Even though cutting down trees isn’t something most homeowners look forward to doing, there are times when it’s necessary to do so for safety or damage prevention. Unfortunately, the removal discussion will continue even after the tree has been taken down. The stump’s fate after that rests in the hands of the homeowner or landowner. Cutting down a tree is often the best course of action, but you’ll still need to decide whether to remove or grind the stump completely. Some people may want to save the scrap out of emotional or artistic consideration, but doing so requires taking extra safety measures. It is ultimately up to you how you choose to handle the remaining three components, but you must have a thorough grasp of the procedure and the associated risk.
To Remove or To Leave Tree Stumps in the Ground
After cutting the tree down to its trunk, time becomes your opponent. Decomposition of stumps begins instantly but progresses slowly over time. Insects, as well as other pests, are drawn to the rotting food. Insects like termites or carpenter ants can reap the benefits of decaying wood. Other animals, such as raccoons and squirrels, may seek refuge in the rubble and help themselves to the plants you’ve worked so hard to nurture if the holes are big enough.
Tree stumps are unsightly and attract pests, particularly when left to decompose. They can also be a danger to other plants and can disrupt landscaping. For instance, the root system of a new tree planted between 10 to 12 feet from an established tree may become entangled and cause problems.
When a tree stump is separated from the tree it once belonged to, the very slow process of decay begins. Further, a rotting stump provides the ideal environment for carpenter ants and termites to lay their eggs and spread their destructive swarms.
Though you have the option of letting the stump rot away on its own, the pests it attracts could potentially cause damage to other trees and plants in your yard, as well as your house. The most effective method of preventing infestation by these pests is to remove or grind down the stump.
Why Should a Tree Stump Be Removed?
After a full day of work, the yard may appear worse than it looks better after removing a stump. A crew must excavate the area to remove the stump’s roots. Most trees have a root system spreading as far as 12 feet in every direction. After a complete clearance, your yard will be free of any traces of trees. It’s safe to replant without worrying about the old roots stunting the development of new trees and vegetation. The main drawback of a complete elimination is the expense involved. Tree removal is much more costly than grinding because of the extra time and effort required.
Grinding the stump is more economical and expedient due to the reduced time and effort required. However, because the root system remains after grinding a stump, replanting will have to wait. Once the tree and stump are removed, the roots will rot away, although this process can take months. Homeowners may need to wait until the following year to replant after having their homes ground down. Many individuals can’t wait for the ground to thaw, so they plant trees in the spring.
Both complete removal and grinding are viable options for getting rid of a tree stump, but each has its own set of benefits and drawbacks. The decision as to which choice is best for a certain property is with the property owner.
A tree stump should be removed for more than just avoiding creepy insects. Consider relinquishing your hold on the stump because:
- Stump rotting is unsightly. Yard aesthetics and property value are both negatively impacted by this.
- You shouldn’t mow your lawn where the stump is because you risk damaging your lawnmower if you run over the stump or its roots.
- While the stump and its extensive roots remain, no new trees can be planted in the immediate area.
To Grind or Remove a Stump?
Both grinding and removing a stump have benefits and drawbacks. Which path is optimal for you depends heavily on your long-term landscape goals.
One of these processes, removing the stump, is more disruptive than the other. The process includes lifting the heavy stump and digging out the extensive roots. You may probably guess that it takes a great deal of effort, and robust equipment to complete. So what’s the good news? When you have removed a stump from your yard, you may start fresh with your landscaping plans. The downside is that a gaping hole is left behind when the stump is removed, which can be unsightly until it is filled up.
Cutting down a stump requires much less effort. For this purpose, arborists will use a special machine to reduce the stump to tiny wood chips. Stump grinding is more time- and labor-efficient than removing the entire stump, but it still leaves the tree’s roots in place. Depending on the size of the stump, you may end up with a sizable mound of chips, but you may put the chips to good use as mulch for your other plants.
Tree stumps, if left unattended, can result in a wide variety of issues and dangers, such as:
Resulting Damage To Property
Even after a tree has been chopped down, its stump and roots may continue to develop. If this occurs, the roots may spread to other parts of your yard or even your house, where they can cause damage by raising pavement (including patios, walkways, and roads) or even damaging the foundation of your dwelling.
Therefore, the stump should be removed before its roots can pose problems for the surrounding area.
Problems With Insects And Other Pests
If you leave a tree stump in the ground, microbes will help break it down. Species of ants, like carpenter ants, will colonise the stump and set up shop there. After a while, you may notice these ants in other places, such as neighbouring trees, plants, or even within your own home.
Termites, wood wasps, beetles, snakes, rats, fungi, and illnesses can all make a home in a tree stump and cause extensive damage to nearby trees, bushes, and buildings.
