If you've cut down a tree in your yard and don't want to look at the stump that's left sticking up, you can rent a stump grinder from your local equipment rental center and get busy. This machine has a large blade that you can use to grind the stump down until it's lower than ground level, which will allow you to scatter topsoil and grass seed over the area. If the tree had a large diameter, you'll be in for a fair bit of grinding — and you'll end up with a significant volume of sawdust once the job is done. You won't want this pile of sawdust on your lawn, but you don't need to throw it in the garbage, either. Here are some things to do with it instead.
Soak Up Spills In The Garage
When you begin gathering up the sawdust after grinding down the stump, it's worthwhile to fill a plastic tub with sawdust and store it in your garage. If you ever do work on your own vehicle, you might occasionally spill motor oil, gasoline, or other automotive fluids, which can stain your driveway and make a significant mess. Immediately after spilling the fluid, however, you can throw sawdust over the affected area. It is extremely absorbent and will soak up the fluid to minimize the damage to your driveway. You can then sweep up the dirty sawdust and discard it.
Add It To Your Compost
If you're an active compost enthusiast, you can sprinkle some of the sawdust over the compost in your bin. Because the sawdust is an organic material, it will decompose, while also adding valuable minerals and nutrients to the compost. When it comes time to take the earth out of the bottom of the compost bin and mix it into your garden, the presence of the sawdust will provide richer soil to help your crops grow.
Improve Traction In The Winter
Some homeowners use salt on their walkways to improve traction in the winter, but doing so can be detrimental to the vegetation in your yard. A viable alternative is sawdust; gather it up after grinding the stump and keep a container near your door. When the front walkway is slippery, throw some sawdust down along the length of the walkway. It will provide valuable traction for you and your family, but without harming the grass along the edges of the walkway.
Check out websites like http://treesculptors.com for information on professional tree stump grinding services.
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