Why are conifer stumps different from hardwoods?
Conifer stumps grind 30 to 50% faster than hardwoods because the wood is soft — Janka hardness ratings sit between 350 lbf (white pine) and 690 lbf (Douglas fir), versus 1,360 lbf for English oak. Leylandii, Lawson cypress and Thuja all share shallow root plates rarely deeper than 400mm below ground, which means the grinder rarely needs a second pass.
The trade-off is resin. Sticky pitch from cypress and pine coats the cutting teeth and slows the disc unless you flush the cutter with a wire brush every 30 minutes. Old leylandii (20+ years) also develop a tough, fibrous bark collar that fights the grinder for the first 50mm — after that, the wood cuts like cheese.
How much does conifer stump grinding cost?
A single conifer stump costs £85 to £150 depending on diameter. The real value sits in multi-stump pricing: eight leylandii at 12 inches each runs £400 to £550 total — roughly £50 to £70 per stump because the grinder is already on site. Add £25 to £50 for chip removal if you want a clean finish.
Conifer cost-per-inch sits at the lower end of the £2 to £3 per inch UK pricing range — typically £2 to £2.40 — because the soft wood cuts so quickly. The minimum charge of £85 still applies for one or two small stumps, but break-even kicks in fast: four or more stumps almost always make a hedge-removal job worth booking.
Leylandii hedge stump removal — what does it cost?
A typical 10-metre leylandii hedge contains 8 to 12 stumps spaced 800mm to 1,200mm apart, costing £400 to £650 to grind out completely. That works out at £40 to £65 per metre of hedge. Wider trunks (over 18 inches, common in 30-year-old hedges) push prices to £700 to £900 for the same 10-metre run.
Here is the multi-stump pricing structure we use for conifer and leylandii hedge clearance across East Kent:
| Number of stumps | Typical hedge length | Total price | Time on site |
|---|---|---|---|
| 4 stumps | 3–4 metres | £220–£320 | 1.5–2 hours |
| 6 stumps | 5–7 metres | £300–£440 | 2–3 hours |
| 8 stumps | 7–10 metres | £400–£550 | 3–4 hours |
| 10 stumps | 9–12 metres | £480–£650 | 4–5 hours |
| 15 stumps | 14–18 metres | £650–£900 | 5–7 hours |
Prices assume average 10 to 14 inch diameter trunks at ground level — measured after the tree surgeon has felled the hedge. We grind 200mm below ground and backfill the holes with arisings. Suburban Herne Bay, Whitstable and Canterbury back gardens make up the bulk of our leylandii work — post-war leylandii boundary hedges are now reaching the end of their useful life across this part of Kent.
How long does it take to grind a row of conifer stumps?
Each conifer stump takes 20 to 35 minutes including chip cleanup. A row of 8 leylandii stumps clears in 3 to 4 hours; 15 stumps clear in 5 to 7 hours — usually a full day on site. Stumps over 18 inches add 15 minutes each. We backfill the holes with the chip arisings before leaving so the ground is level and ready for re-seeding.
The total time for multi-stump jobs is shorter than the per-stump figure suggests once setup and travel between positions is amortised across the row. A grinder already running mid-hedge moves to the next stump in under a minute — most of the time saving versus single jobs comes from that continuous-cutting rhythm.
Will a conifer stump regrow?
No. Conifers (leylandii, Lawson cypress, Thuja, pine, fir, spruce) cannot regrow from a ground stump because they do not produce root suckers like willow, poplar or cherry. Once the trunk is severed below the growing tissue, the stump is dead. Grinding to 200mm below ground level guarantees no regrowth and no shoots appearing in the lawn next spring.
This is a meaningful advantage over broadleaf hedge removal: a leylandii hedge ground out today will not throw up suckers from the root system in 18 months. The roots themselves remain in the soil and decay over 5 to 10 years, but they produce no surface growth during that period — the ground is clear immediately and stays clear.
What equipment is needed for conifer/leylandii stumps?
A 13hp to 27hp self-propelled grinder handles 95% of leylandii hedge work. Soft conifer wood does not need a 50hp tracked machine. Carbide-tipped teeth (Greenteeth or Sandvik) cut resin without clogging. Narrow-gate (660mm) machines reach back gardens — important because most leylandii hedges sit on boundary lines accessed through side passages.
The single biggest equipment decision on conifer jobs is access width. A standard 760mm pedestrian grinder cannot pass through most Victorian and Edwardian side gates in Canterbury, Whitstable and Herne Bay; a 660mm narrow-frame machine fits through almost any domestic gate. We carry both, and confirm gate width during the free quote so the right machine arrives on the day.
Working across Canterbury and the 27 towns within 15 miles, leylandii hedge removal is one of our highest-volume jobs — the post-war boom in fast-growing boundary hedges has aged into a region-wide replacement project. Send photos of the felled hedge with a tape measure across one trunk, and we will return a fixed price within the hour.
