Grubbing

What Is Grubbing?

Clearing and grubbing are steps of the land clearing process wherein vegetation stumps, roots, buried logs, and other debris are removed from a given area. Grubbing occurs after surface-level clearing, though it pursues the same goal (the two are often paired for this reason). While grubbing can handle small to mid-size roots and debris, large root and stump removal requires excavation and grinding.

How Else Does Grubbing Differ from Clearing?

Tree care and landscaping service providers often have land clearing equipment at worksites, as their work requires those items. Specifically, land clearing may involve bulldozers, chainsaws, and backhoes for a large area.

Since it occurs underground, grubbing demands more specialized, invasive equipment than clearing. Many machines—including stump grinders, skid steers, excavators, and forestry mulchers—play a role in the grubbing process: 

• Stump grinders process mid-size to large tree stumps—even those that chainsaws and similar cutting tools struggle to affect—where they stand, turning them into mulch. 

• Skid steers plow through a site’s soil and rip out underground root systems by leveraging one of their several attachments. 

• Excavators can move large rocks and boulders or break up compact soil to facilitate underground installations.

• Forestry mulchers are heavy-duty attachments used for clearing and grubbing to demolish logs and dig up the thick brush in a wooded area.

The labor necessary for clearing and grubbing will depend on the number of machines used and the property’s size. While clearing can lean on cutting and grinding instruments, grubbing must incorporate heavy equipment that reaches underground.

Land clearing can go quickly on lightly wooded land. Yet the denser the vegetation, the greater the time commitment to clear. For instance, excavation and tree removal can add to the timeline. Thus, a heavily wooded area can take an entire day to excavate. Likewise, the time frame for grubbing depends on the site’s growth density. Deep, tangled roots—or thick ones from old-growth trees—will necessarily take longer to remove than young trees’ roots.

When Is Grubbing Necessary?

Large acreages set aside for construction or development must undergo the grubbing process. While hand-held shovels and electric tools can clear small land patches, a professional tree care or landscaping team works best for large projects. 

Grubbing prepares land for underground utilities, sewer pipelines, and telecommunication lines. The land surface, and the soil several feet below it, must be devoid of obstructive materials. Tree roots, in particular, present a hazard to pipes and the like, as they can grow and damage these materials. Correcting such problems requires ample time and resources.

Grubbing also allows professionals to assess the suitability of soil layers for work and account for large tree roots when determining how to establish a foundation. This process is crucial to creating a sturdy base for a structure or landscaping project.

What Are the Benefits of Grubbing?

Clearing and grubbing keep land and vegetation healthy. For instance, clearing diseased vegetation protects nearby plants from maladies. Moreover, removing roots and debris of invasives from an area opens up land and nutrients for new plants and trees.

Grubbing also prevents plants from becoming overgrown while combating erosion. The uprooting of dead or rotten tree stumps serves as a protective measure against forest fires. 

Keep in mind that most cleared and grubbed land will be developed. Grubbing benefits developed land in particular because property owners may decide to grow trees and other vegetation in the future. They will need a clean slate for such a task. The process also facilitates construction work and future underground utility expansion.

Schedule Your Next Grubbing Service with Timber Works

Residents and commercial businesses in Virginia can take advantage of the professional clearing and grubbing services offered at Timber Works Tree Care. Our team of experts can take on any project thanks to their extensive knowledge and experience. Contact Timber Works for your next clearing and grubbing project and receive a free estimate!