Just removed a tree? Due to disease or damage of any kind? And now you’re left with a stump which would require getting rid of because of its detracting aftermath or becoming an agent of hazards in your surroundings. So what are the easiest way to clean up stump grindings?
Getting a stump grinder? It will help remove the stump below the ground level. Although there will be remains of grindings consisting of wood chips and sawdust, they can be of economic importance by using it around your yard.
Note: fresh grindings is likely to rib the soil of nitrogen
What are the easiest way to clean up stump grindings
Taking or moving the grindings away from the tree stump into a container,
for example,
A 5-gallon wheelbarrow, to avoid the stress of carrying a heavy load while transporting. If you want to move the grindings easily, use a pitchfork or shovel.
Get your stump grindings mixed with compacted soil for creating air pockets that are essential to get easy drainage. Then, you can scatter the grindings on the ground and connect them into the compacted soil with a shovel or pitchfork.
Make a mulch by scattering the grindings on top of the soil, then apply a thin layer of not more than a couple of inches and keep the fresh grinding meters away from the plant stems.
Incorporate a granular fertilizer, for example, 21-0-0, directly into the soil when you already use grindings to loosen the soil.
Lastly, apply the fertilizer (nitrogen) on the surface of the grindings you used as you mulch; using a pitchfork, mix it thoroughly. Do not forget to follow the manufacturer’s instructions on the correct amount of fertilizer to be used.
Does stump grinding leave a hole?
Yes! It does leave a hole.
As you stump grind, it results in lots of chips of wood, and they are usually useful later in places like sites such as mulch. In the meanwhile, there would be a presence of holes as you do so.
Types of stump grinding?
Do you want to get a small job done? There are lightweight ones! Or is it a big job, then there is no problem as there are perfect powerful grinders for such complex logistics. The various types of stump grinders include:
Skid stump grinder: this one has continuous track treads like a tank, driven from behind. The effect of this continual thread grip is that it will churn up soil or turf by using it where the ground is soft with traditional wheels having churned it up.
Hand-guided, walk-behind grinders are small and lightweight, with a size that makes them categorized as the most portable. They get to fit perfectly in the back of a truck.
Rear-hitch grinders: get them fixed to a trailer or truck for travel and then get it uncoupled as soon as you want to use it at the job site and steered into place.
Riding grinders: they are agile, just like a bobcat tractor, and as an operator, you must control the grinder from a seat.
Stump grinder attachment: you can add this to a skid steer, and this is where it will get operated by the same arms that guide its trenching or bucket attachment. These stump grinders are designed specifically for their purpose, just like most powerful equipment.
How to fill hole after stump grinding
Since getting a stump grinding leaves a hole? It would be best if you did something about it as soon as possible to avoid tripping hazards and keep your lawn in its uniform appearance.
To do this successfully and get smooth, rolling lawns of a garden magazine after uprooting the stump, you need to follow careful precision to reach a level soil surface.
When you pull a stump out of the ground, you will notice that the roots lift the soil and create several bumps and ridges, in contrast, leaving a vacant space for the stumps and roots occupied.
The processes involved in doing this is by:
Collecting a soil sample from the area to test the sample with a home testing kit to determine the soil pH and mineral levels. Trees like the pine and oak tree deplete minerals and increase the soil acidity, thereby making the area more difficult to establish a flower bed or a healthy lawn.
Secondly, cut any leftover roots in the hole by using either a looping shear to make a cut through the roots or using an axe to pry and break the roots. In pulling the stump from the ground, there will be a breakaway of the roots, but there can still be a few large pieces that span across the already stump hole.
Use a garden rake to rake through the soil in and around the stump hole, then pick out any rocks and root pieces in the soil. You should use the garden rake to break up any large soil clods as you work the soil. It then becomes easier by the time you must have removed as many roots as possible in the process of preventing unwanted mushrooms, fungal diseases, and fairy rings.
Go on the second time by raking the soil with a broom take also known as a lawn rake, to take up the smaller root pieces that fall through the teeth of a bow rake.
