Homeowners
who have had a tree cut down on their property often find themselves with
the left behind tree stump to contend with. Stumps left behind from
tree cutting can be variously described as unsightly, taking up valuable
gardening space, and even hazardous.
There are various ways to deal
with tree stumps depending on how quickly you want the stump removed.
Nature
Simply covering the stump with soil will eventually lead to the stump's
decay. Once it has rotted enough it can usually be removed with an
axe and/or shovel. Unfortunately depending on the size of the stump
this process could take many months or years.
Nature Accelerated
Various commercial products can be applied to a stump to accelerate the
decay process. They are generally applied by drilling holes in the
stump and pouring a liquid into the holes. According to manufacturers,
after 8-12 weeks the stump should be soft enough for removal by burning.
In many urban and suburban areas burning stumps is not allowed. Be
sure to check local codes before pursuing this method.
Stump Grinding
If you're in a hurry and want the entire stump removed immediately there
is no better method than a stump grinder. Stump grinders come in a
variety of sizes from the size of a lawn mower to nearly as big as a small
car. Most accomplish their task by means of a high-speed disk with
specially designed teeth that grind the stump and underground roots into
small chips.
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A
stump grinder's
specially designed teeth spinning at great speed will
reduce a stump and roots to mulch in a matter of minutes. |
We wanted four stumps removed immediately so we had
Ryan Lawn & Tree
come out to grind them down. They arrived with a stump grinder that was
certainly big enough
for
our stumps and was apparently capable of grinding down almost any size
stump and underlying root system.
Ryan's Jon Schoeberl (pictured)
says, "I look at stump grinding as a way of reclaiming some of your yard.
Once that stump is removed properly you're able to grow grass, plant
another tree, whatever you want. None of that is going to happen
with a tree stump in place."
One
of our four stumps needed to be cut closer to the
ground with a chain saw before grinding could begin. This was a
remnant of a tree we lost to last winter's ice storms. Once that was
taken care of Jon fired up the grinder and got to work.
As
the disk spins it is directed back and forth over the
stump in a slow sweeping motion. After a few passes the stump has
been reduced to ground level. "We're not done yet", Jon advised us.
"To do it right you really want to grind it down 10-12 inches below ground
level. That way you'll be able to grow just about anything in that
spot."
Within a few minutes the first
stump was gone and all that remained was a foot-deep hole and a pile of
mulched up stump. in less than 30 minutes the job was complete and
we had reclaimed about 80 square feet of gardening space. |