Wood Chipping Near Me

Woodchips are small- to medium-sized pieces of wood formed by cutting or chipping larger pieces of wood such as trees, branches, logging residues, stumps, roots, and wood waste.

Woodchips, with hand for scale

Woodchips may be used as a biomass solid fuel and are raw material for producing wood pulp. They may also be used as an organic mulch in gardening, landscaping, and ecosystem restoration; in bioreactors for denitrification; and as a substrate for mushroom cultivation.

The process of making woodchips is called wood chipping and is done using a wood chipper. The types of woodchips formed following chipping is dependent on the type of wood chipper used and the material from which they are made. Woodchip varieties include: forest chips (from forested areas), wood residue chips (from untreated wood residues, recycled wood and off-cuts), sawing residue chips (from sawmill residues), and short rotation forestry chips (from energy crops).

Raw materials

The raw materials of woodchips can be pulpwood, waste wood, and residual wood from agriculture, landscaping, logging, and sawmills. Woodchips can also be produced from remaining forestry materials including tree crowns, branches, unsaleable materials or undersized trees.

Wood chipper

Forestry operations provide the raw materials needed for woodchip production. Almost any tree can be converted into woodchips, however, the type and quality of the wood used to produce woodchips depends largely on the market. Softwood species, for instance, tend to be more versatile for use as woodchips than hardwood species because they are less dense and faster growing.

Production

A wood chipper is a machine used for cutting wood into smaller pieces (chips). There are several types of wood chippers, each having a different use depending on the type of processing the woodchips will undergo.

Pulp and paper industry

Woodchips used for chemical pulp must be relatively uniform in size and free of bark. The optimum size varies with the wood species. It is important to avoid damage to the wood fibers as this is important for the pulp properties. For round wood it is most common to use disk chippers. A typical size of the disk is 2.0–3.5 m in diameter, 10–25 cm in thickness and weight is up to 30 tons. The disk is fitted with 4 to 16 knives and driven with motors of ½ –2 MW. Drum chippers are normally used for wood residuals from saw mills or other wood industry.

Methods of conveyance

There are four potential methods to move woodchips: pneumatic, conveyor belt, hopper with direct chute, and batch system (manual conveyance).

Types of wood chippers

Disk

A disk wood chipper features a flywheel made of steel and chopping blades with slotted disks. The blades slice through the wood as the material is fed through the chute. Knives located in the throat of the chipper cuts the wood in the opposite direction. The design is not as energy efficient as other styles but produces consistent shapes and sizes of woodchips.

Drum

A drum wood chipper has a rotating parallel-sided drum attached to the engine with reinforced steel blades attached in a horizontal direction. Wood is drawn into the chute by gravity and the rotation of the drum where it is broken up by the steel blades. The drum type is noisy and creates large uneven chips but are more energy efficient than the disk type.

Screw-type

A screw-type wood chipper contains a conical, screw-shaped blade. The blade rotation is set parallel to the opening so wood is pulled into the chipper by the spiral motion. Screw-type, also called high-torque rollers, are popular for residential use due to being quiet, easy to use and safer than disk and drum types.

Applications

Woodchips are used primarily as a raw material for technical wood processing. In industry, processing of bark chips is often separated after peeling the logs due to different chemical properties.

Wood pulp

Only the heartwood and sapwood are useful for making pulp. Bark contains relatively few useful fibers and is removed and used as fuel to provide steam for use in the pulp mill. Most pulping processes require that the wood be chipped and screened to provide uniform sized chips.

Mulch

Woodchips are also used as landscaping and garden mulch, for water conservation, weed control, and reducing and preventing soil erosion. Woodchips when used as a mulch are at least three inches thick. It has a mixed reputation in gardening.

It has been promoted for use in habitat restoration projects. As the radial chipped wood decomposes it improves the soil structure, permeability, bioactivity, and nutrient availability of the soil.

Playground surfacing

Woodchips do not meet American Society for Testing and Materials standards for use as playground surfacing material, and as of 2011 are illegal to use as playground surfacing in the US, not being ADA-approved according to US department of Justice guidelines.

Barbecuing

Woodchips can also be used to infuse flavor and enhance the smoky taste to barbecued meats and vegetables. Several different species of wood can be used depending on the type of flavor wanted. For a mild, sweet fruity flavor, apple wood can be used while hickory gives a smoky, bacon-like flavor. Other different types of wood used are cherry, mesquite and pecan.

