Gardens are beautiful peaceful spaces where you can relax after a long week at work. In the summer there is nothing better than having a couple of big shady trees to sit under, but trees don’t live forever and what do you do when your beautiful old tree dies? After a tree has fallen over or been cut down, you are typically left with a big unsightly stump in the middle of your yard that you need to get rid of.There are many ways to remove a tree stump, and people have been known to come up with some ingenious ideas to save a buck or two. But not all these creative solutions have turned out to be successful, sensible or advisable. At Martin’s Tree Service we have seen many interesting amateur stump removal techniques over the years that have not ended well for the homeowner.What could go wrong?An old favourite is using a pick-up truck or SUV to try and rip the stump out of the ground. This may seem like a practical and relatively easy way to get rid of that irritating tree stump in your yard and you’ll probably look at the relatively small stump and wonder “what could go wrong?” But believe the experts when we tell you, the answer is “a lot!”You need to remember that with a tree stump, what you see is not what you get, and the stump is probably way bigger underground than you have imagined. As you try and pull it out with your pick-up or SUV a number of not very pleasant scenarios could play out. If the taut cable attached to the stump suddenly snaps, the results can be devastating, causing extensive damage to your property. Even worse, serious or life-threatening injuries to bystanders. If the stump is old and rotting it can snap and send large chunks of wood raining down all over your yard, placing yourself and your property at risk. Lastly as the trunk with all its roots attached suddenly comes loose, it can fly through the air and land on your vehicle, badly damaging it. Try explaining that one to your insurance company. Burning an old stump might also seem like a cheap and simple solution to your stump removal dilemma. How hard could that be? You simply drill a few holes in the stump, pour some fuel in the holes, let it soak in and then strike a match and watch it burn. Not a good idea; you could inadvertently end up setting your yard on fire, especially if the remains of the tree that was once attached to the stump are lying nearby. Suddenly what was once just a simple stump removal job (that you tried to do on the cheap) has turned into an expensive exercise.Professional Stump Grinding is the Best WayThe easiest way to tackle stump removal is to call in a professional tree removal service, like Martin’s Tree Service, who has all the specialized equipment and experience to safely grind down and remove old stumps in your garden. A stump grinder is a specialized piece of equipment with blades that have multiple sharp teeth that grind the stump into small pieces, above and below the ground. Stump grinding takes places in multiple stages. A rotating cutting wheel on the front of a stump grinder is used to cut across the surface of the stump and slowly grind it to mulch. This job can’t be rushed. The stump grinder peels off two inches of wood at a time until the stump is ground down to well below the surface, ensuring that no sharp bits remain. A tree removal service, like Martin’s Tree Service, has the experience and training to remove stumps from your garden quickly and safely. Steve Martin I have a profound interest in trees and their natural beauty. I grew up on a hobby farm ten minutes north of Waterloo and spent many winters in the bush collecting firewood to heat our family home. It was definitely work, so I wasn’t always eager as a young boy to help my father and big brother, but I learned to love the process... READ MORE