First Stump Removal - Questions

[bscepter]

Hi all...

We've got a stump on our property line that's in the way of a fence we want to build. I just had a guy look at it, and he said that he'd grind it for $200, which seems reasonable, as it's a pretty big stump (about 2.5 feet high and 2.5 feet in diameter, with exposed roots going out about another 2 feet or so).

The grinder guy said it was a "tree of paradise" and that it's a "smelly tree." I'm guessing he means it's a tree of heaven. In any case, it looks old and the bark is gray (as is the cross-section). I have no idea when it was cut down, either. He also said that we have to remove it because it will attract carpenter ants.

My questions are: how do I know if it's actually dead? Can I use the wood chips for mulch or backfill the hole where it was? Does the guy know what he's talking about? Am I being taken for a ride? (I was half considering fencing around it, leaving the stump where it is.)

Thanks for any advice!

 

[BlueRidgeMark]

Those stinkers can sprout from roots. If it isn't dead already, make sure he grinds it as far down as his machine will go. That's if it IS alianthus (Tree of Heaven). I've never seen one get that big, but then, I haven't seen everything.

I don't see any reason you can't use the leftovers, but don't expect good chips. You don't want JUST the stump grindings filling the hole, though. It will decay and collapse after a while. Spread it around, and fill the hole with dirt.

I have no idea when it was cut down, either.

??? Have you owned the property for a while? If it's been sitting there more than a year, and hasn't sprouted, it's dead. Alainthus comes back quick.

The pros here can comment about the price, but it doesn't sound out of line to me, based on discussions I've seen here.

 

[bscepter]

??? Have you owned the property for a while? If it's been sitting there more than a year, and hasn't sprouted, it's dead. Alainthus comes back quick.

The pros here can comment about the price, but it doesn't sound out of line to me, based on discussions I've seen here.

Thanks for the response. We just bought the house and are getting ready to move in, so I don't know anything about the tree.

What do you think about the ants thing, though? If it is in fact dead, would there be any worry about leaving it where it is?

 

[okietreedude1]

The price sounds about right, especially being in a bigger town. The grinder guy will more than likely cut it off first and haul the chunk off....that adds to my price as well. Make sure to find out if he will haul off the chunk and leftover chips in his price. I leave my stump grinding jobs level w/ surrounding terrain whereas others dont (leave big pile of chips)

As for the ants, that I dont know about.

As for mulch, yes you can use them. The do smell rank and I personally would not use them, but free is free.

Id take the deal.

 

[bscepter]

Thanks again -- as far as I know, he isn't hauling anything off and I'll be left with a big hole in the ground and a pile of chips.

 

[BlueRidgeMark]

I don't know about the ants, either, but I suspect it's true. I've had those garbage trees on my property, and anything dead had ants.


Whatever you do, clarify the terms! Know what you are getting. A hole? Or level?

If it were me, I'd rather have the hole. Then I know what goes in it.