What is stump grinding? And what happens to that pile of wood chips?

Stump grinding is removal of the tree stump through mechanical means. Stump grinders break up the stump by chipping it into mulch sized pieces with very sharp, rotating teeth. A pile of wood chips remains after the process is finished, which can be quite large.

Wood chips left on the ground after stump grinding can be pushed into the open hole created by the grind. Those chips get swept back into the hole and tapped down in order to help level off the newly stump ground area. This can help reduce serious injury should someone happen to be walking over the lawn and not notice a large hole where a tree once was.

Often, there are more wood chips than can fit in the hole. You will have the option in your proposal to have Hansen’s remove this excess if you desire. All usable debris is then recycled into organic mulch at our facility.

Over time, the wood chips in the stump hole will begin to disintegrate, so it may be necessary for the home owner to continue placing more of the remaining wood chips into the hole in order to fill it. We highly recommend to homeowners that it is a good idea to follow this settling process with some top soil & grass seed in order to completely cover the hole & make it safe for any lawn foot traffic.

If you have any mover questions on stump grinding, be sure to ask one of our arborists.