If you are one of the many people in the Tri-Cities who enjoy and love trees and find yourself taking refuge in the shade they provide on hot summer days, then you might consider yourself a true admirer. So you might also wonder what you should do with ailing trees or trees that have been ravaged by disease. Choosing between stump grinding and stump removal can be a tough choice.
Once a tree is no longer thriving, or is done being healthy, what is the correct course of action to dispose of it?
After the branches and trunk are removed from a tree, you are left with an unsightly stump that sticks out like a sore thumb in your front or backyard. What should you do next? Is there a right or wrong way to dispose of tree stumps? You don’t want to leave the tree stump for long, as it can become home to bugs like termites and carpenter ants. It can also become a safety hazard.
You could have the tree stump taken away, or you could grind the stump down. Which is the best option?
Both methods have advantages and disadvantages.
Stump Removal
When you opt for stump removal, it clears the entire stump including the root ball of the tree. This can be a time-consuming and formidable task because the root ball can grow to be 4 to 10 times the size of the tree. After all the tree parts are removed, a hole is left in the ground where the tree was.
What is Stump Grinding?
Stump grinding leaves the roots in the ground. The stump is ground down until it is a few inches below the soil. The grinding process yields small pieces of the stump, and that can be used as ground cover or mulch. Any visible portion of the stump is covered with dirt or dust, leaving it to decay along with the roots underground.
Which Option is Best for You?
In order to determine whether stump removal or stump grinding is the right answer for you, you need to identify the desired outcome. If you want to go with the most affordable method, then stump grinding is usually the best choice.
Because it does not necessitate root ball removal, stump grinding can be done much faster than stump removal. However, stump grinding may not prevent the stump from growing back. This becomes an issue if you want to eventually plant a new tree in the same spot the old tree was. In this case, to ensure that no regrowth will happen, you’ll want to forego stump grinding.
How much cheaper is stump grinding than stump removal? Soil conditions, stump diameter, type and age of the tree stump, as well as its root system, are all factors that will influence the cost of a stump grinding, or a stump removal project. That is why you should solicit several quotes from tree professionals.
Which of these two scenarios is easier? The tree stump removal is rather difficult. It requires heaving up the stump and digging out all of the roots. This requires a lot of effort and quite a bit of time to accomplish. The advantage of this method is you now have a clear landscape.
Stump grinding is less intrusive. Our arborists at Boyd’s Tree Service use a special machine to shred down the stump.
Advantages of Stump Grinding
In general, people who care about the appearance of their yard tend to opt for stump grinding. As mentioned earlier, stump removal is a tedious process and it can cause a lot of upheaval in your yard. Stump removal encompasses extracting the stump but also all of the roots attached to it. Consequently, the job will require the use of a Bobcat or some other heavy-duty piece of equipment. What’s more, the roots of your tree might have spread out across half the yard, making extraction very messy.
As a result, you run the risk of churning through much of the soil on your property. Conversely, stump grinding is a much less labor-intensive process. For example, you do not have to remove every root. As touched on earlier, stump grinding requires simply grinding the stump and basically shaving the remaining tree trunk until it disappears to below ground. All you are left within your yard is a hole and a much smaller hold than if you did a stump removal.
Advantages of Stump Removal
Advantages of doing stump removal include avoiding a decaying stump ruining the appearance of your property. This could affect the property’s value. Additionally, a stump could cause issues with your lawn. An example of this is exposed roots causing damage to your lawnmower. As mentioned earlier, you also will not be able to plant new trees anywhere near the stump. That is because the stump’s far-reaching roots will wreak havoc with new roots trying to take hold of the ground.
Let Boyd’s Tree Service Help Keep Your Trees Healthy and Thriving
At Boyd’s Tree Service, we are a full-service tree and stump removal business that serves the Tri-Cities and surrounding areas. We pride ourselves on always making sure the trees in our communities are healthy and beautiful.
You’ll find that at Boyd’s Tree Service – comprised of fourth-generation tree men – we provide the most comprehensive tree care. We take pride in enhancing the well-being, beauty, and aesthetics of your trees.
If you live in the Tri-Cities and surrounding areas and you would like more information about our tree services, or to schedule an appointment, we invite you to call Boyd’s Tree Service at (509) 585-4194.
