What to Do with Stump Grindings?

Once you have cut down the tree and removed the stump, chances are that you will be now left with its sawdust. A lot of people tend to throw it away but there are a lot of uses for it. Knowing what to do with the leftover wood chips can be quite beneficial for your property. Let’s take a look.

You can use stump grindings as mulch, use it for making compost, vermicompost or offer it to businesses that can recycle or reuse it for different purposes. Stump grindings act as excellent mulch and can be used directly on the soil.

stump grindings after removal what to do with them

What to Do with Sawdust from Stump Grinding?

Some of the most common uses of leftover sawdust include:

Mulch

Sawdust or wood chips from stump grinding can act as a wonderful mulching material. These tiny pieces of wood are very suitable around acid-loving plants as they acidify the surrounding soil a bit as it decomposes.

When you are using grindings as mulch, make sure to fluff it up every alternate week to avoid it becoming too compressed.

Compost

It makes a wonderful addition to compost. But keep in mind that it should only be used in moderation, wood chips are high in carbon so it should be balanced with adding substances that are high in nitrogen such as green vegetables and fruit peelings.

Dig a hole into the ground, put some organic waste from your kitchen and some existing soil from your garden into the hole, if you have access to earthworms then adding them would speed up this process even more.

At the end add the grindings into this mixture and cover it from the top. Every alternate week expose this compost to sunlight and fresh air and spray some water into the mixture. 

Vermicomposting

You can also let the worms do their job with the leftover sawdust. Vermicomposting can turn the sawdust into nutrient-rich worm castings.

Vermicomposting and Composting can also be combined by adding worms to the compost pile.

Offer it to Businesses

These days a lot of businesses have unique solutions for leftover sawdust and trump grinding along with it. This might be especially applicable if you live in a big city. Some companies can use sawdust and convert it into recycled paper, cups and even use it for making decorative items.

How Long Does It Take for Stump Grindings to Decompose?

Sawdust can act as excellent manure and compost for your garden. Simply spreading it across your lawn will decompose it within 8-12 months.

To speed up this process, you can put the sawdust in compost which can break it down within a couple of months.

Recommended reading: How to rot a tree stump fast

How to Use Stump Grindings as Mulch?

The process of using stump grindings as mulch is very simple. All you will need is a leaf rake, a shovel, some method to move the grindings such as a wheelbarrow and a high nitrogen fertilizer but this is optional.

Simply pick up the grindings from the ground using a shovel. Remove any grass from the grindings but leaves are fine. On the contrary, if you can add some vegetable and fruit peelings from the kitchen into the grindings, it’s even better.

Take this mixture and spread them on top of the soil which is deficient in nutrients. Spread 3-6” thick layer around plants and small trees.

You might need to add some nitrogen-rich fertilizers to this if you notice any plants losing their foliage. Or you can also add more ‘green’ mulch like vegetable and fruit peelings. 

After How Long Can You Use Stump Grindings as Mulch?

You can use leftover stump grindings almost instantaneously. If you are converting it into compost, then it might take a couple of months. But it can be used right away as mulch.

Do Stump Grindings Attract Termites?

To this day, there is no proof that stump grinding attracts any kind of termites or pests. Keep in mind that stump grindings can act as an excellent home for termites so if you already have a termite infestation then leaving stump grindings in your garden can give them a place to live.

But stump grindings don’t have any specific scent or properties which attract termites. 

Conclusion

Stump grindings act as excellent mulch and can also be used for making compost or vermicompost. A lot of businesses also use mulch for making different products.

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