Stump Grinding vs Stump Removal: What's The Difference?

So, you’ve finally got rid of a tree and now you’re left with its stump. All stumps tend to be well-anchored and usually have a complex and established root network that serves to make its removal difficult and frustrating.

You may be asking yourself already how to get rid of it. Do you need to remove the whole thing? Or could you just grind it?

Here at Barlows Tree Services, we know that stumps are more than just an eyesore. That’s why we’ve put together this complete guide to whether you should remove or grind your stump.

You could be wondering if it’s worth going through all this hassle at all. But we recommend that you should always remove or grind a stump if you can.

As well as being an eyesore and potential tripping hazard for yourself, your family, and your clients, stumps will rot if left untreated. Once they begin a slow decaying process, they can become a hotspot for pests like termites and ants that could damage your property.

If left untreated, these pests may spread to your other plants, your trees, your yard, and maybe even your home or business. We always encourage clients to remove or grind down a stump.

So, here are the two options.

Stump grinding involves hiring a power tool, such as a grinder, which will take just a few hours. Like a lawnmower, a grinder is driven over the stump until it grinds away all the above-ground wood into sawdust. 

As ground sawdust, the stump eventually mixes and churns with the soil, levelling the ground and meaning you don’t need to refill the hole afterwards. However, while this is more advantageous for the soil if you felled a healthy tree, the stumps of diseased trees need to have their ground mulch entirely disposed of to avoid contamination.

• Much quicker and less labour-intensive
• Environmentally friendly
• Doesn’t leave a gaping hole in your ground after deconstruction
• Ground stump dust can be used for mulching or composting

• There is a possibility of resprouting
• Could be potentially harmful to children and pets
• Doesn’t remove the roots, which will still decay

This is the more intrusive option and involves considerably more time and labour on your part. It involves digging out the stump and the widespread root system. While it does leave you with a completely clean slate to begin planting or resurfacing as you wish, it will also leave a gaping hole in the same spot.

• Leaves no health hazards
• Entirely removes the stump and root network 
• Allows for easy future replanting

• More time-consuming and labour-intensive
• Will leave a gaping hole that needs filling afterwards
• Less environmentally-friendly

For all of your tree stump needs, be sure to get in touch with Barlows Tree Services for an expert service.