Question
QUESTION: Is there a device to pull out, roots and all, young cedar trees?  Say they are up to four or five feet high.  Also, are their root structures a single deep root or do they grow spread out roots in all directions?  Thanks!

ANSWER: The root system of a cedar tree is roots spread from the trunk about 1 1/2 times the width of the branches, There is not a true tap root. You can trench around the tree down to about 12 inches or so about 12 inches from the trunk and then it should pull up with a truck and a chain. If you are talking about a lot of small trees I would just cut them off at ground level. Cedar trees do not sprout and you will kill the tree this way. The roots will decay over time. The stumps of tree this small should not be large and not be a problem if left.

---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------

QUESTION: Any idea how quickly the roots decay.  I have returned to my property after 18 months and found that some of the wooded areas were cleared of smaller cedars.  The larger trees remain but the ground below them shows no signs of smaller seedlings/young trees ever having been there.  Curiously, there are small holes in the ground which I thought might have been made when the trees were somehow yanked out.  Now that doesn't seem possible so I am wondering if there is some way to cut the trees and dissolve the roots over an 18 - 24 month period.  Thanks...

Answer
The time it takes for roots to decay will depend on the climate where you live. Here in the Southern US roots will decay in about 2 years or less. In the Western US it maybe 5-10 years.

For the larger stumps you can help the decay process.

The organisms that rot or decay wood are called fungi. Fungi do not possess chlorophyll and consequently must derive food from other sources such as wood stumps. For fungi to live and grow, they must have the proper temperature, moisture, oxygen and food conditions. Food is supplied by the stump or wood, and oxygen is supplied by contact with the atmosphere. For optimum fungal growth, the temperature should range from 50 to 90 degrees F. The wood moisture content should be approximately 20 percent to slightly higher, but not water soaked. These optimum conditions do not exist for long periods, thus stump rotting actually occurs intermittently and decay of the entire stump is a long-term process.

To enhance decay conditions, the stump should be cut as near ground level as possible, covered with sod and kept moist. If possible, several large holes at least 1 inch in diameter should be bored vertically into the stump. These holes expose more wood and slightly hasten decay. During the first year following tree removal, the organisms that decay the wood tend to be nitrogen-limited. That means that the addition of fertilizer during the first year, especially a high nitrogen fertilizer, will hasten decay. Be careful not to add so much as to cause a fertilizer 揵urn?to surrounding plants.

The organisms that come along to decay the stump after the first year or so tend to be carbon-limited. That means that adding high nitrogen fertilizer no longer hastens the decay. The alternative is to add carbons (in the form of sugar) to the wood after the first year. Simply add some ordinary granulated sugar through those holes and the process will speed up considerably. Keep in mind that the heartwood of some species such as cedar, mulberry, bois d抋rc and locust are naturally durable and will take much longer to decay than softer woods.

As the stump rots, depressions or holes will develop. These can be unsightly and a hazard. You can re-fill these depressions with topsoil as they develop.

There is no miracle chemical on the market that dissolves a stump overnight. Some of the more common chemicals offered for sale are potassium nitrate or saltpeter, sulphuric acid and nitric acid. Some chemicals have been ineffective.  


There are several chemicals available at garden centers that will hasten the rotting of a tree stump. This basically involves drilling a series of holes in the stump and adding the chemicals. While this method definitely does speed up decomposition time, don't expect it to be lightning-fast. The stump will still take a prolonged period of time to break down.