Girdling Roots and Grafting

[Old Monkey]

Silver maples double in diameter 8 inches down, so species does matter here.

 

[top hopper]

Yeah we have Silvers here too. To say they double diameter at 8 inches below grade is a stretch. Most Silvers have huge root crowns at grade which can easily be measured.

 

[squisher]

Maybe you should go into stumpgrinding, you seem to have it all fingered out.

 

[sotc]

I beleive he is reasonable across the board. I don't understand how the bid by the inch works. The stump multiplies in volumn as the diameter gets larger. I bid on a per stump, location and difficulty bases

 

[top hopper]

Maybe you should go into stumpgrinding, you seem to have it all fingered out.

Im just saying how it is here. And Squish Ive been in the grinding business.

Here grinding will run 2 bucks per inch no hauling and 4-4.50 per with hauling. Consider tough access, and stumps in rock mulch and the cost will go accordingly. If there are alot of surface roots to grind that will also increase it, but generally speaking the stump is measured at its widest point to calculate price, no matter of specie.

 

[Old Monkey]

I just charge based on how long I think it will take me.

 

[Fiddler]

Here grinding will run 2 bucks per inch no hauling and 4-4.50 per with hauling. Consider tough access, and stumps in rock mulch and the cost will go accordingly. If there are alot of surface roots to grind that will also increase it, but generally speaking the stump is measured at its widest point to calculate price, no matter of specie.

Thats pretty much how they charge around here. When I did it I charged by my time involved.

 

[sotc]

I just charge based on how long I think it will take me.

I spewed all that out and Darin summed it up for me

 

[top hopper]

Whatever works.

 

[squisher]

I like your system Top and I was just yanking your chain a little cause I know ya like the abuse.




What consideration if any is given for the height of the stump? I know it can always be cut down to alap before grinding, but that low bottom cut can be a pita and hell on chains.

 

[top hopper]

I know you were yanking my chain......


Height? It should be ALAPed everytime. Within 6" of grade, but ideally 2-3". Any higher then that and it aint a stump yet.

 

[SkwerI]

One guy around here grinds 12" down from the top of the stump. He doesn't care if it's 10" above ground and 2" below or vice versa. If you want it deep you cut it low.

 

[squisher]

Height? It should be ALAPed everytime. Within 6" of grade, but ideally 2-3". Any higher then that and it aint a stump yet.

And it would be if I'd made the stump, unless something higher was specified for some reason. But I sometimes grind stumps that I haven't cut. Older stumps.

 

[top hopper]

I hear ya there.

So what do you do? Do you carry a saw with and cut it, and have a piece of firewood to deal with or do you just grind it down. I suppose it depends if you are hauling the chips or not. If I were hauling it. Id just assume use a saw and cut it and carry out one piece of wood vs shoveling up the additional chips. But if I were leaving the chips Id just grind it down.

 

[squisher]

Exactly.

 

[top hopper]

Additional chainsaw surcharge on stump grinding...... add $45 bucks!



Right?!

 

[sotc]

Haha, now were talking!

Brian, I like that guys way of dealing with high stumps!

 

[Ax-Man]

Yes they can be quite ornamental!

Seldom do stem-girdling roots graft with the stem, so even big ones can and should be pruned.

Often root-girdling roots graft, so no reason to prune them. It can be tricky telling stem from root. I try to wiggle the girdler, and if it moves then it usually can be whacked.

All the skinny about root care here: http://secure.isa-arbor.com/webstore/Landscape-Below-Ground-III-P403.aspx
Lots of good stuff from Europe in there; it was a cool conference.
Page 381 has the new and improved version of the attached.

Interesting article Guy.

Yesterday was my day for removing girdling roots for a client that cares for her trees like they were her children. This job was also my first hands on attempt because normally I avoid this type of work because I know what is involved from past experience grinding maple stumps.

This tree was small enough to give girdling root removal a try. It was about half to 1/3 diameter wise to the one you used in your article.

The question I have was that on this job I left one big main girdling root because I didn't know if I could remove it without harming the tree. It appeared that the stem needed it for support because this tree's root system resembled a carrot or the corkscrew effect you mentioned in your article. As I worked deeper down the taper of the root collar narrowed quite dramatically. I ended up severing three of the the five smaller roots attached to this bigger main girdling root in the hopes of slowing down it's growth diameter wise.

I know this is probaly clear as mud without pictures but is it always neccessay to remove a girdling ingrown root that has basically become part of the root collar??

 

[SouthSoundTree]

Guy, Thanks for the link.



As for grinding. I figure each on the expected time and potential damage to teeth that I expect.


What about dry versus green stumps? Dry, hard dusty stumps, if they aren't rotten, seem to be worse than green, so they should cost more, IMO. Dust for operator and machine should cost more.

I don't grind for people that I don't work for otherwise. I just don't seem to make any money at it with a 25 hp machine. I have to load it and unload it for every stumping job, as I don't have a dedicated trailer for it. I might make an exception for certain customers, or if I'm really hungry.

 

[sotc]

I will often give rough pricing on stumps over the phone based on size, access (can I drive a truck right up to it?), how long has it been cut off? saves me a trip for the bid, If I can get close on the phone. Surface roots are always bid after I am on site