Tree removal is a common issue for many homeowners, and it doesn't necessarily go away once a tree has died and been cut down. The tree may be cut down, but the stump will still be there, and getting rid of the stump is a completely different process, often more time-consuming and expensive than cutting down the tree itself. This is why a lot of people just leave the tree stumps where they are instead of removing them. In fact, complete farms are often built on the remnants of felled trees (thus the name "stump farms").
Trees enhance the visual appeal of a yard, raise its market value, shield its inhabitants from the sun's heat in the summer, and purify the air around them. Dead trees, however, are an eyesore and should be removed without delay. In addition to attracting pests, they can also transmit diseases to nearby vegetation. Moreover, branches from a dead tree can fall at any time, posing a risk of injury to people and animals as well as property damage.
The most difficult part is finding someone to come and remove the tree from your property after you cut it down. Finding a tree service to remove the dead tree is usually a simple and pleasant task. The remaining tree stump, though, can present a challenge. A tree stump may not seem dangerous at first glance, but it actually presents a serious risk if it remains on your property.
Homeowners frequently make this same effort, attempting to conceal the stump by planting new trees around it. If they can't find a use for it, they disregard it or try to repurpose it. Depending on the circumstances, this may be a good option, but there are still issues to think about. The five reasons why it's a good idea to get rid of old tree stumps are listed below.
Will you be cutting down trees? Those unseen stumps or roots could be giving you pause. After a tree is cut down, what happens to the stump? You can have the entire thing dug up and hauled away, just the stump, or just the stump ground out, or you can just leave it there and let it decay in your yard.
Stumps are more than simply an eyesore; they can really be rather dangerous. There are numerous important reasons to get rid of the stump in your yard, ranging from concerns about safety to potential damage to your property.
If you're debating whether to leave a tree stump in the ground or have an expert stump grinding business, do it, keep reading to find out why you should hire the professionals.
Why is Tree Stump Removal Necessary?
After you have our Memphis, TN, tree service crew cut down a tree in your yard, you can determine if you also need us to remove the tree's stump. When having a tree removed, it's easy to lose sight of the stump, but it's important to understand why it should be removed and what could go wrong if you don't. As a result, we normally recommend getting rid of tree stumps, although we caution against doing it yourself. In this piece, we'll discuss why we recommend taking this course of action and how we can assist you with tree stump removal.
The degradation of a tree's stump and roots begins very immediately after it is cut down. It won't take long for them to get infested with bugs, microbes, and mould. In addition to providing shelter, this area can serve as a central location from which the population of these pests might grow.
Many pests, including termites, rats, fungus, carpenter ants, and diseases, can establish a foothold in a tree's stump and roots, from which they might invade neighbouring trees and even your house. The stump and its remaining dozens or hundreds of feet of roots will rot away over the next decade or two, but the people who live there will battle tooth and nail to keep it as their home until the bitter end.
When a tree is cut down, the stump and roots can either be hauled away together, the stump can be ground out without disturbing the roots, or the stump can be left in place.
Tree stumps and roots that aren't removed eventually become infested with weeds, fungi, and other critters. Sometimes the roots will continue to expand.
After deciding to remove a tree for reasons including safety concerns, yard maintenance, or aesthetics, there is little point in keeping the stump. It poses risks to your safety and your garden, and it can also cause damage to your garden. Given below is a high-level summary of the issues that can arise from tree stumps that have not been removed.
If you have a tree stump in your yard, be aware that it could be a tripping danger for anyone who walks across it. Let's say your family is playing football and your youngster is "going long" for a touchdown pass, only to fall backwards over a stump. As the grass and weeds grow over the stump, you run the risk of damaging or breaking your lawnmower, which might lead to costly repairs or even replacement. Having to recall its presence and then work around the stump to trim the grass presents a significant challenge.
Think about the space constraints that a big stump could bring to your yard, too. The tree there was nice for shade and scenery, but now all it does is take up space and looks ugly. There will be times when you wish it wasn't there, such as when you're trying to make room for an extra table at a backyard barbecue. To continue our discussion of aesthetics, what happens if you list your home for sale but are unable to attract buyers due to an unsightly stump in the yard?
What you have to be concerned about isn't just the stump. The degradation of a stump can provide a breeding ground for fungus that infects other trees, increasing the likelihood that they, too, will need to be removed. Decaying stumps can also serve as homes for termites, wood wasps, beetles, ants, snakes, and rats, all of which can damage your yard and home and pose health risks to you and your family. Spending both time and money to get rid of these tree pests and fix the harm they caused is not uncommon.
