Best ToolsShovels are often the first tool people grab to dig out a small stump, but broken handles often result from the prying action that is involved in digging out most stumps. Shovels are useful, though, for removing soil around the stump to better access the roots. The blade of a mattock is effective for cutting through small roots, and its short, thick handle can take the force of prying without breaking.

Use a pointed shovel to dig out the soil around the tree stump. Continue digging until you’ve exposed the roots all the way around the stump. Cut small-diameter tree roots with bypass loppers. Use a pruning saw or reciprocating saw to cut through larger tree roots. Chop through hard-to-reach roots with an iron digging bar. After cutting all the roots, push over the stump, then roll it out of the hole. One, dig the entire root system up with a shovel and try to pull out the shrub or bush out. This is back breaking work and it’s unlikely you’ll be able to dig around and through a well established root system. Two, use a saw to cut the trunk of the shrub or bush at ground level.

Even small stumps can be stubborn, making a 6-foot steel digging bar or rock bar the tool of choice for serious prying and leverage. General TechniqueA swift wack with a mattock into the taproot just beneath the soil level is sometimes enough to dispatch stumps under 2 inches in diameter. If this is not effective, excavate the soil around the stump to expose the tap root, breaking the lateral roots in the process. Keep digging to the point where the taproot begins to taper and then push it back and forth in all directions by hand to loosen it or with the feet if extra force is required.

It may pull right out at this point, but if not, hack away at the tap root with a mattock until it breaks. Common ProblemsDigging up a little stump sometimes reveals a large root system. This is often the case when the stump has sprouted and had been cut back repeatedly.

Why is area 51 in so many memes. For this reason, it's always easier to dig out stumps immediately rather than cutting back the sprouts year after year. It may still be possible to remove the stump by hand with the same tactics, though it will be much more laborious. Wrapping a chain around the exposed rootball and pulling it out with a truck can provide the extra strength needed. If manual efforts seem futile, consider chemical stump killers or renting a gas-powered stump grinder.

Safety ConsiderationsClose-toed shoes are a must when wielding tools like a mattock and rock bar. Safety goggles are also important, as soil particles, small rocks and chips of wood are prone to come flying toward the face when hacking away at the roots of a stump.

Underground utility lines are another worry when digging out a stump. These should be a minimum of 9 inches below the soil level, but there is no guarantee, so it best to have them marked by the local utility company whenever digging more than a few inches beneath the surface.