Home / What Nathan does / Stump grinding
Stump grinding and stump removal
The stump is ground out. I do need access at least 90 cm wide to get the machine to it.
What stump grinding is
A stump is what is left of a tree once it has been felled: the base of the trunk with the root flare underneath it.
The grinder is a machine with a spinning wheel of hard teeth. It mills the stump away layer by layer, down to below ground level. What is left is not a hole but a heap of wood chippings, and you can use those to fill the spot back in.
It is a lot less disruptive than digging a stump out or pulling it out. No crane has to come, and your garden is not left open afterwards.
Removing a tree stump
A stump that stays behind is not always a problem. But there are plenty of reasons to have it out anyway.
- You want grass, a terrace, a shed or new planting on that spot.
- You keep tripping over it, or you mow around it every time.
- Shoots keep coming up out of the stump.
- The stump is starting to rot and you do not want that right next to your terrace.
If I am felling the tree for you, the grinding can follow straight after. Mention it when you ask for the quote and I will plan both in one go. Otherwise have a look attree removal and felling.
I need access at least 90 cm wide
This is the one thing to check beforehand, and it saves us both a wasted appointment.
The grinder drives under its own power, but it does have to get past. So measure the narrowest point on the route to the stump: the gate, the passage beside the house, or the opening in the fence. If that is at least 90 cm, I can reach it.
- Measure the narrowest point, not the widest.
- Watch out for a high threshold, a step or a sharp turn on the way as well.
- If it is tighter than 90 cm, still give me a call. Sometimes a fence panel can come out for a while.
Send me a photo of the passage and of the stump, with a tape measure in it. Then I can tell you in advance whether it fits.
Doing it yourself or having it done
A small stump from a thin tree you can still get out with a spade and some patience. With a thick trunk it becomes a different story.
- Digging it out is possible, but below ground a stump is bigger than above it. You end up turning over a fair part of your garden.
- Salt, vinegar or something from the shop mostly takes a long time, and meanwhile the stump is still there.
- Cutting it down to ground level helps against tripping, but the root flare stays and the shoots come back.
- With the grinder it is usually a matter of hours instead of weekends, and you are left with chippings instead of a hole.
What does stump grinding cost?
That depends on the stump and on how I reach it. So I do not name a figure before I have seen it.
What it depends on:
- How thick the stump is and how wide the root flare spreads around it.
- How deep it has to go, and that depends on what is coming on that spot afterwards.
- The route to the stump, and whether the machine can reach it in one go.
- How many stumps there are. More stumps in one garden works out cheaper per stump.
- Whether the chippings can stay or have to go.
Call or message me for a no-obligation quote or an appointment. WhatsApp works too: send a photo of the stump and of the route to it. No strings attached.
Questions about stump grinding
If your question is not here, just call or message me.
Will your stump grinder fit in my garden?
Do I know the price in advance?
When can you come?
What is left after grinding?
Can you grind out a stump from a tree I felled myself?
Can I sow grass or plant on that spot afterwards?
Do you speak English on the job as well?
Do you come outside Barneveld for a stump?
What it looks like
The stump grinder at work 0:07
A tree that needs attention?
Three short questions and Nathan will call you back. Or just call, that is fine too.
- No-obligation quote.
By appointment at the tree, or send photos via WhatsApp and I will base the quote on those. - No cherry picker.
I climb, so your lawn and driveway stay intact. - Everything goes with me.
Prunings through the chipper, the rest I take away.