You don’t have to remove tree stumps. It’s actually better for your garden to leave them to rot. Here’s how to make a stump into a planter.

Our property wasn’t pristine when we bought it. It was the site where logs were dropped into the ocean when the island was logged. That means the ground is nearly all compacted clay and rock. We’ve also found quite a bit of random artifacts from that period.
Most of the trees were pretty thin and scruffy looking. We had the largest ones assessed and decided to have three of them removed for fear of blowing over and potentially damaging the neighbors’ properties.
As a result, we have a few large stumps. The largest is a balsam stump located right in the middle of our garden area.
What can you do with a stump?
Professional stump removal is a lot of work. If we needed a perfectly cleared piece of land, it might be something we’d consider. However, we really needed to improve the soil on our property. It’s why most of our scrappy trees were turned into hügelkultur garden beds.
There were three options we considered for our stumps:
- Epsom salt treatment
- Burning
- Making a stump planter.
1. The Epsom salt treatment:
The Epsom salt stump treatment is a popular concept on garden blogs. The general idea is that you drill holes into a stump. Fill them with Epsom salt. Then about 10 weeks later the stump will be dried out and dead.
In the beginning, I was pretty excited about this option. Then I did a bit more research and learned that the “Epsom salt” technique is a much better internet meme than stump remover.
Epsom salt kills the stump, but that doesn’t make it easier to remove. And rather than helping the stump to naturally decompose, it actually stalls decomposition since it kills all the mushrooms and fungus that would normally help the stump rot.
That’s why there’s a lot of info on how to do the Epsom salt stump removal treatment… and no pictures of what it looks like afterward. (Ahh… the joys of mass-produced content…)
2. Burning A Stump:
In concept, burning a stump in place is a good way to remove it. You start a small fire on top of the stump which slowly burns down.
There are a few big issues with this plan:
- It’s very hard to burn a freshly cut stump. It’s still alive and full of water.
- Burning a dry stump is a pretty effective way to start a big fire. Especially if there are other trees nearby.
Our island is about 60% parkland, and it happens to have pretty strict rules when it comes to fires. We also only removed three trees… and we have plenty of other trees surrounding our stumps. So burning is not an option for us.
3. Why you should leave a stump in the ground
Most posts on the topic of tree stumps want you to remove them. Unsurprisingly, the majority are from companies that you can hire to grind that stump out of the ground for you. The reasons for stump removal fall into two categories:
- unsightly tripping hazards
- the risk of bringing bugs and fungus into your yard
I’m not really concerned about either of these “issues.” In fact, I want ants, termites, and fungi in my garden. They’re not pests that will destroy my home. They don’t want dry, painted wood. They’re only interested in turning rotting wood into soil. 😊
Here are some of the reasons why you shouldn’t remove a tree stump:
- Stumps provide homes for beneficial insects.
- Even after a tree has been cut, its roots hold the surface soil in place and stabilize banks. (Important for us because our whole property is on the side of a cliff).
- Leaving stumps in place actually improves the growth of the plants around them by providing beneficial fungus and preventing soil compaction.
Making a tree stump planter is an easy and beautiful way to encourage decomposition and soil building.
How to make a stump planter
Probably the hardest part of making a stump planter is carving out the stump. We had three stumps to carve out, so we perfected the process.
Here are a few tips:
- A stump planter needs to be at least 4 inches deep. And you want to make sure to leave a 2-inch border around the edge of the stump.
- Unless you are really devoted to the project. I recommend starting with a small spot the first year, then slowly expanding the size of your planter. It is hard to drill into a freshly cut stump! However, once your planter has started to rot, it’s easy to increase the size of the planter.
- After a few years, when the planter is the ideal size, add a few drainage holes, angling outwards from the edge of your planter.
- A tree stump planter should last for up to 10 years, depending on the type of wood. (I don’t expect our balsam to last that long).
How to make a stump planter:
- Make a few smaller planter holes the first year and expect to connect them as the stump starts to rot.
- Drill a few holes into the stump. If you’re lucky, you’ll find an area (around a crack) that is easier to drill. Try to make a hole at least 3 inches in diameter.
- Once you’ve got a few connected holes, use an axe, chisel, or mattock, and knock out around the drilled holes.
- When you’ve cleared all you can, drill again, as needed. The goal is to make the hole in the stump as deep as possible.
- Fill your holes with soil and you’re ready to plant!
- In the second and third years, increase the size of your planter, until you’ve reached the final size. Then add drainage holes by drilling down and out from the edge of your planter.
What type of plants for your stump planter?
Since carving a deep hole into a stump is a LOT of work, I recommend choosing plants with shallow roots. After 4 or 5 years as a shallow root planter, the stump will have started to rot. At that point, it’s perfect for whatever you want to grow! (I’m planning on planting cucumbers in my balsam… the vines will drape nicely over the sides).
Here are a few shallow-root plants. If your stump is tall, choose a creeping plant that can fall over the side of the stump.
- Succulents like hens and chicks are the best option for the first few years, as they don’t have large roots.
- Lavender
- Nasturtiums
- Sweet Peas
- Wild strawberries
- Bedding flowers like petunias and pansies
What a creative way to repurpose a stump! A natural, eco-friendly planter is a great solution for small, shallow-rooted plants.
Thanks!