Yes, you can usually plant grass, flowers or small shrubs where a stump was ground, as long as you clear out most of the wood chips and add fresh soil first. Planting a new tree in the exact same spot is harder because of leftover roots, so a nearby location often works better.
With a little preparation, the area can become part of your lawn or garden again. Here’s what to expect after the grinding is finished.
Clearing the Wood Chips
Stump grinding leaves behind a pile of wood chips mixed with soil. Some of it fills the hole where the stump was, and the rest sits on top.
Wood chips aren’t a good planting base on their own. As they break down, they can tie up some of the nitrogen in the soil that plants need. Removing most of the chips from the hole and replacing them with good topsoil gives new plants a better start.
The extra chips don’t have to go to waste. Many people use them as mulch around trees or in garden beds, away from the new planting area.
Planting Grass or Small Plants
Once the hole is filled with soil, grass seed or sod usually does well. The same goes for flowers, groundcovers and small shrubs with shallow roots.
Water the area well and keep an eye on it for the first few weeks. It may take a little extra care to get new plants established.
Planting a New Tree Nearby
Putting a new tree right where the old one stood can be difficult. The old roots are still underground and will take time to decay. They can get in the way of digging and make it harder for a young tree to spread its roots.
Moving the new tree a few feet away, where the soil is less crowded with old roots, is usually easier. If you want a tree in that exact spot, larger roots may need to be dealt with first, which is where root removal can help.
Watch for Settling
As the remaining wood and roots break down, the soil above them may sink. That can leave a shallow dip in the lawn months or even years later.
Adding a bit more topsoil when you notice settling keeps the area level. It’s a small, easy fix that keeps your yard looking even.
If you haven’t had the stump removed yet, you can learn how stump grinding in Joplin works and what the area looks like afterward.
If the stump was very large, give the area a little extra time and soil before planting anything you’d hate to lose.
Planning to replant where a tree used to be? Ask a local tree service how the stump was handled and what the spot will need before new plants go in.
Leave a Reply