Don’t let a leftover stump grind your yard cleanup to a halt
Stump grinding involves breaking up a tree stump and its roots until they are just tiny wood chips. If you know how to kill a tree but still wonder, ‘Who do I call to grind a stump?’ you’ll be happy to know hiring a tree stump removal company can handle the job.
Tree service companies, specifically those specializing in stump removal, are tree care and maintenance experts. They also know the best methods for killing a tree stump and which one is right for your situation. In many cases, grinding the stump is the right option, as it can:
Make your yard look better by eliminating the unsightly stump and visible roots
Open up space for groundcover or hardscaping
Eliminate dangerous trip hazards in your yard
Remove obstacles that can damage your lawnmower
Destroy a potential breeding ground for termites and carpenter ants
Local stump removal companies are some of the only businesses with experience handling stump grinding equipment, so they are typically the only pros offering this service. While tree service companies may offer stump grinding as an additional service when removing a tree, stump removal companies are still the best option since you need someone experienced and knowledgeable in this process to ensure they eliminate the stump and its visible roots.
It’s possible to learn how to use a stump grinder to remove unsightly stumps from your yard, we don’t recommend it. Stump grinding is a challenging process that requires the use of large, dangerous machines weighing over 1,000 pounds. Stump grinders require training and experience to use them properly and safely. Additionally, only a local stump grinding service will have sufficient liability insurance to cover this heavy-duty machinery. It’s best to leave this task to the stump grinding pros to avoid the risk of injury or damage to your property.
If you can’t find a stump removal service in your area, the next best option is to hire a tree removal service. Tree removal specialists typically offer stump grinding as an add-on service after removing a tree from your yard, so they have the equipment and expertise necessary to complete this task. However, you should be sure to ask whether the tree removal service specializes in stump grinding before hiring them for the job.
If you hired a local stump removal service to remove your property’s stumps, you can expect them to follow these general steps. First, the stump grinding pros will prepare the area around the tree stump to cut it as close to the ground as possible. Then, they’ll use a stump grinder to grind the stump and any visible roots into wood chips, going from three to eight inches below the ground. They will leave the resulting mulch in the hole where the stump was or haul it away for you.
After the pros grind the stump, you can leave the wood chips in place or remove them and fill the hole with soil to plant sod or install hardscaping, like pavers. Since the stump will remain below ground, you may be unable to grow plants with deeper roots, such as new trees.
Usually, trees cannot grow back after their stump has been ground, but some very hearty types of trees can. For example, if you have a black locust or Redford pear, the grinding will need to go deep to prevent them from growing back. Ask your tree service or stump removal expert whether your tree can resprout after its stump is ground down.
It is possible to plant a tree over a ground stump if it was ground very deeply. However, it is typically best to plant elsewhere so your new tree has room to establish a strong, healthy root system. If you want to plant a tree in the same spot where you currently have a stump, you may want to consider other options, such as stump removal.
Stump grinding leaves the stump and roots below the grinding depth intact, though they will gradually decay over the next decade. You can grow plants with shallow roots, such as grass, over the remaining pieces of your now-deceased tree. However, you should wait until they fully decay to plant anything with a larger root system.