Denitrifying woodchip bioreactor

Woodchips can be loaded into a ‘denitrifying woodchip bioreactor’ which has been used for several decades as an emerging biotechnology to treat agricultural wastewater by removing nitrates. It is a subsurface system where denitrification by micro-organisms utilizing a carbon source (as electron donor) reduces the nitrate into a harmless nitrogen gas. Denitrifying woodchip bioreactor have a low construction and operational costs with a comparatively long lifespan going up to 15 years. The interest in such a technique has grown in recent years and has expanded into the mining industry.

A 2013 experiment showed that after 70 days of startup, a woodchip pile loaded with liquid pig manure at 5 L/m2/day removed an average of 90% of nitrate after one month. However, if the environmental conditions do not support complete denitrification, undesirable greenhouse gas such as nitrous oxide gas and methane could be produced.

Fuel

Woody chips left for drying before transport to industrial off-takers in Namibia. Woodchips have been traditionally used as solid fuel for space heating or in energy plants to generate electric power from renewable energy. The main source of forest chips in Europe and in most of the countries [which?] have been logging residues. It is expected that the shares of stumps and round wood will increase in the future. As of 2013 in the EU, the estimates for biomass potential for energy, available under current 2018 conditions including sustainable use of the forest as well as providing wood to the traditional forest sectors, are: 277 million m3, for above ground biomass and 585 million m3 for total biomass.

The newer fuel systems for heating use either woodchips or wood pellets. The advantage of woodchips is cost, the advantage of wood pellets is the controlled fuel value. The use of woodchips in automated heating systems, is based on a robust technology.

The size of the woodchips, moisture content, and the raw material from which the chips are made are particularly important when burning wood chips in small plants. Unfortunately, there are not many standards to decide the fractions of woodchip.
The energy content in one cubic meter is normally higher than in one cubic meter wood logs, but can vary greatly depending on moisture. The moisture is decided by the handling of the raw material. If the trees are taken down in the winter and left to dry for the summer (with teas in the bark and covered so rain can’t reach to them), and is then chipped in the fall, the wood chips’ moisture content will be approximately 20–25%. The energy content, then, is approximately 3.5–4.5kWh/kg (~150–250 kg/cubic meter).
Coal power plants have been converted to run on woodchips, which is fairly straightforward to do, since they both use an identical steam turbine heat engine, and the cost of woodchip fuel is comparable to coal.

Solid biomass is an attractive fuel for addressing the concerns of the energy crisis and climate change, since the fuel is affordable, widely available, close to carbon neutral and thus climate-neutral in terms of carbon dioxide (CO2), since in the ideal case only the carbon dioxide which was drawn in during the tree’s growth and stored in the wood is released into the atmosphere again.

Waste and emissions

Compared to the solid waste disposal problems of coal and nuclear fuels, woodchip fuel’s waste disposal problems are less grave; in a study from 2001 fly ash from woodchip combustion had 28.6 mg cadmium/kg dry matter. Compared to fly ash from burning of straw, cadmium was bound more heavily, with only small amounts of cadmium leached. It was speculated as a form of cadmium oxide, cadmium silicate (CdSiO3); authors noted that adding it to agricultural or forest soils in the long-term could cause a problem with accumulation of cadmium.

Like coal, wood combustion is a known source of mercury emissions, particularly in northern climates during winter. The mercury is both gaseous as elemental mercury (especially when wood pellets are burned) or mercury oxide, and solid PM2.5 particulate matter when untreated wood is used.

When wood burning is used for space heating, indoor emissions of 1, 3-butadiene, benzene, formaldehyde and acetaldehyde, which are suspected or known carcinogenic compounds, are elevated. The cancer risk from these after exposure to wood smoke is estimated to be low in developed countries.

Certain techniques for burning woodchips result in the production of bio char – effectively charcoal – which can be either utilized as charcoal, or returned to the soil, since wood ash can be used as a mineral-rich plant fertilizer. The latter method can result in an effectively carbon-negative system, as well as acting as a very effective soil conditioner, enhancing water and nutrient retention in poor soils.

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Tree Stumps

How to get rid of tree stumps is one of the most frequently asked question in the industry. Once you have had a tree removed you are left with a typically unsightly reminder, the stump. Tree stumps are an eyesore, a tripping hazard, and they can attract unwanted pests like termites or even fungi and bacteria. If left to simply decay and rot away on its own, without any sort of treatment, a stump can take up to ten years to disappear. When it comes to rotting a tree stump in Utah, the rate of decay depends on many different factors such as species of tree, size of the tree, and the climate and weather conditions.

