An eastern red cedar does not sprout once it is cut below its lowest live branch, so a cedar stump never needs killing, only grinding or digging out. The work is shaped by where cedars grow: along fence lines, field edges and old pastures, often in a row and tight against wire.
No sprouts, so no stump killer
Oklahoma State University Extension states it plainly: eastern red cedar does not sprout when cut below the lowest live branch, and does not resprout when cut down or burned. The Forest Service adds that the species has no natural way of reproducing from roots or stumps, which is why cutting alone works to control it in pastures. That saves a step most stump owners worry about. Skip the herbicide; there will be no shoots around it come April and nothing coming up in the grass. A cedar stump is dead wood, and grinding it is purely about getting it out of the way.
Why cedars line your fence
Cedars are planted by birds. The Forest Service says the seed is spread by birds and small mammals that eat the berry-like cones, and that seedlings come up thickest near existing trees and along fence lines, where birds perch. It also names abandoned pastures, old cultivated fields and unmowed fence rows as places where cedar takes hold. NC State notes that cedar waxwings love the cones and that the tree can grow on barren soil few plants tolerate. So a line of cedars along a wire fence is rarely planted on purpose. It is the birds' work, a few years at a time.
The root system
The Forest Service describes cedar roots as generally shallow and fibrous. Seedlings put down a penetrating taproot, but with age that is usually replaced by an extensive shallow system, and on shallow, rocky soil the roots become very fibrous and spread widely. Some mature roots go much deeper. For grinding, that means a cedar stump on a thin, rocky field edge often has stones caught in its root mass right at the surface. Rocks are hard on a cutting wheel, so the operator works around them. Stump grinding around rocks explains how.
Rot-resistant heartwood
NC State says cedar heartwood is aromatic and naturally rot resistant, which is why it is used for fence posts and rails. A cedar stump keeps its red core for a long time, so stumps left from clearing years ago are often still solid. You can smell it when it is ground. Cedar chips are fine for a path or the back of a bed; the default is still to rake the grindings into the hole and top them, unless you ask to keep a pile or have them hauled.
Grinding cedar stumps on a fence line
Before grinding a cedar on a fence, look for wire, staples or old nails grown into the trunk and point them out, because metal and a cutting wheel do not mix. The tracked machine walks the fence line from stump to stump. A cedar tight against a post can usually be ground without touching the fence, and if a strand or a panel ever has to come off to reach one, you are asked first. Long rows along pasture fences are their own kind of job, covered on the fence-line stump grinding page.
Cedar and nearby apple trees
One more reason cedars come out: NC State notes that red cedar shares a rust fungus with apple trees. The disease makes cedar apples, the brown galls on cedar twigs, and dark spots on apple leaves. Anyone keeping apples close to a line of cedars sees both halves of that cycle. Removing the cedars is a decision for the orchard owner, but once they are cut, the stumps are a simple grind with nothing to kill.
Clearing a field of young cedars
Small cedars across a pasture are a different job from a big tree by the house. Cut below the lowest live branch, each one dies, so a field of small stumps is mostly about mowing height and ground level, not regrowth. A low stump left proud of the ground still catches a mower deck, so they are worth grinding where mowing will continue. See clearing an overgrown pasture for the wider job.
Common Questions
Do I need to poison a cedar stump so it does not grow back?
No. Oklahoma State University Extension says eastern red cedar does not sprout when it is cut below the lowest live branch, and the Forest Service confirms it does not resprout after cutting. The stump is dead once the tree is down. Grind it if it is in the way; there is nothing to kill.
Why do cedar trees come up along my fence line?
Birds plant them. The Forest Service says cedar seed is spread by birds and small mammals that eat the cones, and that seedlings come up most thickly along fence lines where birds perch. Unmowed fence rows give those seedlings room to grow into a hedge of cedars.
How long does an eastern red cedar stump take to rot?
A long time. NC State Extension describes the heartwood as naturally rot resistant, which is why cedar is used for fence posts. Stumps from trees cut years ago are often still solid and smell of cedar when they are ground. If one is in the way, grinding is far quicker than waiting.
What to Do Next
Count the cedar stumps, measure the biggest at ground level, and send a photo along the fence or field edge plus your town. Call (828) 574-4474.