Why Getting Rid Of Tree Stumps Is Necessary

Trees add beauty to your landscape, increase property value, provides shade from the hot summer sun, and improves air quality. However, dead trees can be an eyesore and need to be removed immediately. They attract pests and spread diseases to nearby plants. Branches can fall at any time from a dead tree, injuring people or animals, or damaging your home or property.

Cutting down the tree and having it taken away from your property is the easy part. As long as you found a tree service company in Bradford, removing the dead tree is generally a painless project. However, dealing with the tree stump that is left behind is where you can run some difficulties. Although a tree stump may look harmless, it is highly recommended to remove it immediately as it can pose a safety hazard on your property.

Here are several reasons why you should get rid of that tree stump permanently:

A dead tree stump can be an eyesore.

  • It reduces your property value – Aesthetically speaking, a tree stump can be an eyesore. Leaving it just sitting around without any practical use can make your yard look unkempt. Although there are DIY projects to upscale a tree stump, leaving it unattended can reduce the value of your property.
  • It’s a safety hazard – Children playing in the yard can potentially trip over or stumble into the stump or roots, causing injuries to your little ones. A tree stump can also be a liability, especially if a neighbour or visitor trips, falls, or otherwise injure themselves. You could end up facing a time-consuming and costly lawsuit.

Tree stumps can be a home to various pests and fungi.

  • It can spread infestations and disease – A tree stump can invite unwanted guests into your yard. Pests, such as carpenter ants, termites, and other wood-boring insects, are naturally attracted to tree stumps. Once infected, healthy trees and shrubs can be at risk of infestation and disease. Or worse, these harmful pests might even cause costly structural damage to the wooden parts of your home.

Additionally, fungi can thrive on a dead stump, which potentially poses serious health risks to children and pets. Contact a tree service professional to get rid of the entire stump to prevent mould, decay, and disease from spreading.

  • It takes up valuable space – Leaving a big tree stump sitting on your yard without any purpose can be unsightly. For a landscape enthusiast, the area can be considered dead space. Eliminating the tree stump can free up some valuable space. It allows you to plant a new tree, set up a picnic table, or to make it a safe area where kids can play and run around freely.
  • It makes gardening chores more difficult – Having a tree stump around can potentially damage the mower and makes mowing, as well as weeding tasks harder.
  • It can damage your property – Tree roots can still grow even after the tree has been cut down. Roots can spread and grow into underground pipes to seek out water. This causes them to crack and burst, contaminating your water supply and flooding your home. Aggressive tree roots remain unnoticed until problems become apparent.

Tree stumps can still sprout new growth.

  • It may be a zombie tree – A tree stump will never lose its ability to sprout new growth again. These new sprouts can ruin your landscape and are costly to remove, especially after their roots have already established themselves. If you do not want a “zombie tree” to grow back, the most effective solution is to remove the tree stump and its roots.

Ways to Remove A Tree Stump

There are many reasons to remove the tree stump permanently from your yard. If you do decide to take the tree stump out yourself, there are various successful, proven techniques that you can use to remove the stump.

  • Dig it out – Loosen the soil around the base of the stump using a mattock. Continue to dig below the base of the stump until you have exposed the root system. Cut the roots into manageable pieces using loopers or a root saw. Pull them out of the ground and toss them into a pile. Wrench the remaining embedded roots using a grub hoe. Feel free to cut more roots to pull them out easier. Continue until the majority of the root system is cleared away.

After much of the roots have been removed, you should be able to dislodge the stump easily. Use a shovel to dig underneath the stump and cut the remaining roots if you need to. After removing the stump, fill the hole with sawdust or loam to prevent the ground from collapsing, leaving a large dent in your yard.

Use extra caution when burning a stump.

  • Burn it – Before anything else, find out if it is legal in your area to burn a tree stump. Use chopped up wood as fuel to build a fire on top of the stump. Place a couple of wood on top. Surround the stump with more burning wood. Add more wood to keep the stump burning until it burns down to the ground. Replace ash with loam or sawdust. Keep adding matter when the area sinks after every few months.
  • Use a chemical stump remover
    Use large bits when drilling a series of evenly-spaced holes on top of the stump. Pour the chemical on top and allow the stump to absorb the material. (Make sure to keep your kids or pets away from the stump until you have removed it, to avoid exposure to harmful chemicals.) Once the stump remover is absorbed by the stump, the wood will eventually soften and rot.

Wait for several weeks until the stump starts to soften and rot. Chop it up with an axe or a shovel until you have levelled the stump. Burn the remaining softened stump, and allow it to burn right to the ground. Dig up what is left after the fire, and replace it with loam or other ground filler. If the ground sinks after a few months, add more until the ground is levelled.

Tree stump grinding is the most convenient way to remove a stump.

  • Have it ground out
    Tree stump grinding is one of the most effective ways to ensure the permanent removal of the stump. It uses a stump grinding machine to destroy the stump and its root system. It is designed to grind up the material to a depth of about a foot beneath the ground.

Wear protective gear, such as gloves, goggles, and ear protectors when operating the machine. Follow the instructions found in the manual. Position the machine over the stump and start grinding by moving the stump grinding around the circumference of the stump. Dig out the ground-up wood and replace it with filler materials. Keep adding matter to the area every once and while.

If you choose not to remove the stump yourself, hire a professional to do the job for you. Remember that the key to a safe and successful tree stump removal is proper technique. Hiring a trained technician knows the tricks of the trade when it comes to removing your stump permanently.

Great Northern ReGreenery is a full-service tree care company that takes pride in providing our clients with quality work, excellent service, and tree preservation. We offer hassle-free tree stump grinding service to safely and effectively remove the tree stump from your yard.

Call us at (905) 775-7444 to book a tree removal service in Bradford.