How to Remove Small Stumps

Overview

Removing a tree stump is a complex process that is made more difficult depending on the type of tree you need to remove. Pine trees have a network of big, flat roots that spread laterally, while oaks have a taproot that shoots straight downward into the ground. For removing a large tree, you may have to resort to rotting the stump, burning it, or pulling it out of the ground with a winch. But for a smaller tree stump, you can still dig the stump out of the ground, a process that is known as grubbing.

Step 1

Dig a trench with a shovel around the base of the stump. The trench should be 1 to 2 feet wide by 1 to 2 feet deep, depending on the size of the tree and the nature of its root structure. Expose and break roots with a grub hoe.

Step 2

Cut through small lateral roots with branch loppers.

Step 3

Chop through large lateral roots with an axe.

Step 4

Push or pull the trunk to one side to expose the taproot of the tree if it has one, then chop through the taproot.

Step 5

Pull the trunk free of the ground.

Step 6

Cover the cut roots and the hole left by the stump with fill dirt.