Removing An Old Tree Stump Is Easier With The Help Of One Common Bathroom Staple

Tree removal is one of the most arduous (and arborous) tasks for the yard. Not only do you have to deal with the possible risks of cutting down a tree too close to the house, but it's not a very budget-friendly process either. Tree removal is a costly task, and often the price you are quoted does not include stump removal. Some folks opt to DIY removing the stump to save a bit of cash, but it can be back-breaking work, which encompasses a whole lot of digging, pulling, and hauling, all things that aren't that fun to do.

However, there's an easier way to remove an old tree stump with a common bathroom staple: Epsom salt. Though not technically a salt, this mineral compound, made up of magnesium and sulfur, and oxygen, helps to dry out a stump quicker than it naturally would, decaying it to the point of simplified removal. It's a way to kill off the roots and stump of a tree without any digging. Epsom salt disrupts the stump's growing process through dehydration, killing it off faster and loosening the stump from the ground, roots and all, so by the time the Epsom salt has run its course, the stump should feel spongy and soft to the touch. At that point, a shovel or axe should do the trick for complete removal, cutting your digging efforts and time down to a minimum.

This solution is not for those who crave instant gratification; rather, it is a long but low-effort game. First, you'll need to drill several holes into the top of the stump, about an inch wide and 10 inches deep. The more holes you drill, the more surface area you expose to the Epsom salt once you're ready to apply it to the stump. Once you've prepped the holes, fill them completely with the Epsom salt. From here, moisten the stump to the point of saturation, but not so much that the salt begins to dissolve. The moisture helps accelerate absorption, and once you've effectively dampened the area, cover the stump with a tarp to prevent the salt from getting washed away and to utilize light starvation to help the decaying process. 

Here comes the long-game kicker: you'll have to repeat the application process once every few weeks for up to a year, at which point the decaying process should be complete. While the tree should be dead within a couple of months, the entire decaying cycle will take much longer. However, if you're patient enough, you'll be saving yourself quite a bit of elbow grease.

As a word of caution, though, some homeowners don't believe Epsom salt is effective at stump removal since it takes a long time and requires diligence in re-application. If not executed correctly, its effectiveness is understandably variable. But, advocates of this method highlight that for a wallet-friendly price of $10 to $20 per bag or carton of Epsom salt, it may be one of the cheapest ways to make stump removal easier.