I have a couple tree stumps to get rid of.
The first is a Ficus, which is about 1 foot
in diameter, recently cut down. The tree was
about 25 feet tall. It rooted under a
concrete patio, which was very poorly made,
only about an inch and a half to three inches
thick, and not very strong. There are lots
of surface roots extending up to 20 feet from
the stump and still an inch in diameter.

So, how much of the root system do I need to
get out? Is there any treatment that should
be given to the roots that remain in the
ground? My main concerns are that I don't
want this stuff to become a source of termites to eat my building, and I don't want
it to shrink or collapse underground and
cause the new concrete above it to crack.

The second was cut down a long time ago, it's
a palm tree with a trunk about two feet in
diameter, and I guess about a 4-5 foot root
ball. My guess is that it'll be a lot of
digging and chain sawing, but less grief than
the Ficus. Is there anything I should watch
out for?

When all this is done, I'll be back filling
with the dirt I get from some of my foundation work.

Thanks --

-- J.S.