How to Clean Up After Stump Grinding: Things to Do

The hardest part of cutting down trees for wood or timber is not in felling them down. It’s not even in grinding the stump, but in clearing the mess left. Disposing of or reusing the sawdust or grindings is a lengthy process with a swarm of challenges. Wondering how to clean up after stump grinding? 

How to Clean Up After Stump Grinding

Watch out for some amazing things you can do.

Clear the grounded stump mess

The stump grinding cleanup work starts with getting the tree and wood bits cleaned. Collect the leftover tree roots and clean them off. Ensure every other clutter is removed, as well. 

The dump removal and grinding cause lots of stuff to rise above the surface. You’ll find organic matter, rocks, twigs, and clay cluttered around the spot where the stump was removed. Consider using bigger wood pieces as firewood.

After stump removal, the area they had occupied will be left a hole. Don’t make the mistake of filling the resulting hole with the leftover stump debris. That could affect the usefulness of the spot, as it won’t support the growth of trees and grass. You would rather get the garbage service provider to handle the wood debris for you.

Carefully fill the hole

After the large wood waste has been cleared, fill the remaining hole for safety reasons. The most recommended material for filling holes left after removing a stump is topsoil. Topsoil is known for its impressive ability to prevent soil erosion. This type of soil contains high content of organic materials, known for supporting plant growth.

In case you can’t get enough topsoil to fill the hole, consider adding wood debris and then topsoil as a top cove. You want to ensure the soil covering depth is deep enough to support growing plants and grass.

Woodchips and sawdust are also organic, and once they have decayed, they would offer nutrients to the grass or plant.

Repurposing the stump grinding

Homeowners who wouldn’t wish to let go of the stump grindings would be better off repurposing them for other everyday applications. If you would rather reuse the stump grindings instead of leaving them to the waste company, here are some repurposing techniques that work:

#1   Use for cooking

One way to profitably repurpose stump grindings is by using them to cook. They act as efficient substitutes for wood and charcoal but come with the benefit of giving the food a unique flavor. Sadly, cooking with stump grindings doesn’t work for all foods.

#2   For creating mulch

Mulching is widely used to hold soil intact while minimizing moisture evaporation. Mulch can be created from a variety of materials, but stump grindings and sawdust make for top-leading materials. Creating mulching with stump grindings is as easy as spreading them around the target trees and plants.

#3   Eradicating weeds

We all know the negative effect of weeds on plants. Having weeds in your garden means that your plants and trees will suffer from a low supply of nutrients, sunlight, and water. They deter the photosynthesis of leaves on the plants, which reduces plant production.

#4   Creating compost

In repurposing stump grindings, creating compost is one of the best things to do. It may take up to 4 months for stump grindings to decompose. However, once they’ve decomposed, they act as powerful nitrogen sources, which support quality plant growth.

#5   Plant some grass

Once you’ve cleared the stump grindings and filled the resulting hole with topsoil, you can plant grass or plants. As a way to put the spot from where the tree was removed functional, follow these steps to grow healthy grass:

#6   Settle for the best grass seeds

You’ve to select the right grass seeds based on the richness of the soil. Talk with a professional to get an idea of which grass will do well in your garden, depending on the soil type present.

#7   Plant the seeds

Spreading the grass seeds on the spot shouldn’t take you long. You can sprout the seeds by hand at your most convenient time. However, if you are dealing with multiple spots, you may need a helping hand.

Experts advise spreading the seeds such that 35 grams fit in a square meter surface area. Just place the seeds over the topsoil and push them deeper into the soil with a hand rake. Don’t press the seeds deeper, as they would need adequate sunlight to grow fast, which they won’t get while many inches in the soil.

#8   Water the seeds well

Water the grass not less than two times a day during the first month of growth. Spray the seeds with enough water every day for the recommended period if you truly want the grass to grow well. After the grass has germinated, you can reduce the frequency at which you water it.

Dos and Don’ts When Clearing Stump Grindings

Clearing stump grindings comes with a fair share of challenges. There are things you can do, which could jeopardize the entire process.

Get the mess cleaned the soonest possible

Leaving roots and branches to lie in your garden or yard for long could have serious health consequences. They may attract animals and pests. If they are left to decompose uncleaned, they could create an unsightly sight. Therefore, ensure you clean the stump grindings soon after the stump has been grounded.

Dress properly

One mistake homeowners make while cleaning stump grindings is to dress casually. Cleaning stump grindings is a lengthy and demanding exercise that could pose various risks to concerned parties. You don’t want to end up with injuries, so dress in the right safety goggles, work boots, and gloves.

Get young ones and pets away from the scene

It’s truly dangerous to let kids and pets sit around as you clean stump grindings. The damage could be immense, especially if any flying particles hit the kid’s or pet’s eyes.

Conclusion: How to Clean Up After Stump Grinding

Looking for tricks on how to clean up after stump grinding? The post above has given adequate details on everything you should do and how to do it correctly. Watch out and keep every detail in consideration to get stump grinding mess out of the way within hours.