[cnet24]

I'm not sure where this topic should live, but because most of my questions center around sod installation I've put it here.

I am preparing for a project where I will remove a second shade tree in my landscape, this time a large Bradford Pear in my front yard. For what it's worth, I know they get a bad rap about splitting, smells, etc, but I am taking this out due to the amount of shade it casts on my bermuda lawn :lol:

Anyways, I will be having the tree cut out and will backfill and lay bermuda sod over this area. Any tips or recommendations for this project? I think my biggest struggles will be leveling the lawn back out after the stumps/roots are grinded down. All of the tree companies that I have talked to do not remove the stump & root grindings, so that will be up to me.

Additionally, the grade of my yard has a pretty decent slope involved (2nd picture), which could make things a little more tricky when it comes time to lay sod.

I'm going to try to get a whole yard leveling project incorporated with this, which I also have questions about. Would it be best to level with a compost material (aka a Soil3 product from Super Sod) to pump the yard with fresh soil, and then continue leveling with sand in the coming years?

Lastly, I will be targeting the end of April/early May timeframe.

 

[high leverage]

Be prepared for that area to sink for many years to a decade.. I see multiple smoothing/ leveling projects in you future. Good luck.

 

[high leverage]

Oh and fairy rings

 

[raldridge2315]

I had two large oak trees removed and the stumps ground out last April. My experience is that leveling out the area (or an entire lawn) is a multi-year project. I removed the excess soil/wood chips and stored them on the back of my property. As the remaining soil settled in the holes, I added more from that pile. It now seems to be firm and I have not had to add any soil since about November. However, experience tells me that it will continue to settle. It takes a long time for the soil to compact back to the condition that it was prior to being disturbed. I intend to plug the area in the late April/early May time frame with plugs from other areas of the lawn. I will then add leveling sand to the entire lawn in late June/early July. I would be willing to make a cash wager that I will have to add leveling sand next year also.

 

[Movingshrub]

Get rid of the wood chips from the stump grinder. I ground more stumps than I can count. I spread all the wood chips over my entire yard. It takes years for them to break down and they steal nitrogen when doing so.

If you've only got one tree stump, I'd say collect and dispose of the wood chips.

 

[g-man]

Oh and fairy rings

Could you explain the fairy ring comment?

 

[Ware]

Oh and fairy rings

Could you explain the fairy ring comment?

I think they commonly appear in areas once occupied by trees or stumps.

 

[Brodgers88]

Have you considered digging out the stump and roots then filling the hole with sand instead of grinding them down? I had a small oak I removed a couple years back and that is exactly what I did with fantastic results. I never had settling or any other issues where the tree used to be. Here are a few pics from my removal. I was worried about getting the stump ground and having to deal with all the wood chips. I was also concerned with leaving any parts of the tree in the ground that could have possibly led to settling as the wood decomposed.

 

[Colonel K0rn]

That's a lot of time and commitment, but an effective way to remove it! Grinding is easy and fast.

 

[cnet24]

Have you considered digging out the stump and roots then filling the hole with sand instead of grinding them down? I had a small oak I removed a couple years back and that is exactly what I did with fantastic results. I never had settling or any other issues where the tree used to be. Here are a few pics from my removal. I was worried about getting the stump ground and having to deal with all the wood chips. I was also concerned with leaving any parts of the tree in the ground that could have possibly led to settling as the wood decomposed.

Did you install sod over this area? How did it take to the sand?

Also- how long did this take?

 

[Brodgers88]

Yes I put sod. Actually was able to transplant some bermuda from an existing area where I built a bed for liriope that I took up from around the base of the tree. It took fine in the sand. My soil is pretty much straight sand anyway. The hole left by the stump was pretty large. I filled it with some bagged silica sand I got from the local sand pit. I think I had like 6 or 7 - 100 lb bags of that then the top 12" I filled with sand I dug up from my yard. In all the project took 3 days with the help of a buddy. First day was cutting down the tree, removing debris, and digging around stump to cut the roots. Second day was stump removal. Third day I transplanted sod.

Hardest part was definitely the stump removal but it wasn't too bad. I dug all around the stump to expose the roots then cut through them with a chainsaw. Then I dug all the way down until I was nearly able to go under the stump. We tied a heavy duty strap around the stump and pulled it right out of the hole with a pickup.

 

[Rackhouse Mayor]

You're right your biggest struggle will be getting the stump out. There's a reason those contractors don't want to do it. If I were you I'd just dig the tree up. Find a buddy with a front end loader or go rent one. Dig it and knock it over. Skip the contractor all together. Call 811 first though. Also, make sure your city doesn't require a permit to remove it.

Like others have said, if you leave the roots in place they'll decompose over time and your lawn will sink. Some people will drill holes in the stump and pour diesel or kerosene in it and let it soak for a month. Then they'll come back and light it. I've considered it, but it'll smolder for days and I'm not leaving a fire overnight. Good luck. Dig it all out or leave it - that's my recommendation.