For homeowners considering refinancing or taking out a home equity loan to cover the costs of extensive yard work, including stump removal, using a top mortgage aggregator can be instrumental. These platforms allow you to compare different lenders and find the best terms, making the project more financially manageable.
Invasive
Tree stumps are an eyesore and a nuisance, taking up valuable real estate in your yard or garden where they don’t belong. Invasive weeds could also sprout from tree trunks. Despite their diminutive stature, these weeds can quickly multiply into a problem if left unchecked.
Mushrooms and other fungi may sprout from tree stumps and their roots, taking over your garden. Animals, including humans and their pets, can get sick by consuming the wrong kind of this. Not only that, but they can also infect neighbouring trees.
Dangers To People’s Safety
Children should not stroll or play near tree stumps because of the potential danger they pose. A tree stump can cause a person to trip or stub their toe and can also be harmful if they land on it.
And if you’re mowing the lawn or otherwise maintaining the landscaping, you’ll have to find a way to avoid it. If the lawnmower hits the tree stump, it could cause damage and possibly injure the operator.
Spatial Aesthetics
Roots from felled trees can be unsightly eyesores and waste a lot of lawn space. They also detract from the aesthetic value of your property and are, therefore, generally regarded as an eyesore. It’s possible that prospective buyers won’t be interested in purchasing your home if there are dangerous stumps in the yard.
But getting rid of the stumps and replacing them with a flower garden, picnic table, or patio set will do wonders for your home’s kerb appeal. You might also clear the area so children have a safe place to play without obstacles.
Uninterrupted Tree Development
A tree’s stump can stimulate the growth of a whole new tree around it. Because trees continually send up new shoots, getting rid of them is a pain and can be expensive. Even little trees can steal water and nutrients from your garden and landscaping, preventing them from flourishing.
The tree can regrow from the stump, creating a multi-trunked monster that is even more painful to remove than the initial stump.
What Happens When Roots Are Ground?
Although the stump is removed once it is ground down, the old tree’s roots can extend 4, 8, or even 12 feet below the earth. These roots will eventually decompose on their own after being ground up, but it will take a long time. Over a decade may pass before the roots are completely decomposed.
A skilled arborist can assist you in deciding whether or not to remove the stump or grind it down.
Can I plant a new tree where the previous one was?
The quick answer is “yes,” but we strongly advise against it. Homeowners tend to replant trees in the same spot as the one they removed. It’s the case if the residents were sad to see the tree go in the first place, as could be the circumstance if the tree had been injured or was sick.
However, developing a new tree will be difficult due to the remaining roots after stump grinding. The old roots not only prevent new roots from taking hold, but their breakdown also alters the soil’s pH. That means the new tree might have a tough time developing roots.
A new tree will have difficulty taking root if the one it replaced was a walnut. The juglone toxin secreted by these trees into the ground surrounding their roots kills off any other plants that try to grow there. Do you ever wonder why grass stops short of a walnut tree? The toxin that these trees exude has a major role in this.
Of course, there are solutions if you genuinely cannot bear to see that area of your yard devoid of vegetation. Rather than starting with a stump grinder, you should try removing the stump entirely. The soil’s acidity must also be brought back up. To accomplish this, you should have your soil tested. A local university or research centre should be able to assist you with that. They’ll next give you detailed instructions on how to amend your soil in anticipation of the new tree.
However, this may be time-consuming and costly. That’s why it’s common advice to move the new tree to a different spot in the yard.
Why Do You Need a Professional for Stump Grinding and Removal?
Although it may sound easy, removing and grinding stumps requires expertise, training, and specialised equipment. Below are just a few of the many scenarios in which it would be best to hire outside help for these services.
- They’re equipped with specialised tools, which are needed for removing and grinding away at stumps. Neither renting nor purchasing this gear is easy. Although this machinery is useful when in the hands of those who know how to use it, acquiring such knowledge is no easy task. An arborist is prepared and knows how to use this gear.
- Due to the inherent dangers, arborists have liability insurance. Getting rid of a stump or grinding it down can be dangerous and time-consuming. To ensure the safety of persons and property, arborists evaluate both the tree and the stump and recommend the safest removal method. Damages caused by negligent arborists are covered by their insurance policies.
- Affordable. Actually, this is the case! Stump removal and grinding may be expensive when you factor in the price of hiring a professional and operating the specialised equipment required for the job. In most cases, hiring an arborist is the more cost-effective solution.
- Strive to limit any unwanted consequences. If you don’t know what you’re doing, trying to remove or grind a stump could cause serious damage to your garden or home.
- It’s a far more effective use of time. Arborists can work much more efficiently because of their extensive training and experience. Hiring a professional will save you time if you need a stump removed or ground down.
