Old Stump? 5 Steps From Stump To Garden
Posted on: 21 December 2021
Removing an old tree stump can provide you with space for a new garden bed. There are a few steps to follow if you want to ensure success.
1. Prep
Before the grinder shows up, it's best to take some time to prepare the area. Make sure sprinkler heads near the stump are clearly marked, as well as the location of any lines that may run underneath the stump area. Make space in the driveway for the stump removal crew and clear a wide path so they can move equipment across the lawn and to the stump, as well.
2. Grind
Stump grinding is best left to professionals, as it does take skill and safety training to operate a grinder effectively and without injury. Your grinding technician will position the grinder over the stump. They will then lower it onto the stump so that it shreds the wood to well beneath the soil surface. The result is a shallow pit filled with sawdust and woodchips.
3. Clean Up
You will likely be offered some cleanup options. The grinding service can rake up and remove the bulk of the wood chips, or they can leave them in place. If you opt to keep the wood chips, you must decide whether to move them to other beds to use as mulch or to keep them in place to provide the first part of the materials that will fill the emptied stump hole. Keep in mind the wood chips alone won't be sufficient to fill the hole because they will decompose over time.
4. Fill
A better way to fill the hole left by the stump, especially if you plan to put in a garden bed, is to combine the sawdust with equal amounts of compost or topsoil. Fill the hole so it is slightly mounded above the surrounding soil, as the level will settle quite quickly during the initial decomposition over the coming weeks. You can use edging around the site to help keep the soil from spilling over.
5. Plant
Start the new garden bed with annual flowers for the first couple of years. The sawdust, wood chips, and deepest roots of the removed stump will be decomposing over the first few years. By planting annuals instead of perennials, it is much easier to bring in additional soil to level the bed when you pull out the old flowers each fall. Only plant perennials once decomposition is over and the soil level remains constant.
Contact a stump grinding and removal service for more help.
For more information on stump grinding, contact a professional near you.
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