Don’t Wait to Have the Attractive Yard You Want
The team at AAA Tree Service provides three choices to deal with stumps – allow the stump to remain and wait as long as a decade for it to decay, completely remove it mechanically, or grind it to four to six inches below grade. If you don’t want to wait ten years, call our team for the help you need!
Whenever a tree is removed, there remains a tree stump. Obviously, tree stumps are unsightly and as they decay, become home to a variety of insects. Don’t let an ugly old stump take down your home’s value – call us for help.
Don’t Leave Stumps Sitting
If you leave a stump, some species of tree will sprout from it and form a large woody shrub. In addition, remaining tree stumps naturally attract unwanted insects and can lead to infestations.
The easiest, most cost-effective way to deal with stumps is to grind them down with our special grinding equipment. Afterward, our team completely restores the site with new loam and seed.
Get Complete Tree Services From Our Skilled Team
How deep can the stump grinder go?
We generally grind four to six inches below grade (ground level). If deeper grinding is needed, it can be requested, although the price of stump grinding may increase. The depth to which a stump can be ground is subject to some limitations, however.
- The stump-grinding blade has a diameter of about 10 inches, and can only be maneuvered up and down within a specific range.
- A tree that grew in shallow soil, such as over the limestone bedrock prevalent in the Dallas area, may not have six inches of grindable depth.
- Other material near or around the tree may limit how deep the grinder can go. While the stump grinder is powerful, it is only designed to handle plant material, wood, and dirt. Take note of:
- Fencing, concrete, brick, or rock around a stump (such as a tree ring)
- Nearby trees that may have roots under the tree stump
- Swimming pools, walkways, and patios that may prevent the grinder from reaching all of the root material
- Lawn irrigation, sprinkler systems, tree lighting wiring, and buried hoses
- We generally do not grind deep enough to risk interfering with properly-installed utility lines or buried cables, but unforeseen obstacles can be encountered that necessitate a shallower grind.
What exactly lies beneath the roots of a tree or the surrounding soil may be a mystery, even to the homeowner. While we are very careful when grinding a stump, we will not take responsibility for damage to irrigation lines or other items located below ground that we are not aware of. It is important to inform your arborist of any sprinkler systems or other objects that might be in the area to be ground before the work begins.
What is left after a stump is ground?
As the blade grinds the stump and surface roots, it produces a mulch made up of tree material and dirt. The mulch produced by stump grinding can take up a much greater volume than the original stump. (It can be helpful to think of the difference between a block of cheese and that same cheese after it is grated.)
Mulch from stump grinding is valuable organic material that decomposes more quickly than many other kinds of mulch, as there are generally smaller wood particles present, and more soil to help it break down. It is our standard practice to push the mulch back into the area that has been ground (“backfilling”). Even so, there is usually a large pile of mulch left above ground, often much more than the tree owner expected. Because of its composition, the mulch does settle fairly quickly, but many people prefer to use the mulch around their yards, rather than leaving it where the stump once was.
Stump grinder mulch can be used for composting or applied in flower beds. (Depending on exact composition of the mulch, it may not perform in the same way as typical hardwood mulch, and may need to be replaced sooner.) After some time, when the mulch has settled, it can be packed into the ground-out area, making the area ready to be prepped for laying sod or for planting a flower bed or other small plants. If requested, we can provide mulch bagging and/or bagged mulch haul-off as an additional service after stump grinding, but our standard practice is to leave all grinder mulch on-site.
Have us evaluate the structure of the trees on your property and, if necessary, remove any damaged or unhealthy ones before they fall. We will even trim your unruly trees or plant beautiful new ones.
For your convenience, our company provides same-day and emergency services as well as Saturday appointments.