For many homeowners, it can be tempting to leave tree stumps in the ground instead of dealing with the problem right away. After all, it might not seem like such an issue when you don't know how stumps can affect your garden. Far from being little more than a slight eyesore, a tree stump can actually cause considerable damage to the rest of your garden, which is just one reason why you should have a stump taken care of as soon as possible.
Here are just three ways leaving a stump in the ground can impact the health of your garden.
1. They Attract Pests
It doesn't take long from the moment the stump was separated from the tree for them to start breaking down. This is a very slow process of decay, and it unfortunately is going to make a great home for pests, including termites and carpenter ants. Once those pests are established in a tree stump, they can be quite hard to eliminate. They can also spread out from the stump to damage other parts of your garden, especially other trees. Of course, there's also a risk they'll infiltrate the property itself, which could lead to the need for extremely expensive repairs.
2. They Harbour Fungus and Disease
It isn't just pests you need to worry about when a stump is left in your garden. As the stump starts to root, it can also provide an ideal breeding ground for fungi and diseases. These could then spread from the stump to other parts of your garden. Again, other trees are particularly at risk and may need to be cut down themselves if such diseases or fungi are allowed to take hold. Unfortunately, this problem is only exacerbated if pests have been allowed to thrive in the stump since they will help carry disease to other further parts of your garden.
3. They Steal Nutrients
One thing many people don't realise is that new tree growth can occur around the stump. These can be annoying to get rid of, and they can also impact the overall health of your garden since they'll be stealing vital nutrients and moisture from the soil. That means proper moisture and nutrients won't be going to other plants, so you may find nearby plants are not thriving as they should. This, in turn, makes those plants less able to cope with the fungi, diseases, and pests mentioned above.
Reach out to a stump grinding company near you for more information.
Share12 September 2022
Hi, my name is Christine. As a lifelong lover of the Shel Silverstein book "The Giving Tree," I have always been interested in the many different relationships one can have with a tree. I own a relatively large property with several trees, and I have worked hard to make those trees an essential part of my life. Some of my trees provide me with food, others provide me with energy-efficient shade that reduces my air conditioning bill and others create recreation opportunities for my kids in the form of treehouses or swings attached to the trees. Still other trees boost my property values just by being beautiful. If you want ideas about using your trees for fun, form and function, please explore this blog.