Reasons To Remove That Tree Stump
Potential Pest Invasion
If you leave a stump in the ground, it will rot and disappear over time. In contrast, this method is tedious and untidy. After a tree is cut down, a number of different microorganisms and other creatures will quickly populate the stump and begin aiding in the breakdown process. It's not uncommon for ant species like carpenter ants to colonise the stumps of downed trees. A major pest problem may develop if these ants start showing up elsewhere in your house.
Invasive insects like ants and termites may be drawn to dead tree stumps. These pests could then travel to a healthy tree in the area, or even your house, where they could do significant damage. Termite extermination and home repairs are expensive, but grinding a stump is far simpler. Just this one benefit makes it worthwhile to get rid of an old tree stump.
If you leave a tree stump in the ground, bacteria and fungi will help break it down. Carpenter ants and other ant species will colonise the stump and set up shop there. Your home and other structures, as well as other trees and plants, will soon be invaded by these ants.
Many pests, including termites, wood wasps, rats, snakes, beetles, fungus, and illnesses, can make their home in a tree stump and spread to nearby trees, bushes, and buildings, making their removal a tedious and expensive endeavour.
Tree stumps are a favourite food source for ants, termites, and other wood-eating insects. Stump rot can quickly spread to neighbouring trees, bushes, and even your house if you do nothing to stop it.
Safety Hazards
Tree stumps are not only an eyesore, but also a potential trip or fall hazard if left on the property after a tree has been removed. Children playing in the yards may be at risk of injury from these as they pose a tripping hazard, and adults who fall onto one may sustain serious injuries as well due to the solid wood they are made of.
Any pedestrian, but especially children, could be seriously injured by a tree stump in your yard. A tree stump is not only dangerous because it can cause a person to trip and hurt their toe, but it can also cause serious injury if they land on it.
This is of paramount importance if there are, or could be, children on your property. If that's the case, removing the stump from the ground becomes much more urgent.
And if you need to mow the lawn or do any other landscaping work, you'll have to find a way to avoid it. The lawnmower and possibly you will be damaged if it hits the tree stump.
When mowing the lawn or pulling weeds, you'll have to be mindful of the stump and work around it. Let's pretend your lawnmower bumps into a tree trunk. In such instance, you risk severely damaging the equipment, which poses still another potential threat to your own safety and the safety of anyone else who might be working in your yard at the time.
Aesthetic Problems
When stumps are left on a property, it can have a negative impact on the value. After all, they aren't exactly eye-catching, and prospective buyers may be put off by a yard full of ugly stumps.
Now that the tree is gone, the stump serves no purpose other than as an eyesore and a physical obstruction. Get rid of it and reclaim your yard. Improving the look of your lawn has dual benefits: making you happier and raising the value of your home. Tree stumps, to put it plainly, lower the value of a property.
As soon as you get rid of a stump, you may put in something more useful, such as a new tree, picnic table, flowerbed, or anything else that will increase the value of your home. Alternatively, you may just clean the area so that kids can run around freely without worrying about stumbling over anything.
Property Damage
It's not uncommon for a tree's roots to keep growing out of the stump after the tree has been removed. If this occurs, the tree's roots may spread to other parts of your yard or even your house, where they might cause damage by raising pavement (including patios, sidewalks, and driveways) or cracking pipes.
Therefore, the stump should be removed before its roots can pose any problems for the surrounding area.
Continued Tree Growth
New trees can sprout from the base of old stumps. Because they continuously sending up new shoots, these are time-consuming and expensive to eradicate. Small trees, especially if they are planted too close to other plants, can drain their water and nutrients, stunting the growth of your garden and landscape.
It's possible for the tree to regrow from the stump, in which case it would be much more difficult to uproot than the original tree.
What remains of a tree after it has been chopped down and removed is the stump. It's the remnant of the trunk down to where the roots are. Interesting fact: because the stump is still there, with roots attached, regeneration can occur. It's possible, then, for the stump to resprout from its roots or at several points around its periphery. This means that the potential exists for the growth of a tree or trees!
The roots of a tree can keep growing even after the trunk has been cut down. That "harmless" stump in your yard may actually be doing serious structural and plumbing damage to your home.
Other Plants Could Be Affected
The illness from a tree that was cut down because it was sick could spread to other plants in your yard if you left the stump in place. As a result, you're encouraging the spread of disease by leaving the stump in place. In addition, insects and other animals use stumps as nesting material and houses. Do you wish to increase the number of those on your land? Most people don't want additional bugs and rodents, and in fact work to get rid of them, because if they reside "near" to a house, they'll try to go inside for food and water.
