How to Dig up Small Stumps
- 1). Clear the ground. You will need enough room to dig a trench all around the stump and a place to pile the dirt. Make sure there is enough space to work without snagging your clothing on trees or other nearby plants. These precautions will make the work easier and safer.
- 2). Dig a trench at least 1 foot wide all around the stump and as close to it as possible. If the ground is hard, loosen it with a mattock or pick, then shovel out the dirt. As you expose the stump and the roots, you will begin to see how wide and deep the trench needs to be. Your goal is to cut through the roots below ground level. The farther out you dig, the smaller and easier it is to cut the roots (but you'll have to shovel more dirt).
- 3). Cut through the roots using the loppers for small roots and the pruning saw for the bigger ones. Cut each root in two places, making one cut close to the inside of the trench and another close to the outside of the trench. Remove the cut section of root. This opens up the trench so you can dig deeper. Keep digging and removing root sections until you think the stump is ready to be moved.
- 4). Push the stump to one side. If it rolls free, you're done. But the first time you try this it's more likely there will still be some roots attached to the stump directly below. If this is the case, force the stump to the side so you can excavate beneath it, then continue digging down and cutting until you get the last root.
- 5). Drag the stump to one side and refill the hole with the excavated soil.
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