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Should You Preserve A Tree Stump On Your Property?

Brockley Tree Services

Removing a tree doesn’t end when you’ve cut it down. In fact, that’s often the easy part! The tree stump is something that gives a lot of homeowners headaches, as getting it out of the ground can be a real pain. To avoid removing a tree stump, some people will try and plant around it, others will try and ignore it.

However, the question isn’t how you should live with a tree stump, but rather should you live with a tree stump in the first place? Our answer is no! You shouldn’t leave a stump. The presence of one on your property could attract pests, repel potential home buyers, and tick off neighbours. Here’s why!

Does a stump have an impact on home value?

Some homeowners leave a tree stump not thinking about what it might do to the worth of their property, but leaving a tree stump where it is could negatively impact a home’s value. When you’ve had a mature tree cut down on your property, the stump becomes a major focal point of the yard.

Not only is this not as impressive as a tall, majestic tree, but it can break up the flow of your lawn, becoming a blemish on what should be an uninterrupted piece of well-maintained lawn. If you’re trying to sell your home, this can really hurt the curb appeal of your property!

Could I just let the stump decompose?

While stumps do decompose, they do it very, very slowly. Decomposition happens when microbes, fungi, and other organisms latch on to the wood and consume it, but it’s a lengthy process.

This gives larger insects, like ants and termites, a chance to move in and build lovely little homes for themselves. Once they find your home, though, they’ll likely find that this is a more ideal spot. By letting a stump rot, you’re letting a moldering piece of wood take up space on your property and giving an easy home for invasive, harmful species you won’t want inside your home.

It’s not just insects and fungi, though – plant species can also “take root” in the stump. It can actually start growing smaller trees inside it, and these invasive plants can spread over your property and be a nightmare to get rid of. The little shoots that inevitably come out of old stumps become quite the eyesore, too.

I don’t really care about how the stump looks

Some homeowners might not think twice about a stump, and even think it looks nice. That’s good for them, but even if you’re able to live with the possibility of infestation and a decrease in curb appeal, others around you might not be.

Homeowners associations, neighbours, and prospective buyers could all give you a hard time about a prominent stump on your property, especially if effects like infestations are starting to impact surrounding properties.

A stump, when left alone, can reflect poorly on the yard around it. It’s a sign a tree has failed to grow and thrive there, and even if that isn’t true (the tree could have been decades, even centuries old), nobody unfamiliar with what once stood there will care. Once you’ve had a tree cut down, call a specialist to remove the stump!