How To Manage Tree Stumps And Roots
Leaving A Tree Stump In The Ground
A tree stump and its roots will eventually rot away if they are left in the ground. Even if it takes a decade or more, it will deteriorate. However, many unwanted creatures, fungus, and illnesses can flourish in that environment.
If you cut down a tree and leave its roots in the ground, the roots will cease growing, but they will also decay over the next decade, increasing the likelihood of mushrooms blooming all over your yard.
Taking A Stump And Its Roots Out Of The Ground
After having a tree chopped down, what steps should be taken to eradicate the tree's roots? The stump and its roots must be pulled up, which is one of the few options. Due to the strenuous nature of the work, not many people are willing to take it on. The stump and its surrounding roots can only be removed with the help of heavy machinery.
Tree Stump Grinding
We offer specialised services in the removal of tree stumps. Even though decomposition of tree roots is a lengthy process, much of the waste can be ground up by a huge machine. Stump grinding will kill the tree's roots, although they would have died otherwise once the tree was cut down.
When compared to other methods, grinding the stump is the more efficient and labor-saving option. Arborists can utilise a machine equipped with a spinning cutting disc to chip away at the tree stump, reducing it to little wood chips that can be used as mulch.
Even though the tree stump has been removed, the roots remain dormant and will eventually decompose.
Stump Removal
Burning and chemical dissolution are two additional options for getting rid of stumps. However, the standard procedure for removing a stump is to dig up the entire thing, roots and all.
As an alternative, heavy machinery can be used to dig out the stump and roots, though this will require a lot of labour on your part. It leaves a massive hole in the ground, but once it's filled in, the area can be landscaped anyway you like.
You can use numerous measures to get rid of a tree stump. Having it done at the same time as tree removal is the simplest option. You can handle it on your own. Nonetheless, if you aren't ready for such a task, you might feel overwhelmed by the responsibility. The simple act of hiring a tree service to remove the stumps is often more cost-effective than attempting to do it yourself.
In most cases, the cost of hiring a professional tree service will depend on the size of the stump and the approach taken to getting rid of it. They could also have an hourly rate. Removal of a stump will certainly cost several hundred dollars, regardless of the method chosen. They might use a variety of techniques to get rid of the stumps. To get rid of a stump, you can either burn it, grind it up, or use chemicals to dissolve it. We believe that you will find that getting rid of dead tree stumps is the best course of action.
The Takeaway
While a tree stump may look innocuous at first glance, it can actually create quite a bit of trouble if left unattended. It's not just that it won't fit in your garden, but that it could endanger your family and your home.
Think about hiring a professional stump grinding service to get rid of that unsightly stump so you may enjoy your yard in peace and safety.
Why Should You Use A Tree Stump Removal Company?
The removal of tree stumps is a very challenging task due to the presence of a complex root system; therefore, it is in your best interest to work with a professional stump removal service. However, the effects of chemically based do-it-yourself tree stump removal procedures can linger for months, and it's not a good idea to handle harmful chemicals on your own. Stump removal is a job best left to the professionals because of the time, effort, and cost involved in doing it yourself.
If you don't want to take care of the stump removal yourself, you can always pay someone else to take care of it. Keep in mind that using the correct technique is essential for a risk-free and effective tree stump removal. If you want your stump completely gone, it's best to hire a professional who knows what they're doing.
Conclusion
Removal of old tree stumps is required for some reasons. Tree stumps and roots can harbour pests if left unattended. Read on if you're debating whether to leave a tree stump or hire a stump grinder. Remember that stepping on tree stumps in your yard could hurt someone. Pests like termites, wood wasps, beetles, ants, snakes, and rats may construct their nests in decaying stumps. Tree pest removal often requires time and money. If you leave a tree stump in the ground, bacteria and fungi will help break it down.
Carpenter ants will also crawl into the stump. They can trip children playing in yards. Tree stumps devalue a property. When removing a stump, you can replace it with something more practical that adds value to your home. A tree can grow without a trunk if its roots remain in the earth.
Tree stumps and their roots deteriorate over time. As a result, pests, moulds, and illnesses may flourish. Arborists cut trees. Stump and root removal require heavy machinery. Tree services are cheaper than DIY stump removal.
Stump removal costs many hundred dollars regardless of the method. Heavy machinery can dig up the stump and roots, but manual labour is required. Hire a professional to remove your stump due to the time, effort, and cost. In addition, roots make stump removal harder. For complete stump removal, hire a professional.
