If you’ve ever needed to chop down a tree in your backyard before, you may now be left with an unsightly stump poking out of the ground. Perhaps you want to get rid of it, but so far have found it impossible. This is where a stump grinder becomes your best mate. It is a piece of equipment that will remove the stump by turning it into mulch. The mulch also can come pretty handy for growing other plants in your garden, so it’s a pretty useful byproduct.
How They Work
Stump grinders work by rotating a high-speed blade underneath the machine that is powered by a heavy-duty engine. The blade is very sharp, and the grinder is designed to do precisely its job, so as long as you get the right size, it should always be effective in removing the stump.
The grinder is also usually labelled with a cutting capacity number for both above and below ground, so will be able to remove the old tree at both levels. There may also be other garden clearance tools you’ll need to employ to remove the stump completely, but the grinder will do the bulk of the work.
It works by cutting the wood down until the entire stump is gone. Most of this work will be above ground, but it will also need to go below. As the machine cuts, the stump is turned into mulch, or sawdust (depending on how fine the grinder operates). Many people reuse this mulch in their garden, or dispose of it or the sawdust.
Why Is It Important to Remove Stumps?
Apart from not looking good, there are more good reasons to remove old tree stumps. Getting rid of the old wood will be of benefit to your yard. Here are our main ideas as to why it’s important:
Aesthetics – As we began by saying, a stump in your garden will change the way your garden looks, detracting from its beauty, which is a real shame especially if you put effort into maintaining it. Removing an ugly old stump will improve the look of your garden, so it’s worth doing.
Space – Sometimes the reason we chopped down the tree in the first place is because it had become overgrown, or otherwise blocking some part of the usable space. Unfortunately, leaving the stump in its place still renders the area largely unusable. It makes sense to remove the stump completely, particularly if it’s in the middle of your garden, or a place that you want to install another useful feature, such as a walkway, driveway or patio.
Plant life – If the stump remains in your yard for a long time, it will begin to rot, in turn attracting mould and fungi. This will contaminate the rest of the surrounding plant life and may cause it to die or not grow. Actually, by using a stump grinder, the old tree becomes more useful to the rest of the garden as it is turned into mulch. If this mulch is then used around the rest of the garden, it will retain moisture in the soil and suppress the growth of weeds.
Types of Stump Grinders
These days, stump grinders come in many different sizes. For regular usage, such as backyard stump removal, you’ll probably only need a small one. These are very mobile and easy to move around a small garden with only small tree growth stumps requiring removal.
If you have greater needs – that is to say, you have a larger stump that needs removing, then we’d recommend a more moderate-sized machine. This kind of stump grinder is mounted on heavy-duty wheels and can be moved around your garden using a long handle, which can be adjusted so that it’s easier to manoeuvre. We are a leading provider of stump grinding in Perth and will be able to meet your needs depending on the size of your stump and garden.
Tips on Using Stump Grinders:
- Be Safe
Stump grinders are heavy-duty cutting machines, so if used incorrectly they can be dangerous. People using them should always take proper precautions, such as wearing work boots, gloves, and goggles. Certainly, when the grinder is switched on, do not go anywhere near the base or where the blades are operational. At Perth Arbor Service, we are trained experts in tree and stump removal so that you don’t need to put yourself at risk.
Other precautions should be taken before beginning to use the grinder, such as clearing the yard of any potential hazards. You will probably need to trim the grass and plants surrounding the stump to make sure there are no obstacles, such as rocks or large sticks. If the blade comes into contact with these, it could be dangerous to the user, and at the very least will damage the machinery.
- Use a Chainsaw First
Before employing the grinder to the stump, it pays to use a chainsaw first to cut the stump as low as possible. This will make it less work for the stump grinder and will speed up the process overall. You won’t need to cut the stump level with the ground, but as low as possible is the best idea. We can provide a complete stump removal service, using both chainsaws and stump grinders, as well as other tools.
After the Stump Removal
After the tree stump has been taken out, at first, it will probably look like an unsightly hole in your garden. However, in the long run, it is better to remove the stump as after a short time your garden will look overall better.
If the stump was in the lawn, fill the hole with soil and seeds, and then more grass will grow. In other places, you can add some nutrient-rich soil and begin planting flowers or other plants as you normally would, and in a very short while you’ll forget the stump was ever there.
Since there are benefits to having your tree stump removed, we believe you’ll be better off doing so. At Perth Arbor Service, we can provide a complete stump removal service, so please give us a call today on (08) 9227 0010 to discuss with us.