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EliaNG · Apr 24, 2010, 08:20 AM

Folks,

Last fall we had a bunch of weed trees and old shrubs removed from our property. We also had the stumps ground. The earth areas around the stumps are now mixed with lots of root chips. I want to renovate those areas: grade them, till them, and replant with grass seed. What should I do with the stump chips? They really seem mixed in with the soil. Do I have to remove them? Would it be possible to grow a successful grass lawn over them without removing them?

Wondering?

Thanks in advance,

Elia

jmjoseph · Apr 24, 2010, 08:52 AM

Why not remove the chips from where they are, and make a compost pile with them? Or use them for landscaping other areas, like around trees, or flower beds?

Depending on what type of tree the chips came from, they MAY hinder the growth of grass.

You can bag and remove them from your property altogether if you wish.

Personally, I would compost them, and make new, nutrient rich soil.

Clough · Apr 24, 2010, 10:11 AM

Hi, EliaNG!

Yes, since they're already mixed in with other things, composting would seem to be the best way to go, or you could dig them into the soil. As far as them hindering in some way further growth of other things - after this length of time, anything in them that might have been harmful shouldn't be a problem because there has been enough time for any harmful things to break down and disappear, especially since the chips have been in the open air and subject to the elements.

Thanks!

EliaNG · Apr 24, 2010, 06:00 PM

jmjoseph, Clough,

Thank you for the speedy replies. In the past I have used other stumped ground root chips as a base/compost around trees, and those have worked fairly well. In all of the stumps ground last fall there was only one large tree. All the others were smaller diameter trunks (6-8 inch diameters). Only the large stump area has a clear pile of root chips. The smaller stump chips are mixed in fairly consistently with the ground. Maybe I'll only try to gather that single big tree's stump chips and just tidy up the other areas. After I grade the area I plan on adding good topsoil (like mushroom soil - here in southeastern PA), and compacting it, before seeding.

Regarding composting - I have three composting areas in my yard (a reasonably large yard). I try to only put shredded leaves in the piles, but have put unshredded leaves, and small tigs and branches, in at times.

Thanks,

Elia