Need to Get Rid of a Tree Stump? Here Are Your Options
After a tree has been cut down, it is essential to remove the remaining stump. Stump removal is vital because stumps left in the ground will rot and are a prime breeding ground for insects and tree diseases that could spread to your other trees.
You have many options if you need to remove a tree stump from your property. While rural landowners often can burn tree stumps, most homeowners are limited to the following options:
Chemically-Aided Rotting
If the stump you want to remove was cut close to the ground or had been naturally rotting for a while, then the easiest way to get rid of it is by using special tree rot chemicals.
While all tree stumps will eventually rot on their own, using a chemically-aided rotting solution makes the process happen many years faster. You can purchase the solution to rot out stumps at any hardware or home improvement store in your town. To apply one, all you do is drill holes in the stump and then dump it in.
If you aren't in a hurry to be free of the stump, then chemically rotting it is one of the easiest and least expensive options for taking care of it.
Manually Pulling the Stump from the Ground
You can pull a small tree stump out of the ground using a winch or a vehicle with a tow strap. Doing so requires digging around the stump's base and cutting the roots.
If you've never removed a tree stump before using this method, you should take care. Pulling a stump can be erratic and cause damage to a vehicle, injury, or even death if you're not careful.
Professional Stump Grinding
Finally, if you don't want to wait out a rotting tree stump or risk injury from pulling it out manually, the best option is to have the stump professionally ground by a tree removal service. The tree removal service will use a large stump grinding machine to grind the stump into sawdust safely.
While stump grinding is often the best choice, it's important to note that the roots are left intact in the ground. As the roots decay over time, this will cause the soil where they were to shift.
For this reason, you should never grind stumps in an area where you plan to turn around and build a structure. This can lead to structural problems for the building you erect later down the road.
Reach out to a company like American Quality Tree Services to find out more.