Add ground limestone to the soil as this will be needed to increase the soil’s pH level and decrease the acidity. This ground limestone restores magnesium and calcium, regulating soil elements such as copper, zinc, and phosphorus. Some turfgrasses grow best with a pH level between 6.5 and 7.0.
Get the hole filled up with a mixture of topsoil and organic materials, some of which are leaf mold, compost, and grass clippings, to restore nutrients to the soil. Use a shovel and rake to toss them thoroughly and incorporate all the soil amendments.
After the soil has been amended, spread it evenly across the hole with the backside of your bow rake, then pack gently down using a shovel.
To settle the soil, water it with a fine, then add more soil to grade if necessary to smoothen the soil again. For trees near a house foundation that got cut down, make sure you grade the soil away from the house at least two percent for every 1 foot of distance.
Get the soil watered and allow the soil to settle for about one week or so before you can go ahead planting on the site. Even if the soil settles considerably until the stump area gets even with the surroundings, keep adding more topsoil.
Lastly, get grass seeds dispersed in the soil; consider that seedings rates vary depending on the type of grass you want to plant. The seed should be covered with about ⅛ inch of soil, so rake the soil. You might as well have to cover the seeds with a thin layer of straw for the sake of preventing birds from eating the seeds before the growth of the grass.
In summary, the things you will need: a garden hoe, bow take, shovel, pickax, broom take, topsoil, ground limestone, grass seeds, organic soil amendments, and straw.
What to do with stump grinding debris
If you are sitting down there and considering what other use you might have to get to do with stump grinding debris, then you have no problem as what we are going to talk about here got you covered! There are several useful and creative options that you can go for while trying to make use of this simple pile of waste debris that you got.
As a gardener of whatever kind that you are or whatever vision you nurse for your lawn, after which you already enlisted the help of a stump grinding service, at least the list of these tips will come in handy for you.
A quick jerk for you before you dive in: you should try and make sure that you already raked up your stump grinding debris completely by using a leaf rake to gather it all into a single pile.
You can easily make use of your stump grinding debris when you:
- Use the stump grindings to make mulch
- Convert your stump grinding into compost
- Make use of it to fill up a stump hole.
Is burning a stump dangerous?
We can see burning is illegal most times! And you should know when you are to burn and when you are not to.
Do you have an old tree stump? Is it not growing suckers or rotting? Then it is the next messy option; however, be warned in the sense that if your stump has too much moisture in it, it is not advisable to go on with burning because that could be very dangerous.
Although, the burning of stumps does weaken them enough to remove them easily without expensive equipment. Burning stumps isn’t that easy to do as well. You might also want to use chemicals that would hasten to rot. Use your fuel to burn after you must have cut a pentagram into the surface.
Why is burning stumps illegal most times?
This is mostly because these stumps contain cyanide which can be very harmful to the health and lead to accidental fires. Do not burn during dry seasons.
How long for stump grindings to disappear?
This would depend on some factors such as; species, size, moisture levels, insect activity, and structure of the stump(s). An example of this is a 20″oak tree stump located in a sunny yard which might take up to 18 to 20 years to decompose naturally. However, stumps in a shady, moist environment will take about 12 to 15 years!
Stump grinding debris removal
The best and easiest method or way of removing the grindings is by using a pitchfork to loosen them right from the inside, that is, the hole where the stump was, and then shovel them right into the wheelbarrow. You can now finally move the grindings to the area of your garden whereby they are needed.
What to do with sawdust from stump grinding
Thinking of what to do with your sawdust and stump grindings? Instead of just keeping it in one place until it decomposes because it is biodegradable, it can be a benefit to your garden for its landscape.
The following are the things you can use your sawdust and stump grindings for, they are:
- Making a mulch
- Making a compost
- And lastly, using it to create vermicomposting, that is, using worms to create compost.
Also read: How to clean a hot tub that has been sitting
Conclusion
If you have stump grinding holes around your environment, be sure to take proper precautions by covering holes and also know when to burn and when not to.
