Stump Grinding in Fort Wayne, IN

Stump grinding uses a machine with a toothed wheel to chip a stump down below the soil surface, so the spot can be filled with topsoil and seeded, planted or covered. It is far quicker and less damaging to a yard than digging a stump out. Pro Tree Service Fort Wayne grinds stumps from trees we remove and from trees taken down by someone else, including old ash stumps that have been sitting since the borer swept through the area.

Why bother with the stump

A stump left in place keeps getting in the way of the mower, and many species send up sprouts from the roots for years; silver maple and Callery pear are common offenders. A rotting stump can also draw carpenter ants and fungi. Grinding ends the sprouting from that stump and lets you use the space again.

How deep we go

For lawn, most stumps are ground several inches below the surface. If you plan to plant a new tree in the same spot, or build a patio, we grind deeper and wider, and we talk about whether the old root mass will be in the way. The new tree is usually best set a few feet off the old stump, where the soil has not been filled with chips.

Chips and backfill

Grinding turns a stump into a pile of chips and soil, often more than people expect. The chips can be raked into the hole, spread in beds as mulch or hauled away. Chips break down over time and settle, so for a lawn we usually recommend removing most of them and filling with topsoil. The city's own forestry standards call for topsoil, not wood chips, as backfill after street-tree stump removal, for the same reason.

Before we grind

Grinders reach well into the soil, so buried utility lines matter. Indiana 811 marks public lines for free if you call before digging; private lines such as a buried line to a garage, an invisible dog fence or irrigation need to be pointed out to us. We also note rocks, fences, foundations and any gap the machine must fit through; many stump grinders fit through a standard yard gate.

Stumps by the street

If the stump is in the strip between the curb and the sidewalk, it was probably a city street tree. Fort Wayne's forestry FAQ says the city inventories street-tree stumps and usually grinds them within a year, so call 311 before paying to have one removed.