Stumps ground out, not just cut down.
A stump left in the ground is a trip hazard, a honey fungus host and the one thing stopping a lawn going back down. Grinding takes it below the surface.
How deep, and what you are left with
Depth is decided by what is going on top. Grass needs less than a patio, and a new tree in the same spot needs the most.
- Around 150mm to 200mm below grade where the ground is going back to lawn
- Deeper where a patio, a shed base or a drive is going over it
- Deeper again, with the chip taken out, if you are planting into the same hole
- Surface roots chased back where they are lifting a path or a lawn
- The hole backfilled with the grindings, or cleared out and topsoiled
- Underground services checked for before the machine starts
Worth knowing before you book
Three things decide the price, and none of them is the height of the tree that used to be there.
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Access for the machine
A grinder has to get to the stump. A standard machine goes through a 760mm gateway, and narrower access changes the method.
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Diameter, not height
You are paying for the width of the stump and the spread of the root plate, which is why a short wide stump costs more than a tall narrow one.
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What is underneath
Water, gas, electric and telecoms near a boundary stump. Services get located before the teeth go in.
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The grindings
A stump makes a surprising volume of chip. Leave it to settle and rot, or have it taken away and the hole topsoiled.
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Honey fungus
A dead stump is a food source. Grinding it out is the usual advice where there is anything valuable planted nearby.
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Replanting the same spot
Needs the chip out and fresh soil in. Chip alone locks up nitrogen and a young tree struggles.
Got a stump in the way?
Tell us the width across the cut and what is going on top of it afterwards. That is enough for a price in most cases.
Questions about this job
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Yes, and plenty of our stump work is exactly that. A stump somebody else left, or one that has been sitting there for years. Older stumps are often harder going because they have had time to set, so they are quoted on sight.
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Grinding takes out the stump and the main root plate around it. Finer roots running away from the tree are left in the ground, where they rot down. Where a surface root is lifting a path or a lawn we chase it back while the machine is there.
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You can, as long as the grindings come out and the hole is backfilled with topsoil. Wood chip left in place ties up nitrogen as it breaks down and a young tree sits there sulking for a season or two.
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A fair amount, and it travels. Boards go up where there is anything to protect. The grindings go back in the hole or on the truck, whichever you prefer.
Other things we do
Most jobs turn out to be more than one of these. Ask for a price on all of it at once.
Tree felling and dismantling
Qualified tree felling and sectional dismantling across the Kent, Surrey and Sussex borders.
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Tree pruning and trimming
Crown lifting, thinning and deadwooding carried out to the British Standard.
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Crown reduction
Crown reductions carried out to growth points, not topped.
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Hedge cutting
Hedge cutting, reshaping and height reduction for homes and commercial sites across Kent, Surrey and Sussex.
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Storm damage clearance
Windblown trees, hung-up limbs and storm damage made safe and cleared across Kent, Surrey and Sussex.
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Site clearance
Overgrown plot and site clearance for homeowners, builders and landowners across Kent, Surrey and Sussex.
Have a look