How To Remove A Tree Stump With And Without A Grinder
Three ways to clear an old stump from the garden using a digging bar or stump killer or a hired grinder.
The short answer
To remove a tree stump, match the method to its size. Stumps under about 6 inches (15 cm) across can be dug out by hand by exposing the roots, chopping them with an axe and levering the stump free with a digging bar. Larger stumps are best ground out with a stump grinder, or drilled and treated with stump killer and left to rot.
A tree stump can be left where it is, but it's an eyesore and it gets in the way of laying fresh turf or reusing the space the tree took up. Old stumps can also harbour root diseases such as honey fungus, which spreads through the soil to other trees and shrubs, so finishing the job properly is worth the effort.
How Stump Size Affects The Method
The size of the stump decides how you tackle it. Digging one out by hand gets much harder as the trunk and roots get thicker. As a rule of thumb, a stump less than 6 inches (about 15 cm) across, or one that already rocks when you push it, can be removed by hand. Anything bigger is a job for chemicals or a grinder.
Problems To Check For Before You Start
Where the tree was planted can cause as many headaches as its size. A stump close to a fence, wall or building can damage it if the roots are levered out carelessly, so dig carefully and cut the roots on that side rather than pulling against them.
Roots also grow around pipes, hoses and cables. On a recent job we found roots wrapped tightly around a buried hosepipe, as the photo below shows. That one was an old hose we could simply cut through, but if there's any chance of an electric cable or water pipe running through the roots, stop and get professional advice before going further.
How To Remove A Tree Stump
1. Dig It Out By Hand
A small stump needs nothing more than a heavy steel digging bar, a spade and an axe. Start by digging a trench around the stump to expose the main roots running away from it, then chop through each one with the axe.
Once the roots are cut, drive the digging bar under the stump and lever it. You'll feel it start to shift, and working the bar round from different sides keeps loosening it until you can lift it out by hand.
We use this method on small and medium stumps like the one in the photo. Try it on anything larger and you can put in hours of back-breaking work without shifting it.
2. Drill And Treat It With Stump Killer
Chemical treatment is the least physical way to deal with a stump, though it takes patience. Drill a series of deep holes into the top of the stump a few inches apart, using a cordless drill and a long wood bit. Then fill the holes with a dedicated tree stump killer or Epsom salt.
The stump won't disappear overnight. The treatment kills the roots so the stump softens and breaks down, making it far easier to chop out later. If you already have a strong systemic weed killer in the shed, check the label, as some are approved for treating stumps too.
3. Grind It Out
Grinding is the quickest and most thorough way to get rid of a stump. A stump grinder uses a spinning cutting wheel to chew the stump down below ground level, leaving wood chippings you can rake out or dig in.
Grinders are heavy, powerful machines that need careful handling, so for most people it makes more sense to hire a professional who brings their own. That's what we did for the large stump in our YouTube Short below, and the grinder made short work of it.
Tree Stump Removal - Let The Powerful Grinder Do All The Hard Work! #shorts
Methods To Avoid
A chainsaw is the right tool for felling the tree, but not for cutting the stump down at ground level. The chain will catch soil and stones, which blunts it quickly and can kick the saw back. Cut the stump at a comfortable working height with your electric chainsaw, then use one of the methods above for the rest.
How Much Does Tree Stump Removal Cost?
The cost depends on the method. Digging out a stump yourself only costs the tools, and a digging bar and axe are easy enough to borrow from friends or family. If you'd rather not dig, Epsom salt or a stump killer costs under £10, though you pay for it in waiting time.
Grinding is the dearest. Hiring a stump grinder for a day costs somewhere between £100 and £200 depending on where you live, but a professional with their own machine works out better value for most jobs. Small stumps can cost from around £10 to £20 each, so check whether there's a minimum call-out charge when you ask for a quote. Large stumps from mature oaks or eucalyptus take far longer to grind and cost a good deal more.
After The Stump Has Gone
Once the stump is out, rake out the chippings or loose wood and fill the hole with fresh topsoil, firming it down as you go so it doesn't sink later. The ground is then ready for new grass seed or turf, a new bed or paving.
With the stump gone, you get back the space the tree took up and there's nowhere left for root diseases such as honey fungus to take hold. Any branches left over from the tree can go through a garden shredder to turn them into mulch.
What People Also Ask Us
What is the quickest way to remove a tree stump?
The quickest way to remove a tree stump is with a stump grinder, which chews it down below ground level in one visit. Even large stumps are cleared far faster than digging by hand. Chemical stump killers are cheaper but take a long time to break the wood down.
Does Epsom salt kill tree stumps?
Epsom salt can kill a tree stump by drawing moisture out of the wood once it's packed into holes drilled across the top. It works slowly, so expect a long wait before the stump softens enough to break up. A purpose-made stump killer does the same job and is designed to reach the roots more reliably.
Can you leave a tree stump in the ground?
You can leave a tree stump in the ground, but it can sprout new shoots, attract fungi such as honey fungus and get in the way of a new lawn or border. A stump left to rot naturally takes years to break down. Removing or grinding it out frees up the space and lowers the risk of disease spreading.
Do you need to remove the roots after grinding a stump?
You don't need to remove the roots after grinding a stump in most gardens. With the stump gone, the roots left in the soil die off and slowly rot away. If you're planting a new tree in the same spot or laying foundations, dig out the larger roots near the surface first.
Is it worth paying a professional to grind a big stump?
Yes, for a large stump we'd call in a professional, and that's how the big stump in our YouTube Short came out. Grinders are heavy and need careful handling, and a day's hire alone runs to £100 to £200 depending on where you live. Someone who uses one every week brings the machine and the know-how, which makes them better value for most jobs.
Can I just cut a stump down with a chainsaw?
No, keep the chainsaw well clear of ground level. Down there the chain picks up soil and stones, which blunts it fast and can make the saw kick back. Use the saw to take the stump down to a comfortable working height, then switch to digging, stump killer or a grinder for the rest.
What should I check before digging out a stump near a fence?
Look for anything buried among the roots first, as they grow round pipes, hoses and cables. We've found an old hosepipe wrapped in roots on one of our own jobs. Near a fence or wall, cut the roots on that side instead of levering against them, and if a cable or water pipe could be in there, stop and get professional advice.
What do you do with the hole once the stump is out?
Clear out the chippings and loose wood, then backfill with fresh topsoil. Firm each layer down as it goes in, otherwise the patch will sink once it settles. After that the spot is ready for seed, turf, a new bed or paving, and leftover branches can go through a garden shredder for mulch.
Archie is our gardening specialist. He started out as an apprentice at a gardening firm, built up his own knowledge from there and now writes most of our garden content.