How can I kill rosebush stump?

Ajc21505259
by Ajc21505259
I have two very old rosebush stumps that are determined to thrive in spite of my efforts to be rid of them. I cannot dig them up because they are near other plants I don’t want to damage. What can I do??

  8 answers
  • Janet Pizaro Janet Pizaro on Apr 09, 2018

    you cannot use any chemicals as that will harm the surrounding plants.Try to smother them out with heavy black plastic

    • Ajc21505259 Ajc21505259 on Apr 09, 2018

      Those were my thoughts exactly. But these stubborn plants are more resistant than the plastic I covered them with! May be multiole layers?

  • Jane Redden Jane Redden on Apr 09, 2018

    Liquid stump remover. Lowe’s or Home Depot. Drill holes and pour it in the holes. On a dry weather day.

  • Linda Sikut Linda Sikut on Apr 09, 2018

    Hi Ajcowley,

    Unfortunately, the best way to remove it is to dig it out. However, you can try the way to remove a generic tree stump if you want. Click on the link below to see if you think this will work for your rose bush stump. If you have questions about these products, I'd suggest talking to someone at a local nursery. Wishing you the best.

    https://www.familyhandyman.com/landscaping/how-to-remove-a-tree-stump-painlessly/view-all/

  • Nancy Turner Nancy Turner on Apr 09, 2018

    Cut a raw edge on the top of the stump and put weed killer on it with a paintbrush. It will not harm the surrounding plants, but the weed killer will absorb into the roots. I would do this a couple of times, especially if you see new growth. It took me a year to kill a huge wild grapevine stump, but it still works when nothing else helped at all. Good luck!

  • Janet Pizaro Janet Pizaro on Apr 09, 2018

    yes ,use heavy black plastic

  • Chloe Crabtree Chloe Crabtree on Nov 07, 2023

    Begin by gathering a few supplies: a drill with a large bit or an ax, Epsom salt, water, wax, a tarp, and a shovel. Proceed to drill several 1-inch-wide holes in the stump's surface, including its aerial roots, ensuring each hole is placed at a distance of at least three to four inches. While six holes are sufficient, bigger stumps may require more. Ensure you drill down to around eight inches to allow for deeper salt penetration. Alternatively, you may use an ax to make hollows in the tree stump. Next, directly pour Epsom salt ¾ of the way up in the drilled holes and fill the rest with water to keep the salt moist. Then, plug the holes with wax. Additionally, cover the trunk remnant with a non-porous tarp to minimize rain and sun exposure so that the roots do not sprout again and the salt does its job of rotting the stump. Repeat the procedure every three weeks until the stump is dead, and dig it out using a shovel.


    If you don't wish to strain yourself by drilling holes, you can use the soaking method to remove a tree stump. In a bucket, combine Epsom salt and water in a 1:2 ratio. Generally, soaking a single tree base requires two gallons of water and one gallon of salt. Pour this solution all over the tree stump and its largest exposed roots. After drenching the stump, cover it with an opaque tarp or a plastic sheet, and add a layer of mulch on top to weigh it down. You can also sprinkle a nitrogen-rich fertilizer around the tree trunk's base to further boost its breakdown. Repeat this method at least once a week and chip away at the wood as it decomposes. Finally, pull out all the stump remnants, especially the root system, when it completely dries out. After disposing of the stump, you can repurpose the space by adding soil and sowing grass or flower seeds.

  • Deb K Deb K on Nov 11, 2023

    Hello, hope this helps you. Drilling holes into the stump will help the hot water kill deep and exposed roots. After you're finished drilling, carefully pour boiling water over the stump, making sure to cover the entire stump. The hot water will shock the system and begin the decomposition process using heat. Then you could pour some epsom salts in the holes and cover them ( to prevent them getting diluted by rain)to let them break down the stump. Or try to dig them out.