Removing tree stumps

stealthwolf · 28 Jun 2017

I'm trying to clean up the very back of the garden. The previous owners had chopped some of the trees down from one corner and cut the logs into six inch high pieces to use as border edging.

Some of the logs were in the middle of the border so I tried to remove them. Turns out they're tree stumps with roots.

How do I remove them?
Do I just keep digging around until I find the roots, chop them and lift the stump out? Or is there a different method?

Would be grateful for any advice.

Tigercubrider · 28 Jun 2017

Pretty much

There are "magic chemicals" that kill or rot the stumps that take ages so easier to dig away
Too late now but it is better to cut down a tree leaving a tall stump to use as a lever, rather than short stump that visually looks better but is a pig to remove

A farm jack is cheap and handy

If you have access then they can be ground out using a machine

stealthwolf · 28 Jun 2017

Tigercubrider said:
Pretty much

There are "magic chemicals" that kill or rot the stumps that take ages so easier to dig away

Thanks. The plan is to remove the stumps, level the soil and cover with bark chippings. I've had to remove stumps of large bushes in the same way.

StephenOak · 28 Jun 2017

Obviously you need a fork and spade for digging. Another very useful tool is a mattock for cutting through roots. I have an old pair of loppers that I keep for cutting roots when there is not room to swing a mattock.

One other tool I use a lot when doing this is a Thingamadig
http://homemate.co.uk/Thingamadig

The point makes it useful for getting in to tight places to scrape out soil and the blade is deeper and bigger than that on a trowel so it is easier / quicker in getting soil out of the hole.

StephenStephen · 28 Jun 2017

I've been finding one of these really useful to get tree roots out - you can dig round, lever out, and chop through:
http://www.screwfix.com/p/roughneck-17lb-post-hole-digger/62496

stealthwolf · 29 Jun 2017

StephenOak said:
Obviously you need a fork and spade for digging. Another very useful tool is a mattock for cutting through roots. I have an old pair of loppers that I keep for cutting roots when there is not room to swing a mattock.

I have a mattock. Love it. Much more useful than a fork or a spade IMO. I've ended up using the mattock to dig out or dig around most shrubs and a spade for chucking the garden waste into a sack. I've got loppers and a bow saw for branches and roots.

StephenOak said:
One other tool I use a lot when doing this is a Thingamadig
http://homemate.co.uk/Thingamadig

The point makes it useful for getting in to tight places to scrape out soil and the blade is deeper and bigger than that on a trowel so it is easier / quicker in getting soil doit of teh hole.

StephenStephen said:
I've been finding one of these really useful to get tree roots out - you can dig round, lever out, and chop through:
http://www.screwfix.com/p/roughneck-17lb-post-hole-digger/62496

Thanks. Will have a look at both suggestions.

geraldthehamster · 29 Jun 2017

StephenOak · 29 Jun 2017

stealthwolf said:
I have a mattock. Love it. Much more useful than a fork or a spade IMO.

Once you reach the roots, certainly. I was meaning a fork & spade for getting through the top layer, i.e. above the roots, that is just soil.

stealthwolf · 29 Jun 2017

StephenOak said:
Once you reach the roots, certainly. I was meaning a fork & spade for getting through the top layer, i.e. above the roots, that is just soil.

Honestly, I've found the mattock to be much more useful for that too.

StephenOak · 29 Jun 2017

stealthwolf said:
Honestly, I've found the mattock to be much more useful for that too.

Fine, different people have different opinions.

However you did say that you use "a spade for chucking the garden waste into a sack". Whatever you are going to do with the soil I would have thought a spade is better for moving it in bulk, the blade of a spade is bigger than that of a mattock.

It may depend on how deep you are going. You mentioned shrubs and their roots may start only one or two mattock blows down. I have dealt with (nor particularly big) trees where I had to dig 8-12" deep before I hit any significant roots and make that hole 3' across to expose the major roots. That much soil was, IMO, easier to shift with a spade.

My soil is quite stony so I try and remove most of the soil and use the mattock to cut roots, rather than just trying to cut through soil & roots together and (pretty much guaranteed) hit stones in the process.

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Removing tree stumps

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