If you are trying to update your landscaping, you may be considering removing any tree stumps in your yard. While some homeowners remove tree stumps because they don't like how they look, there are other good reasons for removing these stumps. Read on to learn why tree stumps can be a problem for your yard and how a tree service can help
How Can Tree Stumps Be a Problem?
If you have a stump in your yard because the tree was diseased and died, it's actually possible for that stump to spread the disease to other healthy trees in your yard. For instance, decay fungi and root diseases can spread to nearby trees if they are left to thrive in a stump. If your tree stump is healthy, it can still be detrimental to other plants. Tree stumps can grow new sprouts, and these small tree shoots can leach nutrients from nearby plants.
Even if the tree stump isn't a danger to other plants, a rotting stump can be a great attraction for pests, like ants, beetles, and other wood-boring insects. Both subterranean and dampwood termite colonies thrive on cellulose, which is a component of wood. While dampwood termites will usually only eat wood that's begun to rot, subterranean termites will eat just about any type of wood. You can check the stump for termites with a screwdriver. If the stump feels hollow or breaks easily with a little pressure from the screwdriver, there could be a termite colony inside.
How Can a Tree Service Help?
Contact a tree service like Tree Landers in your area to help you remove the stump. You may be tempted to use over-the-counter chemicals to break down the stump, but these work slowly and could possibly damage surrounding vegetation.
A tree service can remove your stump with a stump grinding technique—a powered machine breaks the wood into smaller chunks quickly. Some services will use the machine themselves to remove the stump, while other services may be willing to rent one out to you if you are okay with a DIY project.
Before starting, a service professional will first remove any debris, like rocks, that could damage the stump grinder. He or she will likely put on safety googles, a dust mask, and work gloves as well. The professional may use other tools, like a chainsaw, shovel, or rake, to remove hard-to-reach roots and make it easier to use the stump grinder. The professional will work carefully with the stump grinder to break down stump into mulch.
Once the stump is broken down into fine particles, you could compost it or use it as mulch in your garden. If you want the wooden chips out of your yard, the tree service can clean rake them up and take them to recycling center.