I’ve seen many people struggle trying to remove dead tree stumps in their yard.
In order to successfully and safely remove tree stumps, you have to have the right tools.
If you are removing an entire tree, make sure don’t cut it so far down that you don’t have any trunk to use as leverage.
Clear away the vegetation around the tree and dig a trench around the base of the tree, not too close to the major roots, but a little farther around the tree where the roots start getting smaller. When you get to the roots, you will need a heavy duty square point nursery spade and a digger tamper bar some of us call it a spud bar. The spud bar is used to slice the roots. You should take the time to sharpen these tools to make the job easier. The weight of the spade and the spud bar as well as their sharp edges will make the job easier and faster.
After you’ve chopped all the roots you can access, use the trunk of the tree as leverage to move it around to see if and where any roots are still attached.
Remember, the secret is to dig out, away from the stump.
Don’t start digging in close to the base of the tree where the roots are thicker and heavier, work farther out where the roots are thinner and easier to deal with.
Dig around the tree at an angle.
Let your tools do most of the work!
Watch me and Duston make easy work out of this tree.
Debbie B says
August 13, 2017 at 5:55 pmHi Mike,
We recently had an oak tree cut down in our front yard. We live on a cul-de-sac and have a tiny front yard but a big bad yard. The tree was very close to the drive way and we were afraid the roots would lift up the driveway. A couple of days after the tree was cut down, a guy came and ground out the stump. The roots from the tree are still there. How do we get rid of them so we can replant some grass there? The roots are pretty big.
Thanks,
Debbie
Debbie B says
August 13, 2017 at 5:56 pmI meant to say big back yard.
Mike says
August 15, 2017 at 8:15 amDebbie, a lot of digging and chopping. Or you can rent a small stump grinder to get rid of all of the roots, which might be the best option.
Earl says
April 7, 2017 at 8:26 pmI was doing some research on stump removal for my tree care business and found your post.
I particularly liked using the tree stump as leverage and keeping tools sharp. Both important aspects.
Thank you for taking the time to type this and also for the video.
As requested, I sent this to 3 of my friends who love gardening.
Mike says
April 8, 2017 at 9:19 amThanks Earl, I appreciate that. As you well know, it’s crazy to bring in a stump grinder if you can do the job with a few good tools in a short period of time.
Mark Daniels says
June 1, 2015 at 11:39 amAs a child, we had large trees in our backward. As they continue to grow, I could see the roots moving towards the foundation. That said, we ended up getting a tree removal group to get it done. In the end, we were left we tree stumps that continue to be an obtrusion in my home. I intend to remove it, but just don’t know what to do. The video and hints displayed on doing this have both been valuable to me! I will have to test this out early morning on a Saturday.