You may be relieved to have that dangerous, dead or dying tree taken out of your yard. You may be even more relieved that the ugly stump that was left has been ground out. The bad news is that your yard has suffered a bit of trauma and will need some aftercare from you and your professional arborist. Here are some things to do.
Clean Up the Debris
Removing a stump can be messy, and mess in the form of wood chips, sawdust and other debris is guaranteed if it was removed by a stump grinder. The good news is that the professionals who removed the stump are most likely the ones who clean up afterward. However, they can also help with other maintenance tasks.
Do Something With the Leftover Wood
Though you may be tempted to simply discard the leftover wood chips, there are several things you can do with them. The most common use of leftover wood chips is to use them as mulch. Mulch keeps the soil around plants hydrated, keeps down weeds and adds nutrients to the soil as it breaks down.
Another thing to do with the wood chips is to add them to your compost pile. Over time, the wood breaks down and becomes compost you can use as plant fertilizer.
Add Fresh Soil to the Area
Taking a tree out of an area, especially if it’s been there for a long time, changes the nature of the soil. There’s a symbiotic relationship between a tree and the soil it’s planted in, and now that relationship is gone. This is when you can use the expertise of a professional arborist. They can help you choose soil with the right balance of nutrients to replace the soil that was disturbed.
Prepare to Replace the Tree
If you had to remove the tree because it was sick, dead or had been irreparably damaged by a storm, you might want to replace it. Make sure whatever tree you plant can thrive in your climate and type of soil. Again, a professional arborist can help with this.
Add Grass or Flowers if the Tree Won’t Be Replaced
You might have had to take down the tree because it was too close to your sewer line and its roots were infiltrating the pipes, or it was so close to the house that it was disturbing the foundation. In that case, you won’t want to put another tree in that spot. Instead, you can plant grass or flowers. Make sure the grass is the same as the rest of the grass in your yard and that the flowers can thrive in your hardiness zone.
Contact Us to Learn What to Do After Tree Removal
Sometimes, for various reasons, you may have to have a tree removed from your property. If you need tree removal in the San Francisco Bay Area and want to know what to do after that tree is gone, get in touch with our arborists at Maguire Tree Care, Inc.