Content Summary
- The tree may be cut down, but the stump will still be there, and getting rid of the stump is a completely different process, often more time-consuming and expensive than cutting down the tree itself.
- This is why many people leave the tree stumps where they are instead of removing them.
- The most difficult part is finding someone to come and remove the tree from your property after you cut it down.
- Finding a tree service to remove the dead tree is usually a simple and pleasant task.
- The five reasons why it's a good idea to get rid of old tree stumps are listed below.
- There are numerous important reasons to get rid of the stump in your yard, ranging from safety concerns to potential property damage.
- If you're debating whether to leave a tree stump in the ground or have an expert stump grinding business do it, keep reading to find out why you should hire professionals.
- After you have our Memphis, TN, tree service crew cut down a tree in your yard, you can determine if you also need us to remove the tree's stump.
- When having a tree removed, it's easy to lose sight of the stump, but it's important to understand why it should be removed and what could go wrong if you don't.
- As a result, we normally recommend getting rid of tree stumps, although we caution against doing it yourself.
- In this piece, we'll discuss why we recommend taking this course of action and how we can assist you with tree stump removal.
- A tree's stump and roots are degraded immediately after it is cut down.
- If you have a tree stump in your yard, be aware that it could be a tripping danger for anyone who walks across it.
- Consider the space constraints that a big stump could bring to your yard.
- The degradation of a stump can provide a breeding ground for fungus that infects other trees, increasing the likelihood that they, too, will need to be removed.
- Decaying stumps can also serve as homes for termites, wood wasps, beetles, ants, snakes, and rats, all of which can damage your yard and home and pose health risks to you and your family.
- Invasive insects like ants and termites may be drawn to dead tree stumps.
- This benefit makes it worthwhile to get rid of an old tree stump.
- If you leave a tree stump in the ground, bacteria and fungi will help break it down.
- Tree stumps are a favourite food source for ants, termites, and other wood-eating insects.
- Any pedestrian, especially children, could be seriously injured by a tree stump in your yard.
- Removing the stump from the ground becomes much more urgent if that's the case.
- The lawnmower and possibly you will be damaged if it hits the tree stump.
- When mowing the lawn or pulling weeds, you must be mindful of the stump and work around it.
- It's not uncommon for a tree's roots to keep growing out of the stump after the tree has been removed.
- The illness from a tree cut down because it was sick could spread to other plants in your yard if you left the stump in place.
- As a result, you're encouraging the spread of disease by leaving the stump in place.
- In addition, insects and other animals use stumps as nesting material and houses.
- A tree stump and its roots will eventually rot if left in the ground.
- If you cut down a tree and leave its roots in the ground, the roots will cease growing, but they will also decay over the next decade, increasing the likelihood of mushrooms blooming all over your yard.
- Burning and chemical dissolution are two additional options for getting rid of stumps.
- You can use numerous measures to get rid of a tree stump.
- Having it done at the same time as tree removal is the simplest option.
- Hiring a tree service to remove the stumps is often more cost-effective than attempting to do it yourself.
- In most cases, the cost of hiring a professional tree service will depend on the size of the stump and the approach taken to get rid of it.
- Think about hiring a professional stump grinding service to get rid of that unsightly stump so you may enjoy your yard in peace and safety.
- Removing tree stumps is a very challenging task due to a complex root system; therefore, working with a professional stump removal service is in your best interest.
- If you don't want to take care of the stump removal yourself, you can always pay someone else.
- Remember that using the correct technique is essential for risk-free and effective tree stump removal.
FAQs About Stump Removal
When to Remove a Tree Stump. It takes about 4 to 7 years for the stump to start decaying, but before then, the root system may start growing new shoots on or around the stump. So if you're hiring a local tree removal service to remove a tree in your yard, it's best to have the stump removed simultaneously.
The removal of stumps is a more invasive process that requires the use of heavy machinery. As a result, there is a greater possibility that an individual will be injured during this process. Stump grinding, on the other hand, is a risk-free and effective alternative.
The answer is "yes," provided the tree stump is left in place after the tree removal. Although there is a reduced chance of regrowth following stump grinding, the roots are still left in place, which means they can continue to produce sprouts that could one day develop into trees.
Once the stump is ground out, the roots die and decay, becoming part of the soil. As a precaution, the roots connected to the stump's base are often severed using shears to ensure no regrowth. Unfortunately, this natural process is time-consuming, with roots sometimes taking up to 10 years to decay completely.
It may take up to ten years to completely disappear if it is allowed to decompose and rot away without treatment.