As your leading Utah arborist, we do stump grinding in the Utah and surrounding area, although due to the demand we do have to limit our grinding services and can only offer it to current tree service clients and not as a standalone service.

To remove a tree stump you can try to tackle the job yourself, although stump grinders are quite heavy and can be difficult to use at times. So how do you get rid of a tree stump then? What is the best way? Well, the answer is in the original suggestion of letting it rot away, but doing so quickly.

How To Get Rid Of A Tree Stump Fast?

The fastest way to remove a tree stump, with and without using a grinder, is the chemical method. By applying chemicals to holes drilled into the stump, you speed up the natural decay process and the remaining tree fibers and roots will break down much more quickly. It is considered one of the best ways to remove a tree stump from your yard. Here is how to use this method by following these steps.

DIY Steps To Rotting A Tree Stump From A Leading Arborist:
Begin on a dry day or after a number of dry days if possible. This way the tree stump will be looking for liquid and nutrients and will soak up the chemicals faster.

If you are capable, use a chainsaw to cut the remaining part of the tree as close to the ground as possible. By doing this the chemicals will have less material to eat through. Chainsaws can be dangerous though, so make sure you always use caution, wear steel-toed boots and eye protection.

Once the tree stump is as close to the ground as you can comfortably get it to go, drill a number of holes into the top of the stump and along the sides in a downward direction. The bigger the drill bit the better, and each of the holes should be a few inches deep.
After drilling the holes into the stump in different places, you will apply the chemicals that will break down the remaining wood. Utah does have strict legal restrictions about the kind of chemicals you can purchase for this sort of project. Ideally, you would want a commercial fertilizer that is high in nitrogen, since it will give you the fastest results, but cow manure is also effective. Another more natural alternative is Epsom salt. It is also a cost-effective solution as a 19lbs page starts at $10. It has similar dissolving properties to nitrogen but is a more organic approach. When you have chosen the chemical you will use, pack the holes with as much of it as you can.

Then soak the ground around the stump and wet the top and sides of the stump. After the stump is wet, cover it with a plastic tarp to trap the moisture around the stump. Moisture is ultimately what will help the chemicals break down the wood particles faster.
The next step is to apply mulch over the top of the plastic tarp. Organic mulch, like hay or tree bark, is best for this task as it will retain more moisture and help to keep the tarp in place.

You can use rocks and stones to weigh down the tarp further to help keep it in place, although this step is considered optional.
Once you have completed all of these steps, you are officially rotting a tree stump. This process is a speeding up of nature, and we all know that nature can take its time, so you should expect that it will take some time to work. How can you speed up the stump rot process even more? You can repeat the rotting steps periodically if you notice the mulch has grown dry.

How Much Does It Cost To Remove A Stump?

The overall cost for a stump removal is largely dependent on the method you choose to use. If you chose to do it yourself, it would be the cost of materials needed. Whereas, if you live in the nearby Utah area, with easy access to the stump, the average cost is about $6 per inch in diameter with $150-$200 minimum charge.

Looking To Remove a Tree Stump Quickly?

Ultimately, the quickest way to remove your tree stump and return your yard to a flat surface is the method of stump grinding. Although our grinding services are limited, if you are in need of a tree removal service in the Utah, area, or if you are looking to get some stumps removed don’t hesitate to contact the tree experts.

If you’re not a current or past tree client and have a stump you’d like removed, read more about stump rot and how to safely remove the tree stump yourself.

When your stump is ground, you can expect that there will be no masses of the stump left underground. The stump grindings, which are the wood shavings from the stump mixed with dirt, are left behind. You can use these grindings as mulch around your yard. Please remove the grindings prior to replanting any plants or trees in that area.

Stump Grinding FAQs

What is the average cost for stump grinding?

If you live in the nearby Utah Metro area with easy access to the stump, stump grinding cost averages about $6 per inch in diameter with a $150-$200 minimum. Anything that makes the stump harder to access and remove such as a fence or retaining wall or anything breakable such as a flagstone patio would increase the price from there. Also removing the stump grindings is almost always an additional charge.

Is It better to grind a stump or remove it?

There are many ways how to get rid of tree stumps, and there are advantages and disadvantages for either removing a stump or grinding it. For removing a stump the advantage is there is no stump grinding left behind. The disadvantages are that removing all but the smallest stumps usually requires large equipment such as a loader or excavator. In addition, it is usually pretty hard to find a place to dispose of them. For grinding a stump the advantages are that it can be done to almost any stump in any location or a reasonable fee and the disadvantages are that the grinding as usually left behind for the property owner to deal with.

