How to get rid of your stump grinding waste

The end result of a stump grinding job is a pile of shredded wood. If you need us to, Snohomish Tree might haul the waste for you.

The end result of a stump grinding job is a pile of shredded wood. If you need us to, Snohomish Tree might haul the waste for you. But we can’t do it for free, so it’s going to add to the total cost of your stump removal. It’s better to find a way to get rid of it yourself.
Luckily, the waste is both useful and organic. You can use it as a mulch, or for anything you might use chipped wood for. Even if you don’t have a use for it, you can always dump in the back 40 and let it decompose.
Mulching
​Mulches can be used to:
1. Kill off grass or weeds when you need to clear a space for a garden bed
2. Keep weeds down in existing beds
3. Protect your beds from the elements in hot, dry or freezing weather
4. Add organic material to the soil
5. Add an ornamental touch to your landscaping
There is a misconception that wood chips are bad for plant growth. This comes from the fact that bacteria use Nitrogen to break down wood chips, which might leech it from your plants. However, if you spread your wood on top of the soil, this only occurs on the very surface. Plant roots actually draw nutrients from the soil beneath.
As the chips break down, it will add organic matter to the soil. Just be sure you don’t actually mix the wood down into the soil. Keep it on top.
A layer of mulch can also keep sunlight off of beds. In the hot/dry season, this will help keep your beds cool and hydrated, which reduces stress on your plants. It also blocks weeds from the sunlight they desperately need to grow and get established.
In winter, a layer of mulch will keep your beds a bit warmer. Frost will gather on the mulch, rather than the soil.
And, of course, mulch adds a touch of the aesthetic. This is especially true in empty or open beds. The shredded wood leftover from a stump grinding job looks similar to chipped wood, but it has a rougher texture. See the video below:

One situation where it might be highly useful is when you have a bed that is currently not being used. With no plants growing, the soil is open to weeds. And even if you pull the weeds as they spring up, the soil is not getting any organic material added to it. So mulching is the better option.
Other uses
You can use shredded wood for garden or forest paths. You can also cover up muddy areas on your property. If you have a spot where you drive/park your tractor a lot, some shredded wood will help keep it dry. The same goes for areas of your grass that you use for auxiliary parking. It will eventually turn to dirt/mud if traffic is too heavy. So you can just thrown down some wood mulch instead.
If nothing else, you can pile it up somewhere out of the way and wait till you have a use for it. If you’re sure that you won’t have any use for it, or you just want it to disappear, there’s a few options:
1. Ask your neighbors if they can use it
2. Spread it out as thinly as possible in an area where it won’t bother you
3. Bury it
How long does it take to decompose?
Wood chips are expected to decompose in as little as 3 months. You can expect your stump grinding waste to break down in similar fashion, or even faster. The shreds tend to be covered in dirt, which can speed up the process.
If you choose to spread it out, be aware that the wood will break down much faster on dirt than grass. If you spread it over your lawn, it will kill the grass before breaking down. But if it’s fall and you were planning in replanting in the spring, the timing is perfect for spreading on grass. The wood will add organic material to the soil, kill the grass, and keep weeds from springing up in the meantime.
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When you’re ready to get rid of the stumps taking up room in your yard, you can get an estimate from Snohomish Tree by filling out one of our estimate forms.