Dirtwork term
Stump Grinding
also called: stump grind, stump removal
Mechanical grinding of a tree stump to below ground level, leaving mulch in place of the stump.
Stump grinding uses a rotating cutter wheel to chip the stump and major surface roots into mulch, down to 4 to 12 inches below grade depending on what's going on top. The hole is then either backfilled with the mulch (for landscape) or with clean soil (for pad work).
Different from stump removal (digging the stump out whole) and from cutting flush (which just makes the stump invisible from above while leaving the root mass to rot in place over the next 5 to 10 years). Grinding is the middle option, faster than removal, more thorough than flush cutting.
On pasture clearing and land clearing jobs, we mix grinding and pull-out depending on stump diameter, tree species, and what's being built. A pad for a slab gets the stump pulled or ground deep; a fence-line clear gets grinding flush enough that mowers and brush hogs pass over without damage.
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Related terms
Other words that come up alongside this one
Mulching Head
Attachment for skid steer or excavator that chips standing trees and brush into mulch in a single pass.
Grub
Removing the root mass of cleared trees and brush, leaving clean dirt instead of stumps and root balls.
Spoils
Excavated material that's left over after cut-and-fill on a project, hauled off or stockpiled for later use.
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