Help needed on tree stumps question.

10 years ago

Hi
I have recently moved into a flat and been told, by a neighbour, that I have 3 cut down tree stumps in my front garden that need removing.

They have also said that "BTW, the Stump Killer stuff is not so good on bigger established tree stumps with wider root system, like the one near your window.
For that one a better solution is really to get a "stump grinder" to it to break it up and grind down/away"

Before I do anything, I just wanted to take a step back and check:

1) do I actually need to remove them - eg are they growing if they are tree stumps?? (I don't know what type of trees they were)

2) If I remove them using eg Stump Killer would this affect the roots, and if so, could this be a concern subsidence-wise?

Many thanks

Andy

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Comments (5)

Toronado3800 Zone 6 St Louis
10 years ago
Andy, it depends what you want and what kind of trees they were.

When I removed my white ash and silver maples I left most of the stumps. They did very little resprouting. The maples are gone now seven years later. The ash stumps are hardier.

If you have a two or three foot across stump and have it ground out it is still awhile before grass will grow in that funny wood chip infested soil.

Welcome aboard and tell us more about your stumps!
Sequoiadendron4
10 years ago
Hello,

You do not 'have' to remove the stumps. Even if they are sprouting, just cut the sprouts off and the root system will soon quit.

You could get a stump grinder and they are quite effective at removing stumps.

If you didn't wan to go that route, the stump removal stuff does not work as nicely as the bottle says, imo.

Many have had success with putting charcoals on top of the stump and lighting them. They will burn out the stump over night. I would not recommend this for the one close to the house and some communities frown upon this but it is quite effective. The stumps don't flame but just smolder until there's nothing left.

I hope this helps, good luck :)
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Why was the tree removed? Was it sick, too close to the house, ugly, or what? Stumps can be ground out and the soil can be leveled. I've paid $100-$150. for stump removal (grinding) for small and medium stumps, and I live in an expensive area. Your cost may be less, and well worth it if this is in a prominent area of your yard. It sounds like you are missing your shade. It could be that you need to plant another tree, but perhaps further away from your house (garage??? Can't tell what that brick structure is). A planting bed should not be an island on it's own. It needs to fit within its context. From that picture, I know very little about the context. I can't tell if this is a front or back corner of a house, garage or shed. I don't know if it is on a 1/3 acre suburban lot or on many acres surrounded by farmland or forests. Is the brick building part of a one story, 900 square foot rancher, or a 6,000 square foot, 3 story estate home? What you plant near one may not be appropriate near the other. Please post a broader picture so we can see the context.
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I think you can go ahead and plant the newer plants right in the holes that you want to use. You just have to know that two things are likely to happen, and to compensate for those events. Here's a quick sketch: Now if that hole is filled, with the stump grindings, you have far more than what is optimal for "percentage of organic material", or "percentage of organic matter". You could be up to about fifty percent organic material (the wood, more or less ground up), but I won't quibble if you insist that the number is drifting toward 25%. It's probably somewhere in between. The optimal percentage for a landscape soil is around five percent, perhaps a tad less. So what will happen? It will subside, as the wood rots. (I'm sorry, I meant to say "naturally decomposes"). If you're prepared for the subsidence, meaning that you're going to add topsoil on the top, there isn't really much problem. If you're going to be amazed, ("Gee, why is the dirt sinking?) then yes, there is a problem. But that mix of wood chips and topsoil can be pretty rich, and I like to use it, often, and I do. But I add dirt, frequently, in smallish amounts, as the subsidence takes place. I plan for it, inspect it, and add as needed. But you have to guess, in advance, how much of that wood is going to rot (essentially all of it) in the next five years, and figure 'how much of that filler in that hole is going to go away? Thirty percent? Twenty? Ten?' And, of course, you're going to have to add topsoil. Just add topsoil, NOT topsoil with peat: that would be just repeating the situation, wouldn't it? Peat, like all organic matter, 'naturally decomposes', and it goes away. And these lawn guys who add 'enriched' topsoil (with peat) rather than just plain old non-peat topsoil, can't figure out why their lawn is not level, five years later. The other aspect is the 'nitrogen gets used up'. It doesn't really. As Kimssr pointed out, that nitrogen may be 'busy' for awhile, or unavailable to the plant, but if you plan on adding a 'gentle' nitrogen source, such as Milorganite, every now and then, sufficent nitrogen will be available to the plant, and the plant will thrive. It may be just a matter of personal choice, or how much you're available to supervise the growing of this plant, once you get it in the hole. If you're generally not available, you may want to get rid of the rich woody mix, and put just native topsoil into the hole. If you're available, and like the idea of supervising, from time to time, what's happening there in the hole, it can be alot of fun, and that plant is going to thrive.
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ken_adrian Adrian MI cold Z5
10 years ago
flat??? ..

are you the property owner. ...

or a renter..

and if you are a renter.. why is it your problem.. and not the owners???

maybe i just dont you your GB language ... lol ...

here in the states.. a flat implies an apartment ....

ken
florauk
10 years ago
Andy - unless the stumps are affecting your neighbour I don't see why they think that you must remove them. If they are dead they will slowly rot away. If not you can kill them as people have suggested above. (except the idea of leaving burning charcoal on top - not something that would be acceptable in the front garden of a flat and potentially very dangerous.) If the tops are flat you could put some pots of flowers on them.

Any chance of a picture? We could tell you what the trees are and whether they are dead or alive.
botann
10 years ago
Why do they need to be ground? Because your neighbor 'thinks' they should? See if you can have him tell you why.
I see no reason why most stumps need to be ground up. A stump grinder typically only goes down about six inches and the work is expensive! Get a bid and you'll know what I'm talking about. Plus the stump is still there rotting away with the soil slowly caving in. Not good if you want to put a lawn over it. Fine for a flower bed with a mulch and groundcovers though.
A couple of wheelbarrows of topsoil on the stump, cut off as low as possible, and you are good to go without incurring the cost of grinding.
Some people enclose the stump in a treated wood box, fill with topsoil and plant. You can also use a large pot with the bottom removed and accomplish the same thing.
Or, you can do what I do on some of my stumps....plant sedums on them. Sedums are the white plant on the stump in the lower right.
Mike

Help needed on tree stumps question.

Comments (5)

Toronado3800 Zone 6 St Louis

Sequoiadendron4

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