How to Kill an Oak Tree After It's Cut

You might think that once you've cut down an oak tree, the hard work is over. Unfortunately, the stump remains as an unsightly reminder of the once-mighty tree. But even if the look of the stump doesn't bother you, the new shoots likely to start growing out of it just might. An application of fertilizer can kill the stump in just a few weeks.

1-inch drill bit
Power hand drill
Potassium nitrate
Bucket
Stick or wooden stirrer
Pickax

Instructions

- 1
  Attach a 1-inch drill bit to a hand drill and bore holes around the perimeter of the oak tree's stump. Space these holes three to four inches apart.
- 2
  Fill a plastic bucket with potassium nitrate and water in the ratio indicated on the packaging. Potassium nitrate is a common fertilizer used to accelerate decomposition. You can find it at garden centers and home improvement stores.
- 3
  Combine the potassium nitrate and water with a stick or similar stirrer.
- 4
  Carefully pour the mixture into the holes bored into the oak tree's stump.
- 5
  Wait four weeks for the potassium nitrate to accelerate the decomposition of the stump. After this period, you can break up the stump with a pickax. If the stump is not yet soft enough to break apart, re-apply the potassium nitrate mixture and monitor the stump until it is easy to break.

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