Trees can take a lot of punishment before they eventually begin to decline. The same is true of tree roots. Because tree roots contain all the life-giving nutrients and water that trees need to survive, they can live on after a tree has been removed. This is why most tree services recommend that you remove both trees and their stumps during a removal.

If you've never hired a stump grinding service before, then you may not know what the process entails. This article explains how tree stump grinding works so you can better understand why it is so important after tree removal.

Area and stump assessment

Before a stump grinding service grinds out a stump, they must first assess the area and the location of the stump. This step is especially important in small yards or areas surrounded by fences, buildings, and other trees. The tree service needs to ensure that they have room to maneuver their stump grinder into position. They also need to ensure that there are no obstacles in the way.

The soil type is important too because some soil is shallow and may be sat atop bedrock or utility lines. Some obstacles such as utility lines or the roots of other trees will affect how deep the stump grinder can go when grinding out a stump.   

The actual stump grinding

If your yard space is small, then your chosen tree service may use a hand-guided stump grinder to grind your stump. But if you have enough room, then the tree service may use a larger stump grinder, like a riding grinder, which resembles a small tractor.

If the soil and the area around your tree stump are clear, then the stump grinder operator will grind your stump until nothing remains. However, stump grinding does not remove the entirety of the tree root system. Usually, the remaining roots will rot after tree stump removal.

Filling of the hole with mulch

After stump grinding, there is usually a pile of wood chips left behind. This pile of wood chips is ideal for use as mulch or as a garden path. But most tree services will usually fill the hole left behind after a stump grinding with the wood chips. This ensures that you aren't left with a huge hole in your yard.

Area cleanup

After a stump grinding, the tree service will clean up the area and leave the site.

Do you have a tree stump that is taking up space in your yard? Then call a stump grinding service today like Tree Landers. They'll remove your stump so that you can use the space once occupied by your stump.