Leaving a stump after a tree has been cut down and removed will leave you with potential issues of safety and liability, unwanted tree and root growth, and insect infestation. In addition, tree stumps create an unsightly nuisance in your yard, which you don’t want yourself or your family to have to deal with. These are some of the most important reasons to remove the tree stumps from your yard.
The Problems:
1. Liability
One of the important concerns when tree stumps remain after tree removal is liability. Children playing in the yard where a stump has been left run a risk of serious injury due to tripping over or falling into the remaining stump. Visitors to your home may also trip over roots growing out from the stump. Anyone moving about in the yard after dark is at risk of tripping over the uneven terrain. A backyard party could wind up with a guest being hurt by tripping over a tree stump they didn’t see. Soil around the stump can settle, leaving depressions in the ground that can cause trip-and-fall injuries. No one wants a guest to be injured, and the liability issues arising from an injury are always troublesome, particularly if you, as a homeowner, knew about the potential risk and did nothing to mitigate it.
2. Continued Growth
The death or removal of a tree also does not prevent the stump from generating new growth. This new growth will also cause the roots to continue growing, which can be destructive to the yard, cement patios or sidewalks, sewer lines, or even your home’s foundation. This new growth will also sap nutrients from the ground, which can cause your lawn or other surrounding plant life to suffer. Grass is the plant life most vulnerable to the problems caused by this continued root growth. The grass will often die from lack of water, and any attempt to water it will only provide more water to the new growth from the stump, sustaining this undesirable cycle. Thus, the grass will continue to disappear, while the stump’s spread will worsen.
3. Pests
Tree stumps attract mold, fungi, insects, and other vermin. Termites are a particularly destructive insect that can migrate from the affected stump to your home or surrounding trees when the termites have grown too large in number to be confined to the stump. Although live trees can also be susceptible to disease and infestations, tree stumps are especially vulnerable. When a tree stump harbors disease, it is likely that the disease will spread to live trees. In addition to mold, fungi, and insects, larger “pests”, such as foxes, snakes, and raccoons can move in to hollowed out tree stumps. These animals can also be disease vectors, as well as potentially posing a threat to children or pets.
Having a decapitated tree sitting in your yard is sort of like having an open, festering wound. Infections spread. Bacteria spread. Tending to this wound in your yard will benefit the health of all the greenery that surrounds it.
The Solution: Grinding the Stump
The smartest move to permanently remove any worry and danger about a stump is to grind the stump and remove the root system supporting it. Expert tree removal companies have stump grinders, and we own the specific heavy machinery required to take out the stump properly and thoroughly. Extracting a set of roots from a yard is not a simple task, but professional tree removal companies have the extensive experience that makes it look easy.
Because the stump grinder tears up the wood below the surface of the soil, the grinding process makes absolutely sure that the stump will not re-sprout with what is called “suckering growth.” Sucker pruning, which is tending to any latent growth from the left-behind stump, is an endless, pointless task that you do not want to add to your list of yard-maintenance chores. Get it out, and be done with it.
Cincinnati Tree Stump Removal
Removing tree stumps will increase the safety of your property and help to ensure your protection against liability problems. You will also improve the appearance of your property, and you can enjoy your yard without worrying about problems with tree stumps. The benefits of removing tree stumps far exceed the cost. Call your local stump grinding experts today (here in Cincinnati, call us here at Tree Images) to learn how we can safely, efficiently, and cost-effectively help you with your stump problems!
