Service
Stump grinding
Stump grinding uses a machine with a spinning, toothed wheel to chew a tree stump and its large upper roots into wood chips, usually to several inches below the soil.
Stump grinding cuts a stump down with a stump grinder. The machine shreds the wood into chips instead of pulling the stump out of the ground. Iowa State Extension says these machines chew away the stump and any large lateral roots, typically down 8 to 12 inches.
The work leaves a pile of wood chips in the hole. Most arborists leave that material in place unless the owner asks them to remove it, and hauling or refilling usually costs extra. Grinding differs from stump removal, which can also mean digging the whole stump out.
Only the part of the stump below the cutter is gone. Deeper roots stay in the soil and rot over time. See how stump grinding works for the steps on a job.