People accustomed to scenes of wanton logging in the forest may be disheartened to see the stumps that remain after all is said and done. Nevertheless, stumps left behind in forests can just rot away, and it won’t become an eyesore in the area. However, some settings may need to have the tree removed right down to the stump, such as the following situation described by writer Marlene Affeld, in her article for SFGate:
“Cutting down a tree is the easy part. If you have removed a dead or dying tree from your landscape, the question remains as to what to do with the ugly stump. If the tree is part of a naturalized area, the stump can remain and rot naturally as part of the landscape. If the offending stump is in the middle of a manicured lawn, however, you may call a professional tree removal service or attempt to remove the stump yourself.”
The city of Palo Alto, already known for its efforts to protect over 36,000 urban trees of various species, requires residents to take care of trees in their property. The redwood, El Palo Alto, sitting astride San Francisquito creek, for instance, has been declared a heritage tree and is a silent witness to much of the community’s history. Heritage trees are not required to be removed, but if you’ve been forced to have a large tree taken down on your yard and had to contend with the stump being a hazard or eyesore, let a tree service in Palo Alto like Bay Tree Area Specialists deal with it.
The article touches on grinding as one of the more effective ways to take out the stump; the process involves mechanically chopping the wood into a pile of sawdust. A professional tree service must analyze the stump’s diameter to determine what grinder model to use. Some professionals state that small grinders work for stumps measuring up to a foot wide but use larger rigs for anything wider. However, if you just had the tree pruned or cut down, your arborist may not recommend immediate grinding.
There’s always the possibility that the tree has a large root mass underneath and the grinder may not be as effective. Consult your Palo Alto arborist about digging the section around the stump to get all of the remaining roots away. A backhoe may be the last option if the stump is too big to dig out.
Eliminating a tree stump through environmentally-sound methods will work some way to improving your yard. Some experts, however, claim that despite that, no stumps make it easier to replant.
(Source: Safe & Non-Toxic Ways to Get Rid of a Tree Stump, SFGate.com)