Got a few stumps? Don’t want ’em anymore? That’s easy enough, but what do you do with them? Removing stumps is not just as easy as ripping it out of the ground. That’s usually NOT the way to do it. What tree care professionals do is stump grinding.
Sure you can probably go rent a stump grinder for about $200 and do it yourself but do you really have the time for that? Also, what if you don’t have the protection equipment? How far down do you grind? What about the mess? Do you have all the right equipment? Will the tree grow again? See, there’s a lot to this stump grinding business.
Most stump grinding will inhibit plant growth but some trees are excellent at regenerating. Willow, Poplar and some varieties of flowering cherry trees have known to regrow up to five years later! That’s probably not something you want coming back at you. In these cases, a good herbicide can be used in the area to ensure regeneration does not occur (please use with caution around kids and pets).
So what can you do with all those chips and grindings? How about using them for mulch, a park area or kids play spot? Chicken pen? The stuff around other trees? You don’t have to just toss those valuable chunks of wood into the compost pile (although they do make excellent compost).
Mulch and chippings can be a great benefit to your garden and save you some money since you’re not having to buy anything extra. They could insulate the soil, which keeps it warmer in the winter and cooler in the summer. These two things can reduce evaporation, retain moisture and could reduce the germination of some weed to seeds that could be in the area.
Now, not every stomp will be good viable mulch. When we do the stump grinding, we can let you know whether or not the stump will be good for mulch or not. If it’s too rotten, it will only add organic material to the ground, which could create more dirt instead of the mulch you really want.
It also depends on the tree. Let’s say you have 3 stumps to be ground and they’re all different. You may not want three different colors of mulch in your front flower bed. So talk to your tree care specialist about the best way to use the stump grinding for mulch.
Ready to do something with that stump? Give us a call anytime for a free quote or estimate! We can also tell you what to do with the mulch and what is salvageable.