Stump grinding and lawn aeration questions

Stump grinding removes a tree stump by cutting it away where it stands, rather than digging it out. A stump grinder uses a rotating cutter wheel fitted with fixed carbide teeth, moved across and down through the stump to chip the wood away. We grind the stump below ground level and take the roots as well, so you are not left with a stump that was only ground to ground level.

We decide the depth case by case, based on what is going in the area once the stump is gone, whether that is turf, a garden bed or a new build. It is at least 30 cm unless underground services are in the way, and we take the roots as well, not just the stump down to ground level. Grinding out the whole stump is the outcome we aim for, but services in the ground do not always allow it.

Some trees can. Queensland Government guidance on camphor laurel says that leaving the roots or crown of a mature tree in the ground will result in regrowth. Brisbane City Council describes jacaranda as a tree that resprouts easily if damaged. We grind out the roots as well as the stump, rather than stopping at ground level.

A stump left in the ground takes up space you could use for lawn, a garden bed or a build. The Queensland Government has also warned that termite nests in tree stumps are a potential source of infestation in buildings. Grinding is only worth it if it is done to a proper depth, though. We have done regrinds for people whose first operator did not have the right machines, and that ends up costing you twice. We do it once and we do it properly.

Yes. We arrange Dial Before You Dig for the job. Before You Dig Australia is a free service that supplies plans of the underground infrastructure at a job site before work starts. Services in the ground are also the main thing that limits how deep we can grind.

The grindings stay on site. We rake them into a pile and blow off any hard surfaces, and what you do with them from there is up to you. If you plan to use them as mulch, Gardening Australia explains that micro-organisms breaking down fresh woody material draw nitrogen out of the soil to do it, so fresh chips compete with plant roots for nutrients.

We do not offer a clean-up service. In ten years the most we have done is rake the grindings into a pile and blow off hard surfaces. A proper clean-up needs a tipper truck and a loader, and we would rather put that time into grinding stumps.

Yes. Hard access is our speciality. Our machines run from really small to really big, so there is one that fits through a narrow gate. Tell us how wide the access is when you ask for a quote, so we know which machine to bring and whether we need to set up ramps.

Yes. Large stumps are a speciality, alongside hard access, and we have machines big enough for them. If a stump runs a metre deep into the ground, We will not usually remove all of it when the job does not need it, but it can be done.

Lawn aeration relieves compacted soil, either by punching holes into it or by pulling cores of soil out with a tine aerator. Core aeration, or lawn coring, removes a plug of soil so amendments can get into the ground. Spike tines push holes in without lifting soil out, so the surface is not disturbed as much. We use a cam-driven aerator, not the drum type you get from a hire shop, and we run either coring tines or spike tines.

The Queensland Government explains that compacted soil loses the air spaces that water, gases and plant roots need to move through it, and that less rain and irrigation water gets into the ground. Lawn Solutions Australia notes that compaction limits how much water and nutrient reach a lawn's roots, and that coring makes more space in the soil for the lawn to breathe.

It depends on the lawn. Spike tines do not remove any soil, and Lawn Solutions Australia recommends core aeration where the ground is particularly hard and compacted. We offer both: coring when the soil needs opening up, and spike tines when you do not want the surface disturbed much.

A University of Queensland turf expert calls the warmer months the right time to aerate, because it lets the soil breathe and encourages deeper grass roots. Lawn Solutions Australia says aeration is most commonly done in spring and summer, while the grass is actively growing, so it grows back over the holes faster.

Lawn Solutions Australia suggests top dressing with washed river sand straight after coring, because the sand fills the holes and its open, free-draining structure lets air and water through. Coring lifts plugs of soil out so amendments can get into the ground, so it is a good time to put them down.

Lawn coring is quoted on the site conditions, including whether it is one big area or a lot of small ones. The total area counts, but it is only part of the price, so every lawn gets its own assessed quote.

Every job is different, so we price each one case by case rather than publishing minimums. The price depends on the size and number of stumps, how far away the job is, the ground conditions such as rocks, and whether we need the smallest machine or have to set up ramps to get in. Send photos through the quote form and we will give you a price.

North Brisbane to the Sunshine Coast: the Moreton Bay region, the Sunshine Coast and Noosa, plus Brisbane's northern bayside suburbs. The service areas page lists every suburb.

Send one to five photos of the stump or lawn through the quote form, with the suburb and how wide the access is. Put something next to the stump for scale, and take one photo from further back so we can choose the right machine. You get a same-day response.

Monday to Friday 8 am to 6 pm, Saturday and Sunday 10 am to 4 pm.

Yes. We are insured for stump grinding and lawn aeration work.

We do. We quote the work and we do the work, so you deal with the person doing the actual job.

We have ten years in the trade. We got started by taking on the jobs other people said could not be done, and by giving people who need a stump ground a high-quality service.