoot and I have tried to wrap them in black plastic to stop that which helps. A large hole chopped into the top kept filled with water might help. It is a family joke that every tree I cut down becomes a birdtable as I always leave a long length of trunk as a lever to help with the pulling out process and then cant bear the thought of yet another few days hacking out roots so I make it into a birdtable. Others I have left level to ground to stand tubs on.
Sorry to be so little help.
R

[BabbyAnn]

p

I seem to remember that drilling holes into the rim of the stump next to the bark and dribbling something in is quite effective but I can't recall what that something is

Are you thinking of ammonium sulphamate (not sulphate) which is available as a compost accelerator (used to be the original ingredient in a root and stump killer but that is now glyphosate-based)?  Basically you used to saw deepish lines to criss cross the top of the stump and pour the crystals on top, then cover and tie off to prevent rain from washing it off.  Drilling sounds like a good idea too.  It was very effective of getting rid of a sycamore tree that had taken root in my hedge a long time ago.

[LandShark]

U can also use copper nails hammered into the tree stump. The copper kills off the root and stops regrowth. We've also used copper tubing (left over from old central heating), cut it up and hammered it in on a tree we cut down last year and so far no regrowth.

[compostqueen]

My husband recently resorted to expensive stump killer for some sycamore stumps. It didn't work but neither has chainsawing, hacking, sawing, drilling, diesel or glyphos. The darned things are indestructible.  The one in my greenhouse which has been cut down to nothing keeps coming back and is now popping up outside the greenhouse as if to goad me into attacking it again   

Good luck 

[AlaninCarlisle]

Just been looking up stump-killers on tinternet. Most of them are glyphosate based

I've got some commercial-strength glyphosate concentrate (sold as Gallop in the farm-supply trade). I'll try dribbling that into holes I'll drill around the top of the stump just inside from the bark, cover it and see what happens

[lettice]

Two big rusty nails at an angle in each side of the stump. Not ever bothered with copper ones.
Also, drill many small holes or dig out a few large holes in the top of the stump, and fill the holes with rock salt.
Always worked for me.

[AlaninCarlisle]

Just been adding to all of the above with some local farming advice which is to dribble Jeyes Fluid and/or  Creosote and copper sulphate into drilled holes. This could end up as some kind of mad professor experiment with a pot-pourri of just about every noxious substance known to agriculture. I think in the interests of the local environment that I'll limit the execution to glyphosate into drilled holes

[mrsbean]

If there is no vegetation in the surrounding area you want to save, rock salt that is used on roads should kill it. A couple of buckets should do , also works on moss.

[New shoot]

This could end up as some kind of mad professor experiment with a pot-pourri of just about every noxious substance known to agriculture. I think in the interests of the local environment that I'll limit the execution to glyphosate into drilled holes

I think that is by far the best approach Alan   

If anyone else is looking for a solution, there is a product called Eco-Plugs it might be worth looking into.  OH has then to offer as a service when it is just impossible to get a stump grinder into place and trade gardeners, arborist and landscapers use them as well. 

You drill a ring of holes around the stump and hammer them in.  They are sealed and make sure the glyphosate only ends up in the tree stump 

[Aunt Sally]

A famous on-line store has tree stump killer on offer just now:

Tree Stump Killer