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Tried leaving a maple stump 3 feet high for wildlife habitat and it caused problems I didn't expect
I left a big maple stump about 3 feet tall last spring after a removal job near Portland. Wanted to create a natural perch for birds and maybe a spot for critters. But after 6 months the wood started rotting unevenly and created a hazard when a branch fell and split the top open. Now I'm debating if the wildlife benefit is worth the safety risk for the homeowner. Has anyone else tried this and found a way to make it work without the wood getting dangerous?
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the_emma19d ago
Wait, you mean that branch actually split the top open like that? That's wild. I can't believe it held up for six whole months before it became sketchy. Usually that kind of soft rot starts way sooner in our climate, especially with all the rain we get. If you really want to keep the stump for the critters, maybe try cutting it down to like 18 inches or even less so it's not such a hazard. It'll still give birds a place to land but won't be as likely to break apart.
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barbaraschmidt19d ago
Honestly I kind of disagree, I think 18 inches would rot out just as fast if not faster since it's closer to the wet ground. We had a maple stump that was about 4 feet tall and it lasted three years before we finally took it down.
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