A city inspector called my stump grinding 'too aggressive' last fall

He pointed out that I was taking the stump down a full 18 inches below grade on a park job in Cedar Rapids, which was wrecking the soil structure for replanting. I argued it was clean work, but he showed me how the fine root mat was gone and the subsoil was just compacted clay. Now I go just 6 inches down and use a mattock to break up the pan underneath before backfill. Anyone have a better method for prepping a stump site for a new tree?

3 comments

3 Comments

jade2213mo ago

Wrecking the soil structure" is a phrase that got me too, I used to just see clean dirt.

hugo_jones23mo ago

Wow, @jade221, so what do you actually LOOK for now in the soil after grinding?

-1

rose_hart3122d ago

Ask Jade if she can actually see the difference now when she digs in... like can you spot the broken down clods versus the tight compacted stuff? Or is it more about feeling the soil shift under your fingers as you break it apart?