Stump Grinding in Fort Lauderdale, FL

Stump grinding turns what is left after a removal into wood chips. A grinder cuts the stump down to several inches below the soil surface, along with the larger roots right around it, and the grindings are either raked back into the hole or hauled away. In Fort Lauderdale, it is often required anyway: when a tree is removed under a city tree permit, the city's submittal guide says the stump must be ground below grade before replacement trees go in.

Hardwood stumps vs. palm stumps

Hardwood stumps such as ficus, black olive and oak have wide, woody root flares, and some species send up sprouts from the stump after the tree is cut. Grinding removes the part most likely to resprout. Palm stumps are different. A palm does not resprout once cut, but its stump is a dense, fibrous mass that rots slowly and is hard to mow over or plant into. Grinding a palm stump is usually quicker than a hardwood of the same diameter.

What grinding does not do

Grinding removes the stump and the root flare, not every root in the yard. Long surface roots from a big ficus can run under lawns and into planting beds, and those may need to be chased separately or left to decay. Soil settles as the wood chips break down, so a ground-out hole often needs topping up with soil before sod goes down.

Before we grind

Underground lines are the main concern. FPL asks homeowners to call 811 at least two business days before digging. Irrigation lines are not marked by 811, so let us know where your sprinkler heads and lines run. We also look at how the grinder will reach the stump: many Fort Lauderdale backyards are reached through a side gate, and some stumps sit beside a seawall or pool deck where the grinding has to be done carefully.

The grindings

The chips can be raked into the hole, spread as mulch, or hauled away. Fort Lauderdale's bulk pickup does not accept stumps, so for a stump you want gone completely, grinding is the practical route.