Gardening DIY: How to remove a pesky tree stump

There's obviously the aesthetic reason - a stump is unsightly. And a stump often takes up space that could otherwise be put to better use. You might also find that your stump has problems with suckering - where new shoots and growth occur on the trunk and the roots. Even if your stump is completely dead, it can still cause problems. Root diseases, like honey fungus, can spread across the garden - so it's worth making sure they can't take root by removing the stump.

The easiest ways to do it

We'd suggest the best method is to use a stump grinder. It's a piece of kit (that you can hire from us) that's specifically designed to remove tree stumps. There are other methods you can read about on the internet. These include (but aren't limited to - come on, it's the internet) digging the stump out, burning the stump, using a chemical remover and sticking fertiliser onto the stump. Digging the stump out is a pretty time-consuming business (unless your stump is less than five inches in diameter - then this is an easy way). Burning the stump can be difficult, as the wood is often still damp. And chemicals and fertiliser can leave some nasty residues in your garden. 

Benefits of grinder

Before you start using your stump grinder, you should use a chainsaw to cut the stump as low as you can safely cut it. This allows you to start the grinder closer to the ground - which gives you a quicker job. Don't try to cut the stump all the way to ground level with the chainsaw - you could injure yourself. The grinder will break down the stump, a layer at a time. With very little effort required on your part.

And how it works

The grinder is a moderate-sized piece of kit. It has heavy-duty wheels to give you a solid base and allow you to get it where it's needed. It has an adjustable long handle for moving it and is powered by a small engine.

When you're using the grinder itself, you position the grinder wheel above the stump and then gently lower it onto the stump. You move it across from side to side, to reduce the stump evenly. Your intended use for the area after removal will let you know how deep you want to go to as you remove the stump. If you're building an extension, for example, you'll want to go deeper than if you're filling the hole and putting grass seed down.

Once you're done

You might want to use the woodchips around your garden, as mulch, or add them to the compost pile. Fill in the hole with topsoil and add grass seed, if required. If you find a lot of sawdust has mixed with your soil, you might want to add some nitrogenous fertiliser to help the soil.

Want to start grinding?

If you've got an enormous tree stump you might be best to call in a professional tree surgeon. But, with a grinder from us, you'll be amazed what you can get through. And you can start to reuse areas you've spent years avoiding.

Hire our stump grinder online and there'll be no need to burn, dig or treat with chemicals, the powerful grinding teeth reduce tree stumps to ground level and below, safely and quickly. It's also portable and easy to operate. You can also give us a call on 08700 50 80 60 and we'll get you what you need.

Hire online now

Click here to go directly to our stump grinder hire page.

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