Tools for removing a tree stump by hand
You’ll need a long-handled spade and a shovel for shifting soil, a mattock for loosening ground, and loppers or a pruning saw for exposed roots.
An axe can cut woody roots, but only where you’ve cleared enough soil to see the cut and swing safely.
A crowbar or long steel bar gives the leverage to rock the stump loose, and a wheelbarrow saves carrying soil by the bucket.
Wear gloves, eye protection and safety boots with toe protection. A tool can glance off a root or stone, and chips can fly up as you work.
If a length of trunk remains, it can give you leverage when rocking the stump loose. Don’t cut it flush with the ground before you start digging.
Leave any chainsaw work to someone trained to use one.
How to remove a tree stump by hand: step by step
- Clear the turf, ivy and loose debris from around the stump, prune back any shrubs in the way, and check for buried cables, pipes and drains before the spade goes in. The free LSBUD service provides records from participating utility owners, but plans may omit private connections and don’t confirm exact positions.
- Dig a trench around the stump to expose the main roots. Its width and depth depend on the size of the stump and where the roots run. Allow enough space to work on each root without forcing a tool into a narrow gap.
- Clear soil and stones away from each root before cutting it. Use loppers for small roots and a pruning saw for thicker ones within the tool’s capacity. Keep the soil on a tarpaulin so it is easy to return later.
Cutting the roots underneath the tree stump
Once the side roots are cut, dig in from the side to get underneath the stump and look for any central root holding it down.
The roots won’t all run at the same depth. Work only on roots you can see and reach safely from beside the hole.
If you can’t reach the roots underneath without getting below the stump, stop and get professional help.
Never put any part of yourself under a stump you have undercut, because a large one can shift or drop without warning.
Levering and lifting the stump out
Use a crowbar to gently rock the loosened stump while keeping your feet clear.
If it won’t move, check for remaining roots or trapped soil before trying again. Don’t jump on the bar or extend it to force the stump out.
A come-along is a hand-operated ratchet winch, but it needs equipment and an anchor suited to the load. A parked car or nearby tree isn’t automatically a safe anchor.
If hand levering isn’t enough, ask a professional to assess whether winching or excavation is suitable.
Plan how you’ll move the stump before freeing it. Soil caught in the roots adds weight, and a stump that you can rock may still be too heavy to lift.
Don’t attempt a lift you can’t control or rely on a makeshift ramp.
Filling the hole afterwards
Remove loose root pieces and other woody debris from the hole before backfilling.
You don’t need to chase every root across the garden, but surviving roots of some species may send up new shoots.
Fill the hole with the soil you set aside, adding suitable topsoil if you’re short.
Firm it in layers and allow time for settling, topping up any dip before laying turf.
A patio or foundation needs its own ground preparation, which may involve more excavation.
Rot, chemicals and burning tree stumps
If there’s no rush to clear the space, a dead stump can be left to rot. That can take years, and a product sold as a stump remover doesn’t give you a dependable date when the wood will be easy to dig out.
A chemical stump killer acts on living growth and leaves the wood in place. Any herbicide use must be permitted by the product label.
Never use bleach on your stump. It won’t kill the roots and it harms surrounding wildlife, plants, and soil.
We don’t recommend burning the stump.
Flames can spread to surrounding plants and structures, and the smoke can affect neighbours.
Burning also gives you no assurance that the roots are dead or the remaining wood is safe to handle.
How long digging out a stump takes
A small, loose-rooted stump may come out in a few hours. A firmly rooted one can take much longer, and trunk diameter alone won’t tell you how difficult the job will be.
Tree type and soil both change the timing, since heavy clay, stony ground and thick woody roots all mean the job takes longer.
The best time to dig is when the soil is damp but not waterlogged, usually autumn or spring, because baked summer clay and frozen winter ground are both slow going.
When a stump grinder is the better choice
A stump grinder is specialist machinery that cuts the stump and upper roots into chippings below ground level.
For an established stump, our stump grinding service in Glasgow can save a great deal of hand digging.
Because the machine does the cutting, nobody has to swing a mattock for hours or haul a root ball into a wheelbarrow.
You’ll still need to account for the chippings and backfilling, and deeper roots remain in the ground.
What can go wrong with a DIY stump
Roots can run around drains, cables and pipes, and a stump levered out by force can drag them with it.
Where services may be present, have them located on site before digging. A utility plan alone doesn’t show that the ground is clear.
Axes and mattocks slip, and heaving a heavy stump out of the ground is a common way to strain a back.
Anything close to a house, a wall, a patio, a brick pier or a fence needs more care, because digging out roots can undermine the structure beside it.
How a professional tree surgeon can handle your stump
Before professional tree stump removal, agree on what the quote includes.
Check what the process is regarding the removal of the stump, disposal of chippings or the root ball, and any work needed to prepare the ground.
Tell us if you plan to plant, lay turf or build on the spot.
Our NPTC-certified tree surgeons can also fell a tree that is still standing and deal with its stump as part of the same job.
The best way to remove a tree stump depends on access, its roots and what you want to do with the space. Our team can guide you through our chosen process based on your plans.
Questions about removing tree stumps
Can you cut a tree stump with a hand saw?
You can trim a slim trunk or cut roots with a hand saw, but sawing through a thick stump is slow work. A saw also dulls quickly once it meets soil or stones near the roots.
How do you remove a tree stump with a come-along?
A come-along pulls a prepared stump using a ratchet winch. The load, anchor, attachments and direction of pull all need assessing first. We wouldn’t recommend improvising a setup in the garden; ask someone experienced in stump extraction to assess the job.
Can you remove a large tree stump by hand?
It may be possible, but thick roots and a heavy root ball can make the work impractical without machinery. Grinding avoids lifting the whole root ball, while excavation may be needed if it has to come out completely.
How long does a stump take to rot?
Left alone, a stump can take years to decompose fully, depending on the species and conditions. Don’t plan work around a promised rotting time: the wood may stay firm long after the tree has died.
What happens if you leave a tree stump in the ground?
A stump may sprout fresh shoots or become a trip hazard in a lawn. Dead wood also supports insects and fungi, so keeping it can benefit wildlife where it isn’t an obstruction. If disease killed the tree, check whether its stump needs removing.
Ready to be rid of that stump? Talk to GGM Landscaping today
If the stump in your garden is bigger and your tree is older than you fancy tackling, our team will clear it safely across Glasgow, Lanarkshire and the Central Belt.
Book your free survey or call 07946 322717 and tell us where the stump is, and we’ll advise on the best way to clear it.