Why grind a stump
A stump left after tree removal is a trip hazard, gets in the way of the mower, and in some species keeps sending up shoots. Grinding is the quickest way to deal with it:
- It takes the stump below the surface so you can lay turf, replant or mulch over the spot.
- It is far less disruptive than excavating, with no large hole and no heavy machine tracking across the lawn.
- It works where access is tight, because compact grinders go where excavators cannot.
- It is usually cheaper than stump removal, which is better kept for building and paving jobs.
How a stump is ground
Check what is underneath
Pipes, drains, irrigation lines and cables often run close to old trees. They are located before grinding, especially if the stump sits near a house, driveway or boundary. In older Melbourne suburbs, terracotta sewer and stormwater pipes near trees are common, and roots are often already in them.
Cut it low and grind
The stump is cut close to ground level with a chainsaw, then a rotating cutting wheel chips away the wood in passes until it is below the surface. Surface roots running out from the stump can be ground as well if they are lifting lawn or paving.
Clean up and fill
Grindings are raked back into the hole, spread on beds or removed. Where turf is going down, most people have the grindings taken away and the hole filled with topsoil, because fresh woodchip draws nitrogen from the soil as it breaks down and the patch can settle.
Melbourne ground and stump grinding
Soil changes the job. In the inner north and west, heavy basalt clay can be hard and dry in summer and sticky in winter. In the eastern foothills, rocky ground and slopes affect which grinder can be used safely. Around Cranbourne, Frankston and the peninsula, sandy soils make grinding faster, but wide shallow roots may need chasing to stop them lifting lawn. Stumps from big cypress windbreaks on older peninsula blocks can be very wide, so measure them before asking for a price.
Grinding several stumps
Grinding is usually priced per stump with a minimum charge, so it is worth grouping every stump on the property into one visit. If you are having trees removed at the same time, ask for tree removal and grinding on one quote. Planning figures are on the tree removal cost guide.
We ask the contractors we work with to hold the licences and insurance the job needs. Ask to see them before the grinder starts.