Tree Stump Removal

When a tree is removed, a stump is left. Even if the stump is cut off as close to the ground as possible, it still interferes with the look and function of your yard. A tree stump can be a hazard that will trip people, and can damage lawnmowers and other yard equipment. As the stump rots, it becomes a hazard because while it looks solid enough to step on, it may not support an adult’s weight, or the weight of the equipment used to maintain your yard, and this may expose you to a significant liability.

There are a number of home remedies available to help remove a tree stump.
  • The simplest way to remove a tree stump is to dig it out, cutting the roots with an axe or mattock. This is a hazardous, backbreaking, labor intensive chore. While you don’t need to hire a licensed arborist to remove a stump, you should insure that you have workman’s compensation insurance and a good umbrella insurance policy, because it’s very easy for an untrained person to be injured manually removing a stump.
  • A less hazardous method to remove a tree stump is to drill holes in the stump, and fill them with various enzymes, fertilizers or “folk remedies” that will help the stump rot faster. However, faster is relative—some stumps are still solid after five years. And after the stump rots, you have a hole to fill. As the stump rots, it attracts insects like termites and carpenter ants that can move on to other trees and other wooden structures in your yard. These destructive insects may even move into your house. On the other hand, once established, these insects will help the tree stump deteriorate very quickly.
  • The “natural way” to remove a tree stump is to let nature take its course and let the stump rot on its own terms. This method has all the disadvantages of the above method, but takes longer so the unsightly stump will be a nuisance for a longer time.
  • Rent a “stump grinder”. This is a good tool for smaller jobs, where the tree is less than a few inches in diameter. However, a small stump grinder does not have the power, nor the reach, to take on a big job. Using any stump grinder is dangerous, and “kickback” may be an issue with a small stump grinder.
  • Dynamite. After attempting all of the above methods, this may sometimes seem like an attractive option, however we do not recommend it.

Cotta Tree Service can remove even the largest tree stumps in minutes with our 90HP hydraulically operated stump grinding machine. This will quickly remove the stump, and our workers can then fill the hole with the removed dirt and mulch left over from the stump, or we can fill the hole with topsoil and even plant a new tree to replace the one you lost.

Our tree experts remove stumps from trees that have fallen naturally or that you have cut down. Naturally, we also can also remove the stump when we remove a tree.

 

Cotta Tree Services has been serving the towns of Darien, CT; New Canaan, CT;  Stamford, CT and Norwalk CT since 1929.

  
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