

Stumped by a stubborn stump? Dig into these removal tips


Removing a stubborn stump from your yard or garden is an onerous task, but it can be done.

What not to do: Don't use your truck or car to try to pull the stump out of the ground. You could ruin big parts of your lawn. If a chain or rope breaks, people or property could be hurt or damaged. And you risk serious damage to your vehicle -- and perhaps to you, if the airbag deploys. If the stump is that stubborn, call a professional.

What to do: Size up the situation. Stumps bigger than 5 or 6 inches in diameter will probably be too difficult to dig out of the ground. They'll likely need to be ground up, using a stump grinder. If you're muscular, tireless and budget-conscious, and you own a truck, you can rent a stump grinder at a home improvement or garden center and do it yourself.

Most homeowners will choose to hire a tree service to do the grinding and removal. Expect to spend about $95 for the first 10 inches (based on the diameter of the stump) and $1 an inch after that.

Smaller stumps or stump/clumps from shrubs can be removed through decomposition, digging or both.

Breaking it down: Decomposing or rotting the stump may be done with chemicals or organically. Chemicals that will speed the decay are available at garden centers and home improvement stores. Follow the instructions on the package. These chemicals require drilling holes in the stump, and repeat applications probably will be needed.

The process of rotting the stump may take up to two months. Some products recommend burning the stump at the end of the decaying process.

The organic method is a three-step process:

- Thoroughly soak the stump and the ground around the stump with water.

- Cover the stump with a heavy layer of organic compost.

- Cover the compost with a tarp and cover the tarp with mulch.

The intent is to deny oxygen and encourage the natural breakdown of the wood. This may take many months, even a couple of years, before the stump can be dug out easily. But it's cheap and you probably won't strain your back doing it.

Digging it out: To dig the stump out, you'll need at least two tools: a high-quality digging spade and a heavy tamping spud. Make sure the flat edge of the spade is sharp--not razor sharp but not nicked and dull. You want it to be able to push through the dirt easily and to cut small roots.

The spud will have a round knob on one end that is used to tamp down dirt in certain other landscaping projects. The opposite end has a narrow, thick blade, which also must be sharp to do its job. Use a file to sharpen the spade and spud blade. Or take them to a hardware store that offers sharpening services.

Using the spade, start removing dirt from around the base of the stump, exposing the roots. Put the removed soil in a wheelbarrow or in a pile several feet from your work area. Working out from the stump, continue to remove dirt in a circle around the stump until the roots exposed are smaller in thickness than they are at the base of the stump. This may be as far out as 2 or 3 feet from the base.

Then using the sharp end of the spud, chop and cut the roots all the way around. Do this by lifting the tool and thrusting it down onto the roots. The spud weighs about 15 pounds, and the momentum of the blade does the work.

The spud also will break up dirt around the roots. Remove this dirt as you go. This exposes more roots to be cut. A mattock pick also might be useful.

As the roots are severed and the stump begins to loosen, use the spud as a lever to pry underneath the stump.

The key to success is to dig out fairly far from the base of the stump (perhaps 3 feet), where the roots are easier to sever. It will be nearly impossible to remove the stump if you try digging/cutting it out at its base.

After removing the stump, backfill the area and cover with additional soil or mulch.

Copyright © 2019, Chicago Tribune