Pro tip: stump grinding depth depends on what you plant next

Spent 8 years grinding stumps flush to the grass. Thought that was the standard. Then a client in Asheville wanted to plant a dogwood in the same spot. Root collar stayed too high and the tree suffocated. Arborist buddy showed me the flare needs 2 inches of breathing room below grade. Now I drop the grinder 4 inches and backfill with loam. Anyone else adjust depth based on future planting plans?

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hernandez.gavin10d ago

My neighbor just spent 2 grand redoing his driveway and the paver guy said the same thing about base depth. Everyone digs the same hole for everything and then wonders why stuff fails. Like how folks set fence posts 2 feet deep in clay soil and act surprised when they heave over winter. It's the same mindset, we treat the ground like it's one size fits all when it's literally the opposite. Once you start seeing it, you notice it everywhere, from raised garden beds to septic drain fields.