Stump grinding stops old tree stumps from resprouting or decaying, saving your yard from some potentially devastating pathogen and pest problems. But this convenient option does have a few effects on drainage in your yard. You must ensure that drainage from the stump site is working well to prevent flooding and other soil and grading issues.
What Happens During Stump Grinding?
Stump grinding is a way of disposing of a tree stump without lifting the entire thing out of the ground. A tree service brings in a grinder that literally grinds up the wood of the stump so that nothing is left aboveground except for a pile of wood chips. The grinder actually grinds up everything to a few inches below the surface, including visible roots.
When the stump is nothing but wood chips, you’ll have two choices. Leave the chips in place to function as mulch or have the tree service remove them. Either way, you’ll need to fill in the hole with enough soil so that there’s no divot in the yard that could become a trip or flood hazard.
Leveling and Grading Soil
When you fill in the hole, aerate and loosen compacted or clay soil to ensure that any moisture that hits the ground doesn’t simply pool on top. You want the soil in the hole to drain well so that rain and sprinkler water head down into the soil rather than run off and erode the soil you just added. You will also need to ensure the surface is level and keep checking it and filling in areas that have settled over the next few months.
You’ll need to have a yard service regrade the surface too. This ensures that rain runoff, for example, flows toward the street or storm drain and not your foundation. If needed, you can install a French drain, which is a drainage system in which a pipe lies in a trench filled with gravel. The pipe has perforations on its surface, and water trickles through the soil and gravel into the pipe, which carries the water away from your home.
Proper Drainage and Leftover Tree Roots
One issue that some homeowners encounter is bits of roots left behind after stump grinding. These are the parts of the roots that were underground, where the grinder couldn’t reach. Eventually, these roots should die and decompose. However, until the roots die away, they’ll continue to siphon moisture out of the soil, and that liquid must go somewhere.
With the stump and tree gone, that moisture heads right into the soil where the stump used to be, creating damp spots that can sink. The muddy surface of the soil can become uneven and pose a trip hazard. However, if you ensure that the soil you’ve added is well-draining, the moisture won’t end up in one concentrated spot. It will filter back down into the soil, leaving the surface drier and less likely to settle unevenly.
You may think that the issues with moisture, drainage and grading are more difficult to deal with than an old tree stump, but they really aren’t. If you need stump grinding services in Peoria, IL, contact Central Arbor Tree Care today.
