How to hide an old tree stump instead of paying to remove it

Key Takeaways

• Build a raised garden bed around the stump using wood, stones, or bricks for a decorative touch.
• Decaying stumps enrich the soil, supporting healthy plant growth and the natural life cycle.
• Add compost and plant shallow-rooted flowers or vegetables for a vibrant, low-maintenance garden.

Do you have an ugly old stump in your yard that you’re not sure what to do with? This is a common problem. Grinding a stump can be costly. Digging one up is back-breaking work. Tree stumps take decades to fully break down and return to the soil. But you don’t have to wait, because it’s easy to cover up a tree stump and turn it into something beautiful. That decaying wood can enrich the soil of a brand-new flower bed. Follow these steps to hide your old tree stump with a raised garden bed.

The Benefits Of Planting Over A Tree Stump

Planting over an old tree stump has many benefits beyond disguising it, because decaying wood contributes to the soil life cycle. In fact, the Germans have a tradition of planting gardens on top of mounds of dead wood, which they call hügelkultur. Fungi break down the wood, making it available as a food source for all sorts of insects. Worms till and fertilize the garden soil as they feed on the decaying wood. The tree’s nutrients slowly return to the soil, promoting the healthy growth of the next generation of plants. Gardeners can take advantage of this natural process and grow a beautiful bed of flowers.

How To Hide A Tree Stump In A Garden Bed

Step 1: Make A Plan

There are two general approaches to installing a raised bed around a tree stump:

• Build a square or rectangular raised bed out of wood, or purchase a raised bed that is at least 6 inches taller than your tree stump. This is the soil depth you’ll need for planting most annuals. Your raised bed should be no more than 4 feet wide, so that it is easy to reach into the center and tend to your flowers. If your raised bed is made from pressure-treated wood, you’ll have to avoid planting anything edible in the garden.
• For a more organic or circular shape, you can dry-stack stones, bricks, or pavers around the stump. Again, you want to build the raised bed 6 inches taller than the stump. You have more flexibility with the height, but stone walls must be under 3 feet tall unless you provide extra support.

Step 2: Install The Raised Bed

Assemble your raised bed around the tree stump. If your bed is significantly wider than the stump, place cut-up pieces of wood or branches around the bottom. Then use dead leaves, small boughs, or wood chips to fill in open spaces and make the bottom layer roughly level with the stump. This will significantly reduce the amount of soil you need to fill the raised bed.

Step 3: Fill The Raised Bed With Soil

You can choose to fill the bed with your own garden soil, but heavy soil doesn’t work well for annuals. If you use topsoil in your raised bed, add at least one part high-quality compost to two parts topsoil. You may need to mix in some coarse sand or a potting mix that contains perlite to help with drainage.

For the best result, buy a raised bed soil mix. Fill the bed, but leave a couple of inches of space at the top. Then add 2 inches of compost and work it into the soil. Level the soil with a rake, and then mist the bed well with a garden hose to settle the soil. Add more compost if needed to top it off.

Step 4: Plant Your Bed

Unless your raised bed has at least 12 inches of soil depth, stick to planting shallow-rooted annuals and vegetables like these:

• Plant bedding flowers such as begonias, petunias, zinnias, and marigolds.
• For year-round color, intersperse small bulbs like crocuses, snowdrops, and mini irises.
• Assuming your raised bed isn’t made with pressure-treated wood or harmful chemicals, you can grow shallow-rooted vegetables like lettuce, spinach, microgreens, and spring onions.

Step 5: Refresh Your Bed Each Season

Expect settling to occur over time in any raised bed. After your annuals are spent, pull them out. Use a garden fork to loosen the soil, and add more compost on top each season.

Other Ways To Hide A Tree Stump

If installing a raised garden bed sounds like too much work, there are other ways to hide a tree stump or transform it into attractive yard art. Put a container of flowers, a bird bath, or a garden statue on top of the stump. If the center is rotting out, add a little potting soil and plant flowers right in the stump. Or, hide the stump by planting vining groundcovers and flowers around it.

Read the original article on Southern Living