A pine stump will not sprout back, so for most yards grinding it four to eight inches below grade is the whole job. Full removal only makes sense where a footing, slab or new tree is going in the same spot, because pine roots spread wide rather than deep.
Why a pine stump is the simple kind
Most hardwood stumps fight back. Pines do not. The Forest Service silvics manual for loblolly pine says older trees do not send up sprouts from the root collar when the stem is cut, and do not make root sprouts either. The Forest Service describes eastern white pine as a tree that does not reproduce vegetatively at all. So once the tree is down, the stump is dead wood. There is no ring of shoots next spring and no suckers in the lawn. The reasons to grind a pine stump are the practical ones: it is in the mower's path, it looks bad, or something is going where it sits.
Do pine trees have deep roots?
Less than most people think. Loblolly, the pine that seeds itself into old fields across the Piedmont, starts life with a short taproot that usually stops growing in favor of a wide lateral system, according to the Forest Service. On deep sandy or loamy soil that taproot can reach five to six and a half feet. On heavy clay, the kind found across the Upstate, it tends to stay short and stout. The laterals are what matter in a yard, because loblolly roots generally spread farther than the crown did. Eastern white pine, common in mountain yards, has wide spreading, moderately deep roots with no distinct taproot.
Fresh stump or old stump: the resin question
How long ago the tree came down changes what the grinder meets. A fresh pine stump is wet with sap and smells of turpentine. An old one is different. The outer sapwood softens and rots, but in resinous pines the heartwood of the stump and taproot can fill with resin and turn hard and rot resistant after the tree dies. That wood is called fatwood. The result is often a crumbly shell around a hard amber core. Both grind. Say roughly when the tree was cut when you send photos, and see the page on old and rotted stumps if yours has sat there for years.
Fresh stumps and the pines you are keeping
If other pines stand nearby, a fresh stump deserves a little thought. NC State Extension says black turpentine beetles are drawn to the smell of resin at bruised bark or freshly cut stumps, and that they usually attack weakened or injured trees before moving to healthy ones. Clemson Extension adds that fresh wounds can bring a wave of bark beetle activity, and that Ips beetles can breed in slash and downed trees, which should be cleared away from healthy pines. So get the logs and limbs off the property, keep heavy loads off the roots of the pines you keep, and water a prized pine through a drought, which NC State names as the main defence.
How a pine stump gets ground
The stump is measured across the cut face at ground level, flare included. The tracked grinder walks in, through a standard yard gate if that is the way, and sets up beside it. The cutting wheel shaves the wood away in passes until what remains sits four to eight inches under the lawn, or lower if sod or a new planting will cover it. Thick laterals running out from the stump are cut as far as the grind reaches; the rest stay put and rot. Unless you ask for a pile to keep or for the chips to be hauled away, the grindings are raked into the hole and topped.
Burning a pine stump: read the rules first
People try to burn old pine stumps because they hear the resin will carry the fire. It will. Fatwood lights quickly, even damp, which is why it is sold as kindling. That cuts both ways in a yard with a house, a fence or a pile of dry leaves close by. Open burning is also regulated. In North Carolina the NC Forest Service and NC DEQ set the rules, in South Carolina the SC Forestry Commission does, and counties and towns can add their own. Check current rules and any burn ban before lighting anything, and read how to burn out a tree stump first.
When a pine stump should come out whole
NC State Extension lists loblolly, white pine and Virginia pine as susceptible to wind damage. When one goes over in a storm, the root plate stands up on edge, and a wall of roots and soil cannot be ground flat. That is lifted out with the loader or the excavator and the hole is backfilled; see storm stump and root ball removal. A standing pine stump comes out whole for other reasons: a footing, a slab, a pool or a new tree in the very same spot. Under a lawn or a bed, grinding is the right job, and you will be told so.
Common Questions
Will a pine tree grow back from the stump?
No. Mature loblolly and white pine do not sprout from the stump or the roots once the trunk is cut, according to Forest Service research. Only very young seedlings of a few pines can resprout. A grown pine's stump is finished when the tree comes down, so grinding it is about the stump being in the way, not about stopping regrowth.
Can a pine stump be ground while it is still sticky with sap?
Yes. Fresh sap does not stop a grinder, and nothing is gained by waiting. If you are keeping other pines nearby, there is a small case for dealing with fresh stumps, logs and slash promptly, since NC State Extension notes that black turpentine beetles are attracted to the resin smell of freshly cut stumps.
How long does a pine stump take to rot on its own?
Longer than most people hope, and unevenly. The sapwood softens and crumbles first. In resinous pines the heartwood in the stump and taproot can fill with resin after the tree dies and become hard and slow to rot, which is why old pine stumps often keep a solid core long after the outside has gone. Grinding skips the wait.
What to Do Next
Photograph the pine stump with a shoe or a tape beside it, then photograph the route a machine would take, and say which town you are in. Jordan prices every job himself, before any work starts. Call (828) 574-4474.