Can you grind down a tree stump with a chainsaw?

There are stump grinders that attach to a chainsaws powerhead, but grinding a stump with a regular chainsaw would be exceptionally difficult as the chain would dull every time it hit even a small amount of dirt. It also sounds very dangerous.

Can I use ground up tree stump as mulch?

Yes, a ground-up tree stump makes an excellent mulch product.

How much does it cost to rent a stump grinder from Home Depot?

In the Utah Metro area $299 per day and $209 for 4 hours as of 3/20/19 to rent a grinder for stump removal in Utah, OR.

Does stump grinding kill roots?

No, in fact, the roots are sometimes spurred to grow more from the shock of having the tree removed and stump ground out.

Does tree removal include the stump?

The answer is almost always no. The removal of the stump in the ground is for an additional fee. Tree removal bids are very specific so any extra services such as stump grinding, wood removal, or tree removal permits are not included unless expressly stated.

Will tree stumps attract termites?

Yes, but not all termites will damage your home. It will take an exterminator to determine which kind you have should your stump become infested.

Can a tree grow back from a stump?

Depending on the type of tree they can grow back but this would not be a tree that you would want to keep as its structure would be compromised and thus it would be likely to fail and damage your property.

Contact the tree experts about stump removal in Utah

If you live in the Utah area and are looking to have a tree removed and are also interested in stump removal and grinding contact our nearby team of Utah stump grinding service professionals.

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Pine Trees Landscape

Pine Trees Landscaping Ideas

Pine trees are a timeless landscaping option that looks great just about anywhere. In certain landscapes, they create an almost mystical and cozy vibe. Their needles also give off a unique and pleasant aroma. Since pine trees are evergreen, they will provide lush, vibrant green colors to your landscape all year long. To decide which types of landscape trees are best for your yard, you have to think in terms of the different seasons of the year. Begin by looking at those that are valued for their spring display and end with those trees that offer visual interest in winter. The goal is not simply to have a collection of great specimens in the yard, but rather to have at least one specimen per season that will add pizzazz to your landscaping.

Simply put, you can’t go wrong incorporating these magnificent trees into your landscaping scheme. Don’t know where to start? Don’t worry, we have created a list of pine tree landscaping ideas to give you some good insight. Check out the following pine tree landscaping ideas for some creative inspiration before heading to the rest of the post.

Pine trees landscaping ideas

1. Dwarf Evergreens
Alpine garden
If you love the texture and color that pine trees provide but don’t necessarily want super tall trees in your landscape, then dwarf varieties are for you. There is still a large assortment of dwarf varieties, so you won’t be limited in your planting options whatsoever.
2. Front Yard Accent
View of a pine tree on backyard in a sunny day
One easy way to landscape your front yard is by planting a large pine tree. It serves as a show-stopping centerpiece in the yard since it can’t be missed. Surround your yard with other pine trees to increase the overall aesthetic. Create a line of trees around the property to get some more privacy, if desired.
3. Cozy Cabin
Rustic log house on the woods
It’s a well-known fact that pine trees provide one of the freshest aromas ever. A walk through pine tree-filled woods is revitalizing and refreshing. One of the best companions for a cabin is a heavy planting of pine trees. Their looming height, fresh scent, and gorgeous aesthetic are what people long for when they’re staying in a cozy cabin. By planting pine trees, you can create this same vibe.
Plant the trees in rows for a shapely look or let them spread out in a random order for the more natural appearance. Just keep in mind the way that pine trees reproduce and spread. If you have paths that snake through the area, you may have to occasionally transplant the trees off the paths.
4. Pathway Interruption
Pine tree and pergolas in retro park garden in Madrid
Break up the monotony of the pathway with a lone pine tree. This adds visual interest to the area with it’s long, texture-rich trunk and spindly branches. Having a few of these handsome trees strewn about a pathway is a great idea.
5. Well-Maintained Garden Landscape
Pine garden with mix of evergreen shrubs, annuals and perennial flowers in a beautiful national park.
Well-groomed vibrant green grass, seasonal plants, and variegated trees come together to create a stunning landscape. Well thought out landscape designs are appreciated for their creative beauty and the way the plants just seem to tell a story. The pine trees are a great ornamental accent to the space.
6. River Companions
Ornamental japanese-style garden featuring bonsai japanese maples, silver birch surrounded by tall leylandi cypress conifer hedge forming a dense evergreen barrier
Winding rivers and streams carve intriguing patterns through the land. One of the best ways to accentuate the natural flowing pattern is through the use of pine trees and other vegetation. With how many different species of pine trees there are, you’re sure to find the perfect ones for your landscape.
7. Line A Walkway
Oleander bushes and pine trees in mediterranean garden
Lining a walkway with pine trees and other evergreens ensures that the area is constantly full of new life and an abundance of lush color. Pine trees can have needles that range in color from vibrant greens to soothing blues. All these color options prevent any sense of boredom in the landscape!
8. Poolside Treasures
Large rectangular swimming pool with pine trees on the side against the background of the ocean
A palm tree is probably the typical tree you think of when it comes to poolside plants. However, pine trees shouldn’t be overlooked! They’ll add a nice pop and accentuate the pool well. With their evergreen leaves, you’ll never go a day without shade and a gorgeous tree to look at.
In a setting like this, the pine trees also serve as a partial wind-blocking wall.
9. Pine Tree Assortment
Landscape with decorative bushes and pines on a lawn
For a texture-rich landscape, use an assortment of pine trees all around the area. Dwarf pine trees, shrub-like pine trees, sky-reaching pine trees and more. Their various green tones are eye-catching in the landscape.
10. Intriguing Shapes
Korean pine trees
It’s amazing how pine trees can look like pieces of art on their own. The way their branches twist and grow is intriguing and creates quite the display in the landscape.
11. Raised Planter
Japanese-style garden with large bonsai trees
Have you ever thought about planting pine trees in a raised planter? It’s not a common trend to do so, but it makes for an awesome display and great use of space. Though tall trees already call a lot of attention to themselves, being planted in a raised container brings even more emphasis to the tree. Landscape the entire container however you wish and incorporate all kinds of plant life.

