Cheap Saltpeter for Stumps

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SteveHGraham
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Cheap Saltpeter for Stumps

Post by SteveHGraham »

A while back, I asked for help with removing stumps, and there was some discussion of potassium nitrate, which does a bang-up job with very little effort. I have a follow-up.

Because of our current state of national paranoia, a number of useful things are now hard to get. Potassium nitrate is one of them. I don't know why that is. It can't be because it's an ingredient of gunpowder, because gunpowder itself can be bought it large jugs without a problem. Anyway, this chemical, which used to be cheap and easy to find, is now very, very expensive.

I found a company that sells it at acceptable prices. For about $18, you can get a 10-pound bag, and they also sell larger bags. Shipping is not bad, either.

If you want to get rid of your stumps without going broke, try http://dudadiesel.com. Sure beats paying a dollar per ounce.
Every hard-fried egg began life sunny-side up.
John Hasler
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Re: Cheap Saltpeter for Stumps

Post by John Hasler »

I've dealt with Dudadiesel. Good service, good prices.
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SteveHGraham
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Re: Cheap Saltpeter for Stumps

Post by SteveHGraham »

Here is the obvious question: if one company is still willing to sell saltpeter for reasonable prices, why don't they have any competition?

I have many stumps. I'm not going to pay five dollars each for saltpeter.
Every hard-fried egg began life sunny-side up.
RMinMN
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Re: Cheap Saltpeter for Stumps

Post by RMinMN »

To aid the bacteria in breaking down the cellulose in the stumps you need to add nitrogen which the potassium nitrate does. If you are near a farming area, turkey or chicken manure is high in nitrogen and can be had fairly cheap too.
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SteveHGraham
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Re: Cheap Saltpeter for Stumps

Post by SteveHGraham »

I can't train a chicken to poop in a drilled hole in a stump. At least I don't think so.

I wonder where chickens get all that nitrogen.

Looking forward to seeing these stumps dissolve. It's nice when something works the way people say it will.
Every hard-fried egg began life sunny-side up.
John Hasler
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Re: Cheap Saltpeter for Stumps

Post by John Hasler »

It helps to cover the stump with wet vegetation.
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mcostello
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Re: Cheap Saltpeter for Stumps

Post by mcostello »

Wet chicken nest?
RMinMN
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Re: Cheap Saltpeter for Stumps

Post by RMinMN »

SteveHGraham wrote: Fri Nov 02, 2018 10:58 am I can't train a chicken to poop in a drilled hole in a stump. At least I don't think so.

I wonder where chickens get all that nitrogen.

Looking forward to seeing these stumps dissolve. It's nice when something works the way people say it will.
One could use a teaspoon to move the chicken manure to the hole in the stump if you can't train your chickens. :P

Chickens get the nitrogen from the same place as other animals, from their feed. They are just a lot more efficient at removing the other energy sources before the nitrogen is expelled. Try feeding a bunch of chickens (lots of chickens) to the weight of a horse. Then try feeding a colt that same amount and see what size of horse you end up with. Horses are probably among the least efficient animals at using the feed.
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SteveHGraham
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Re: Cheap Saltpeter for Stumps

Post by SteveHGraham »

I was a kibbutz volunteer many years ago. They had ponds where they raised fish, and they also had chicken houses. They claimed they fed the fish chicken manure. Something to think about when you eat tilapia.
Every hard-fried egg began life sunny-side up.
John Hasler
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Re: Cheap Saltpeter for Stumps

Post by John Hasler »

SteveHGraham wrote: Sat Nov 03, 2018 9:15 am I was a kibbutz volunteer many years ago. They had ponds where they raised fish, and they also had chicken houses. They claimed they fed the fish chicken manure. Something to think about when you eat tilapia.
Don't think about what vegetables grow in.
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SteveHGraham
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Re: Cheap Saltpeter for Stumps

Post by SteveHGraham »

Big difference between chemical fertilizers and a soup of fresh, uncomposted chicken poop.
Every hard-fried egg began life sunny-side up.
John Hasler
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Location: Elmwood, Wisconsin

Re: Cheap Saltpeter for Stumps

Post by John Hasler »

SteveHGraham wrote: Sat Nov 03, 2018 6:56 pm Big difference between chemical fertilizers and a soup of fresh, uncomposted chicken poop.
What do you think chicken farmers do with the manure? Then there's guano... Eat any "organic" stuff?
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