Can you plant grass over a tree stump?
Posted by admin on Feb 10, 2010
We had a tree cut down and the stump ground, howerver, he didn’t quite grind it "level". There is a small mound; I’ve covered it with dirt. Should I just plant grass over it? How much dirt should I put over it and will it be hard to mow?
Hopefullly you cut the tree down far enough you won’t trip over it. I would cut it down somemore, make it about an inch below ground level. I heard if you paint the tree stump, it will not continue to grow. Yes, I would then plant grass over it. However, you might still get some tree sprouts growing up around your yard.
The answer is "it depends". Your question does not contain enough details to actually get an accurate answer. It depends on: how high the stump still is; what kind of tree it was (a hard wood or soft); whether the tree is dead (some will come back from their roots even after being cut down flush with the ground); how much water gets to the stump (presuming the tree really is dead) and finally, how much dirt is under the grass. If you have enough dirt under the grass to prevent it from drying out between waterings, then the grass will stay alive. If the dirt between the remaining stump and the grass dries out, then the grass will die. Eventually, the stump will decompose if it’s kept covered and wet (again presuming that the tree is really dead).
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Hopefullly you cut the tree down far enough you won’t trip over it. I would cut it down somemore, make it about an inch below ground level. I heard if you paint the tree stump, it will not continue to grow. Yes, I would then plant grass over it. However, you might still get some tree sprouts growing up around your yard.
References :
I agree with another answer – chop down more of the stump before you fill with dirt to plant grass – HOWEVER, keep in mind in 2-3 years (maybe less) you’ll begin to see the ground around the stump falling in – that’s the rest of the stump rotting. I have that problem in my front yard – the homeowner before us cut down 3 pine trees, but left the stumps. I’m now trying to fill in as the stumps rot in order to keep holes filled and grass growing. I’ve almost succeeded in keeping the ground level, but another season or two will be needed to really level the yard without calling in large dump trucks of soil. Anyway, the method’s kept my lawn covered with no bare spots.
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Experience and common sense