"Gwen Morse" wrote in message
...
At one corner of my property there's 4 or 5 small trees (oaks). One
might have a trunk about a foot in diameter, while the others are
effectively just well-established saplings (no more than a few inches
around).
Since I'm not fond of oaks (they turn brown in the fall instead of
pretty colors, and they dump acorns all over) and we have a bigger old
oak that's exactly as much oak as I'd like to have to clean up after,
I was thinking of getting rid of these younger oaks and planting
something nice and colorful (a sugar maple, a cherry blossom tree,
maybe a really large lilac bush, or _something_ along those lines).
I can either saw down and/or hire someone to saw down the existing
trees. But, then, what about the trunks/root systems? Obviously, they
need to be removed, also. Does this involve hiring big (expensive)
bull-dozerish equipment to dig up the stumps? Is there any way
to...ahhh...encourage the wood to break down in a few seasons on its
own?
I don't mind waiting a few years (say...2-4?) to be able to plant a
tree there, but, I'm not sure if there are any economical options that
would be effective and non-damaging to the long-term environment.
Other than digging the stumps out by hand, which would be REAL hard on
my back! 
If you are good with heavy, dangerous equipment and have a truck, you can
rent a stump grinder from a rental company. I would recommend that you find
a tree service to cut down your trees and grind out the stumps. A stump
that is a foot in diameter will be there for many years if you wait for it
to rot. The stump grinder isn't all that large and can be brought across
your lawn without causing damage. I would expect to pay $40 to $80 to have
the stump ground out. That's what I remember paying a few years ago but
prices may be different in your area. The charge is generally based on the
diameter of the tree, so if you measure it you may be able to get a rough
idea over the phone.
Here are some pictures of stump grinders:
http://images.google.com/images?q=st...ff&sa=N&tab=wi