Written by Bob Vila and Mark Wolfe and published on https://www.bobvila.com/
They may look harmless at first glance, but it is really important that you have them removed from your yard right away; they can prove to be a safety hazard as much as a dead tree that can topple anytime without warning.
An important question you should ask yourself is if you want to cut the stump off or get it dug up. It can be excavated, but in recent times stubble milling has become increasingly popular and is a more convenient approach. Stubble milling is more comfortable, faster and leaves less impression on the surrounding environment than a digging work.
Tree stumps are often unsightly, taking up precious garden space, ruining the aesthetics of your garden and causing significant challenges to future landscaping work. Removing an unwanted, rotting stump will free up room in your garden to plant something fresh and new.
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How To: Kill a Tree Stump
Rid your yard of troublesome tree remains, once and for all.
Removing a tree from your yard can be a tricky and expensive process, but it’s especially frustrating when you still wind up stuck with a stubborn stump. Sometimes, when its vast root system continues to send up leafy shoots, the stump will continue to grow rather than decompose long after the tree is cut down. Fortunately, there are a number of techniques you can use to rid your yard of an annoyingly persistent tree stump.
Keep reading to find a solution that’s suitable for your situation.
Physical Tree Stump Removal Techniques
If you need the stump gone as soon as possible, you could make quick work of it by digging, grinding, or burning it out. Physical removal methods come with their own sets of challenges. Let’s take a closer look at each of these methods to learn why they may or may not be right for you.
Dig the Tree Stump Out
For smaller stumps, up to about 12 inches in diameter, digging out the stump could be the most practical solution. Digging only requires basic hand tools, rather than renting or hiring a large, expensive machine. This is a labor-intensive approach, but very much doable with the right tools.
To dig out the stump you’ll need a sturdy spade, mattock, and digging iron. A narrow spade with a mid-length handle, like the Fiskars 46-inch Transplanting Spade, digs deeply and maneuvers easily around the dense root ball. The mattock, chops through roots like an axe, and loosens compacted soils easily. Use the digging iron to dig into deep or narrow spaces, and to pry up stubborn roots.
To remove a tree stump by digging, begin by loosening the soil around it with the mattock. Clear away the loose soil with the spade. As roots are exposed, chop through them with the mattock. Continue working downward and inward from all sides toward the taproot beneath the stump. Use the digging iron to loosen soil beneath the stump or to pry the stump sideways for additional working space. When the taproot is exposed, use the sharp edge of the mattock to chop through it. Remove the stump, with its root ball and any large roots.
Original post here https://www.bobvila.com/articles/how-to-kill-tree-stumps/.
