How To Use: the best techniques for removing shrub and tree stumps
You can take either the chemical route or the physical one, says Tim Rumball
THERE are two ways to tackle the stump and roots of trees and big shrubs. The first is to cut the stump as low as possible to the ground, then treat it with stump killer. The second is to dig it out.
Treating the stump takes little effort and is quite cheap, but it works very slowly, taking a year or more for the wood to rot away. It also means that the area occupied by the stump and roots is difficult or impossible to cultivate until it has rotted. However, it’s really the only way if you’re cutting down a tree or shrub in a densely planted border, as you’ll damage nearby plants if you try digging the stump out. It’s also a good option for an area you’re not planning to replant.
Using a stump killer
To kill a stump without digging it out, you’ll need a stump killer such as SBK Brushwood Killer or Roundup Stump Killer, protective gloves and glasses, a paintbrush, a bow saw or pruning saw, a small axe and an old compost sack turned inside out or a black plastic sheet.
First, clear back the debris and soil. Then, using the pruning saw or bow saw, cut the stump as low to the ground as possible. Hack into the cut surface of the stump with the axe repeatedly to break open the wood so it holds the killer liquid. Dilute the stump killer liquid as recommended in the instructions.
Wearing gloves and glasses, paint the liquid generously over the stump surface and onto the bark around the edges. Avoid spilling any! Now cover the stump tightly with the old compost sack or plastic sheet and weigh it down with soil all around the stump crown. After a year, the stump should start to rot away.
Digging out a stump
To dig out a stump, you’ll need a strong garden fork and spade, a hand trowel, a small axe or pruning saw, strong gloves, strong work boots and a big pot of elbow grease. When you cut down the tree or shrub, leave 3-4ft (90-120cm) of the trunk attached to the stump, which will make an excellent lever to help loosen the stump as you dig it out.
To start, clear space around the stump making room several feet away for all the soil you’re about to dig out so it doesn’t keep falling back into the hole. Using the garden fork and working a couple of feet out from the stump, loosen soil deeply all around it, then dig it out with the spade and pile it as far away from the hole as you can. On heavy or hard soil the fork may not be enough – consider using a pickaxe.
Keep digging down using the trowel to clear soil away from roots, then cutting through them with the pruning saw or axe. You may be able to hack through slimmer roots with secateurs or the blade of the spade. I’ve been using the Wilkinson Sword Ultralight Stainless Steel digging spade ( wilkinsonswordtools.co.uk), which has a serrated edge on one side of the pointed blade – it’s ideal for digging out stumps. Cut away roots across the full width of the hole you’re digging so they don’t get in the way of the fork or spade.
Getting under the stump
Eventually you’ll be able to dig under the stump, cutting away roots as you go. It takes a surprisingly long time and is hard work. If you’ve left a lever of trunk in place, pushing it back and forth will help to loosen roots. Eventually, the stump will come free, but be careful as it may be very heavy and when you cut the final root it could fall on you. The same applies to heaving it out of the hole you’ve dug – get help if you can, and
don’t strain your back! When removing a huge old bay tree stump a couple of years ago, it was so heavy I had to build a ramp of soil to roll it out of the hole.
When you’ve removed the stump, back-fill the hole adding lots of garden compost or similar soil improver. The bigger the stump, the harder it will be to remove. Any stump over 8in (20cm) across requires a massive effort, so you should consider professional help. Large stumps can be ground out, and you’ll pay between £50 and £300, depending on size, access and many other factors.