Poisoning stumps

Trees can be incredibly persistent. Even after being cut down to a stump, a tree can regrow. Cutting to a stump used to be done intentionally for firewood and other industrial uses, a practice called coppicing. For most of us, the ability of a tree to regrow from a stump is a nuisance. Various herbicides are available that can be applied to a freshly cut stump that kill the tree and prevents future growth. These work by being applied to the cambium. The vascular tissue of the tree sucks the herbicide down into its roots. You do not need to drill a hole into the stump, particularly in the center where the cells are already dead. The herbicide we prefer to use is “practically non-toxic” (EPA – toxicity class IV). It won’t hurt people or pets, but there is some possibility of damaging nearby plants (usually only the case when roots of the same species have grafted together).

Things to know about stump removal.

• Stump removal requires different tools than tree removal. Stumps are ground out with a stump grinder that pulverizes the stump with a toothed cutting wheel. Such stump routers are available to rent at equipment rental stores, but the price to rent for ent one for a day is usually more than it costs to hire us. If you have many stumps to remove, then it may be worth renting your own.

• Strump removal creates a mound of wood chips mixed with dirt. The standard across tree service companies is to leave the stump grindings on site. This material makes excellent mulch for other parts of your garden. Alternatively, if you would like the debris removed or would like us to re-soil and plant grass seed, let us know and we can give you an additional quote.

• The price of stump removal depends on the diameter, height, and species of the stump. Usually, a 24” diameter stump will cost around $140 to remove.