Whenever you cut down a tree or it falls by natural disasters such as hurricanes, one thing you will have to deal with is removing the stump. This is necessary to prevent the roots from rotting or the outcome of suckering issues where new shoots start arising from the roots or even the trunk of the stump. Removing a tree stump is usually not easy, which is why it is recommended to leave extremely large stumps to the professionals. However, if you are handy with some farm or garden tools such as chainsaws and the stump is relatively small, you can remove it on your own. There are many ways to remove tree stumps such as use of chemicals, grinders, or digging out the stump on your own. If you are thinking of digging it out, here are some tips you should consider.

Step 1: Find Out Whether It's Possible to Dig Out the Stump

Digging out a tree stump is a technique that will only be manageable if the stump is fairly small. One way to find out whether you will manage to dig out the stump is to try putting your hands around the tree. If you cannot interlock your fingers completely, you should consider other options. Otherwise, follow the steps below.

Step 2: Grab Your Tools

Digging out the tree stump is fairly simple in terms of the tools you will need but it's actually extremely labour intensive and may take days depending on the rate at which you work and whether you have a helper. In most cases, all you will need is an axe and some digging tools such as trowels, shovels, hoes or spades.

Step 3: Start Digging

You need to dig around the roots. The goal is to expose as much of the roots as possible, especially the main roots, which is why if it's a tree that has been there for a number of years, it would be extremely difficult to expose all the roots so other removal methods should be sought.

Once you uncover most of the roots, start cutting them into small manageable pieces and try pulling out the stump once you have cut all the roots you can see. An axe, a root saw, or sometimes a chainsaw can help with the root cutting. If they are any more roots stuck in the soil, try using a grab hoe to pull them out.

Step 4: Fill the Hole

Once the tree is removed, remember to fill the hole with loam or sawdust. Doing this will prevent the adjacent earth from collapsing into the hole left by the stump.