- A tidy environment is provided for you. There will be quite a bit of garbage left behind when a stump and, perhaps, some roots are cut away. Tackling its removal can be difficult, and in some cases, specialised trash hauling services may be required. After removing the stump, a trained arborist will also clean up your garden.
Conclusion
Decomposing tree stumps are unsightly and can serve as a breeding ground for pests. Wood-boring insects like termites and carpenter ants can benefit from this. The best way to prevent an infestation by these pests is to have the stump removed or ground down. In order to remove the stump and its roots, a crew will need to excavate the area. In the end, your yard won’t have a single tree left after a thorough clearing.
You can replant without worrying that the old roots will harm the growth of your new trees and plants. Tree stumps don’t belong in your yard or garden; they’re an eyesore and a nuisance. Although it saves time and effort compared to removing the entire stump, stump grinding does not get rid of the tree’s roots. Tree stumps are an eyesore that can lower the value of your property. Your home’s kerb appeal will increase dramatically once you remove them and replace them with a flower garden, picnic table, or patio set.
If you need help deciding whether to remove or grind the stump, an arborist can advise you. Expertise, training, and specialised equipment are needed to remove and grind stumps. When old roots decompose, they change the soil’s pH and inhibit the growth of new roots. It’s recommended that you replant the tree somewhere else in the yard. The removal of a stump, or its grinding down, can be a risky and time-consuming task. Hiring an arborist is typically the more economical option. Professional arborists have a distinct advantage over regular workers due to their years of education and practise.
Content Summary
- The stump’s fate thereafter rests in the hands of the homeowner or landowner.
- In many cases, cutting down a tree is the best course of action, but you’ll still need to decide whether to completely remove the stump or grind it down.
- After cutting the tree down to its trunk, time becomes your opponent.
- A crew will need to excavate the area to get rid of the stump’s roots.
- Both complete removal and grinding are viable options for getting rid of a tree stump, but each has its own set of benefits and drawbacks.
- There are benefits and drawbacks to both grinding and removing a stump.
- Cutting down a stump requires much less effort.
- Stump grinding is more time- and labor-efficient than removing the entire stump, but it still leaves the tree’s roots in place.
- Therefore, the stump should be removed before its roots can pose any problems for the surrounding area.
- Mushrooms and other fungi may sprout from tree stumps and their roots, taking over your garden.
- If the lawnmower hits the tree stump, it could cause damage and possibly injure the operator.
- But getting rid of the stumps and replacing them with a flower garden, picnic table, or patio set will do wonders for the kerb appeal of your home.
- A skilled arborist can assist you decide whether or not to remove the stump or grind it down.
- However, it will be difficult to develop a new tree due to the remaining roots after stump grinding.
- To begin, rather than starting with a stump grinder, you should try removing the stump entirely.
- That’s why it’s common advice to move the new tree to a different spot in the yard.
- Specialist tools are needed for both removing and grinding away at stumps.
- Due to the inherent dangers, arborists have liability insurance.
- Damages caused by negligent arborists are covered by their insurance policies.
- Stump removal and grinding may be expensive endeavours when you factor in the price of hiring a professional and operating the specialised equipment required for the job.
- In most cases, hiring an arborist is the more cost-effective solution.
- If you don’t know what you’re doing, trying to remove or grind a stump could cause serious damage to your garden or home.
- If you need a stump removed or ground down, hiring a professional will save you time.
- After the stump is removed, a trained arborist will also clean up your garden.
Frequently Asked Questions
What Will Dissolve A Tree Stump?
Many well-known manufacturers of herbicides produce stump-eradicating products, such as Spectracide, Stump Stop, and Bonide. Natural solutions like Epsom salt, saltpetre, and rock salt can also be used to remove your tree stump.
How Long Does It Take For A Tree Stump To Disappear?
In addition to being unsightly and potentially dangerous, tree stumps can serve as a magnet for unwanted insects, fungi, and bacteria. Stumps can take up to ten years to completely disappear if left to decay and rot away naturally without any treatment.
What Happens If You Leave A Tree Stump In The Ground?
If left unattended, a tree’s remnants, including its stump and roots, will eventually rot and provide a haven for insects, moulds, and other microbial organisms. At the same time, the roots will continue to expand.
Can A Tree Stump Grow Again?
Believe it or not, a tree can grow back from a stump because their foundations remain intact. The roots are inactive, but that’s the only difference. The roots may still have enough food to encourage new growth above ground.
How Do You Keep A Tree Stump Alive?
This stump can only survive if it shares nutrients and water with the surrounding trees. The transfer of nutrients from tree to tree via fungi is not a novel phenomenon, and it has been observed in nature.
