chips from a ground stump

[Tomcat]

I just started a new business stump grinding and so far (3 weeks into the business)I am rolling with jobs.I have heard conflicting stories about the chips that come from grinded stumps,my question is this;

What are they good for?


I have heard that they have a lot of acid in them so they are bad for grass,but good for larger plants.Is this true

what are some other uses,I even thought about printing a info sheet giving the customer some options(good idea?)

 

[kkottemann]

the chips are acidic. use them on plants which like acid, such as azaleias, pines, hawthorns. keep fresh chips off of annual flowering plants. If you let them break down for a few months, use them on anything you want.

 

[Tomcat]

the chips are acidic. use them on plants which like acid, such as azaleias, pines, hawthorns. keep fresh chips off of annual flowering plants. If you let them break down for a few months, use them on anything you want.

THANKS

so basically if I grind a stump and the customer doesn't try to grow anything where the chips are until a few months later it really doesn't matter whether they are growing grass or anything else the chips will have broken down enough not to matter

 

[Stumper]

No. A great deal of time will be required before you can grow grass in the chip mound. On the other hand the fresh chips can be used as mulch immediately around just about any woody plant. Most homes have planting beds in need of mulch. If not the customer can give the chips a way or toss them out as they see fit. On small stumps there is lots of dirt mixed into the chips and it will all pretty well go back into the hole-grass can be re-established fairly readily. On larger stumps the chips have to be moved and dirt added in order to grow things. Answer these questions for customers honestly but my advice is to avoid getting into the removal of grindings and backfilling with dirt-it can easily take longer than the grinding operation and isn't worth the same rates of pay. Grind, backfill with the chips and go.

 

[kkottemann]

Yeah!! shoveling chips is not fun.

 

[Tomcat]

No. A great deal of time will be required before you can grow grass in the chip mound. On the other hand the fresh chips can be used as mulch immediately around just about any woody plant. Most homes have planting beds in need of mulch. If not the customer can give the chips a way or toss them out as they see fit. On small stumps there is lots of dirt mixed into the chips and it will all pretty well go back into the hole-grass can be re-established fairly readily. On larger stumps the chips have to be moved and dirt added in order to grow things. Answer these questions for customers honestly but my advice is to avoid getting into the removal of grindings and backfilling with dirt-it can easily take longer than the grinding operation and isn't worth the same rates of pay. Grind, backfill with the chips and go.

yes ,

the most I want to do is rake the mound back over the hole and get to the next job,I don't have a place to dump the chips and I only got some much room for them on my own property

I guess the bottom line is that I will not suggest anything to give myself more work to do,lol