Shoutout to the guy who told me to leave the stump

I was clearing a big oak in a client's yard in Charlotte last fall and was ready to grind the stump right away. This older arborist named Frank from the next crew over walked up and said, 'Let it sit for a winter, the woodpeckers will thank you.' I left it, and by spring it was full of bugs and had three different birds working it daily. Has anyone else had a client push back on leaving a stump for wildlife?

3 comments

3 Comments

tessa_hart187d ago

Notice how often we rush to clean things up when a little mess actually helps nature.

wright.taylor2d ago

Oh man, I feel that... clients just want everything neat and gone sometimes.

tylermurray7d ago

How do you handle it when a client wants it gone right away? I usually explain it's like a free bird feeder and bug hotel for a few months. If they're worried about looks, I'll knock it down to a lower height so it's not such an eyesore. Most folks come around when you put it that way.