Stumps

How do I get rid of stumps? I have several in my garden, some dead, some alive. A stump grinder is not an option, I live in Italy and have yet to find a garden centre with one available for rent (or for sale...). Neither is an excavator, I'm still reeling from the last time one "invaded" our garden leaving tracks all over the place and a lot of damage...digging out by hand, forget about it, I've already got a ton of tasks in my hands...that leaves chemical or similar means, any ideas?

Cheers Nicholas

 

SBK painted on freshly cut stumps and repeated will slowly eradicate them. I did this with a couple of very large shrubs and within 4 years or so I was able to remove the rotting stumps.
Cutting stumps as close to soil level as possible and then painting means planting ground over nearby will help disguise the stumps. Covering with soil too will help cover the stumps for a few years

Ideally, removal is the solution Nicholas

 

Contact local landscape gardeners and get quotes. I had loads of stumps removed and was not particularly expensive.