In general, most tree stumps take about three to seven years to decay or decompose depending on the type of tree, the size of the stump and roots, as well as the tree’s environment or climate. Hard wood takes a bit longer to decay than soft wood. The species of the tree also determines the time it will take to rot. For instance, pine could rot a bit faster than cypress. Pine stumps take a very long time to decompose if left to do so naturally. Pines rarely sprout into new trees after you cut them down, so their stumps can remain glaring for years. You can hasten its decomposition by treating the stump with herbicides. Pearland emergency tree stump removal can help with this process to remove such stumps from your compound. The process of removing the stump is fairly easy.
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Remove or Grind Visible Parts of the Stump
Before applying herbicides to catalyze the decay of the tree stumps, you first remove or grind the visible parts of the tree stumps and its major roots. Reducing the wood means that it will take a shorter time to decay.
Drill Holes and Add Fertilizer
The next step involves drilling holes into the tree stump and the remaining parts of the roots. You then pour high nitrogen fertilizer into these holes. With their high carbon-to-nitrogen ratio, pines take time to decompose because of this ratio. The fertilizer helps increase the nitrogen content in the wood accelerating its decay.
Cover the Roots and Stump with Compost or Soil
Once you add the fertilizer into the holes, you can then cover the remaining part of the stump and roots with compost or soil. These materials help trap moisture that helps in the decomposition process. You can water the soil or the compost regularly to keep the stump and roots constantly moist.
Expose it to Air
As the stump and roots continue to decay, you can flip them once in a while to expose them to more air. This exposure helps fasten the rate at which it decays. It will also come in handy when you want to finally spread out the decayed materials around your garden. That mulch would come in handy when growing grass or other garden crops.
The cost of this process depends on various factors. These are;
The Size of the Stump
When felling your trees, if you left a relatively large stump, it will take more work to have it ground and decomposed. The bigger the stump, the more you will pay to have it removed.
Tree Species
Some tree species are harder than others. If your stump is of the harder species, then it will cost you more. Softwoods are easy to cut down to pieces and grind. They also take a relatively shorter time to decompose.
Debris Removal
The leftover mulch makes a good ground cover for your garden. You can leave it there and just spread it to minimize costs. However, if you want it cleared you just pay a little bit more for the area to get cleaned completely.