12. Organic Landscape
House with solar panels on the roof surrounded by pine tress
Let nature do its thing and take over your garden landscape all on its own. This gives the area a rugged, organic appearance with only naturally growing vegetation covering the garden area. You can still trim things back, transplant plants, or completely take out other plants to slightly influence the landscape.
13. Rock Garden Décor
Corner lot of front residential yard landscaped with a mix of evergreen shrubs, plus annuals and perennial flowers
Use a collection of different sized rocks in your garden landscape. Use rubber edging to snake a trail through the garden and fill it with crushed pebbles, then use larger river rocks on the outside of the edging. Intersperse evergreens, pine trees, and other vegetation in the garden area to make it full of life and color.
14. Japanese Garden Accents
Chinese garden
Pine trees probably weren’t on your radar when it comes to landscaping a Japanese garden. However, there are over 120 species of bonsai pine trees that are perfect for this type of landscape and garden.
15. Zen Garden
Beautiful zen garden by summer morning
No zen garden is complete without an accompanying bonsai tree. Zen gardens are meant to imitate the essence of nature. Common features include rocks, water features, paving stones, moss, pruned trees and bushes, and gravel or sand that has been raked to mimic ripples of water.
16. Great Pond Pairing
Backyard garden during night time
Small ponds are a wonderful landscaping element to pair with pine trees. The soft, blue hues of the water go great with the lush green of pines.

Other Landscaping Trees to look consider

Japanese Maple Trees

Some Japanese maples (Acer palmatum) are very versatile, too, but in a different way. They are great not only in autumn but also during the summer season. They display the vibrant red color we associate with fall foliage when most other trees still bear green leaves.

Magnolia Trees

Any well-planned yard will contain at least one flowering landscape tree of exceptional beauty. Magnolia trees (Magnolia spp.) are among the showiest specimens. While star magnolias often bloom earlier, saucer magnolias provide a larger bloom.

Apple Trees

You do not have to be a farmer to want to grow apple trees (Malus spp.) in your yard. It is about more than just fruit. Apple trees are beautiful bloomers in their own right. The fruit is a bonus. If you do not care about growing edible fruit, then crabapples will serve your purposes better. A type with rosy-red flowers that reaches a height of 20 to 25 feet is Malus x ‘Centzam’ or Centurion, which can be grown in zones 4 to 8.

Dogwood Trees

You will likely want more than just flowering landscape trees that provide a floral extravaganza in spring. Fortunately, sometimes you get a two-for-one deal (or better) in landscaping. In this case, that means versatile specimens that earn their keep during more than just one of the four seasons. Dogwood trees (Cornus florida and Cornus kousa) offer such a deal: blooms for spring, colorful foliage for fall, berries to attract wild birds in winter, and an interesting branching pattern year-round.

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