What You Should Do After Stump Grinding?

Every so often a tree starts growing just a little bit too close to your house. And then the roots start trying to get through your foundation, or worse begins cracking it and throwing it off square.

So as much as I or most probably you hate to, it’s time to cut the thing down and get in a stump grinder to get rid of what’s left.

And that’s all fine and good, but what about after you’re done grinding, then what?

Overview Of Stump Grinding

Stump grinding is done with a special type of grinder. This equipment is used to chip away the wood from the stump until it turns into tiny bits of wood mulch or dust.

It comes in different sizes and it’s specially designed sharp teeth works by spinning at great speed to trim down a tree log in a matter of minutes.

Now everyone can go to a shop and rent a tree grinder for their own stump removal effort, the cost of rental can be reduced if sharing with somebody else.

Otherwise another option is to hire professional tree service so that they can do the hard work for you.

However, what many people may not realize is that most stump grinding companies don’t necessarily remove the stump for you. They might grind it just below ground level so that you can layer it with soil, mulch, plastic bags etc, cover it and leave it for decay.

This can be a very long process though, so if you want the roots to be completely removed as well, you will be looking at extra costs.

On this article, we will teach people what can be done after a stump has been grinded away near ground level by either you or some other tree services. This can happen whether you’re renting wood cutters to do the job or hiring someone to do it, so it is always best to know what you should or can do after stump grinding.

There are many choices and it really depends on you as the owner to plan out what you want to do next with the left behind hole.

In this article, we have included some helpful tips and suggestions, so hopefully it will help you out.

Filling The Hole!

Holes are often left on the land once a stump has been grinded. If you don’t need the roots to be taken out, you can always hide it by covering it with soil.

Naturally, if you do that and don’t do anything else to the area, the rotten tree roots will start to decay and rot over time.

This way, you will be left with a flat ground instead of an ugly hole that will destroy your whole garden.

Cover it with New Grass or Sod!

In case you’re wondering what a sod is, it’s basically a matured lawn that’s been pulled up from the ground and cut into square shapes, making it easy to re-apply on your land.

These grass lawns are ideal for covering up holes or if you want to make a new lawn for your dull garden. Just cover up the hole with enough soil so that it is level with the ground and then lay the new sod onto the area and wait for it to merge into the soil.

Before you know it, you will have a nice green lawn on top of that disgusting hole you’ve always wanted to hide.

Another way to do it is by spreading grass seed onto the soil, but this is a longer process.

Want To Completely Remove The Roots?

It’s never easy trying to completely remove the stump and its roots from the ground, because regardless how big or small your tree stump is.

The roots that’s been grown underground can be massive surrounding the area up to several meters.

That’s why we hardly suggest people to remove roots. What we usually recommend is for people to cover up the root areas and then just let it die and decay naturally.

However, if you have a really small stump, this can be achieved. The best way to go about attempting this is by using a shovel or a mattock.

Use one of these tools to dig around the base of the stump and then use an axe or a reciprocal saw to cut out the remaining roots. Then grab a wheelbarrow or any 2 wheelers you have and move the debris away.

After this, the roots should be loosen and easier to pull away from the ground. Then simply cover up with top soil and you’re done!

If you have a really large tree, it is always best to leave for the tree removal companies, because this involves digging large holes and pulling the whole tree down along with its roots. Individuals are not recommended to do it on their own because most of us just don’t have the necessary tools and equipment to do the job safely.

Final Words

As you can see, stump grinding doesn’t necessarily mean that the job is finished as home owners are often left with a pile of mulch or debris to take care of. Not to mention base stump, the hole and the roots that remains on the ground.

As home owners, it is our responsibility to communicate with tree services what you want done and get a complete quote.

This way, you’re not left with a mountain of workload after you’ve already paid for the job.