A sad fact of life is that sometimes a tree must be cut down. Some trees are beset by invasive insects or disease, others may be mangled by storms, and some die from environmental stress or old age. Once the tree is removed, we are often left with a stump. Which leads me to a popular question: “What can I do to get rid of a tree stump?”
The internet is full of tricks for dealing with tree stumps. Some sound practical, while others seem dangerous. Let’s examine some common tree stump removal techniques.
Hand digging or grubbing
For smaller trees, it is possible to dig them out by hand. While some information specifies trees with a 15-inch trunk diameter or less can be hand-dug, I personally wouldn’t go much over a 6-inch trunk diameter. That’s because digging out a tree is hard work, but with enough time, leverage and pain relievers for a sore back, hand-digging a tree stump is an option.
Mechanical removal
Pulling, pushing or digging out a tree stump is made far easier with machinery. However, this adds additional equipment cost and potential damage to the surrounding landscape. Machinery needs a place to operate, and depending on access, may require disrupting adjacent parts of your yard.
Backhoes, excavators or loaders can be used to dig up a tree stump. This process will easily sever large roots in the ground, making it easier to remove the stump.
Stump pushing usually involves a heavy tractor with a blade that pushes over a tree stump. Pushing over tree stumps is usually done in land-clearing operations where there is plenty of room for large equipment to operate.
Stump pulling uses heavy equipment along with cables, winches and pulley systems to drag a stump out of the ground. The internet is full of online videos of people trying to pull up tree stumps with vehicles, only to be met with a pricey auto repair. According to Dr. Kim Coder at the University of Georgia’s Warnell School of Forestry and Natural Resources, a half-inch diameter root requires 450 pounds of force to pull from the soil.
Regardless of whether you dig up, push, pull or use a combination of those methods, the tree-removal crew will need to leave a taller stump of several feet for better leverage.
Stump grinding
Many tree companies offer stump grinding as an additional service charge when removing a tree. Depending on how far down a stump is ground, you may be left with a large hole. If planting turfgrass where the former tree resided, it is recommended to haul off the chipped stump debris and fill the hole with quality topsoil.
Burning
Stumps can be burned out, however, be sure to check your local ordinances to see whether open burning is permitted. Because stumps are buried in soil, drying the wood enough so it will burn can be difficult. Avoid pouring fuel on a stump, which can contaminate the soil.
Instead, create a “stove” of charcoal on top of the stump using a metal cylinder with no top or bottom. A stump fire will burn hot and possibly for many days. High heat can sterilize the surrounding soil, making it difficult for future plants to grow.
Chemical treatment
Unfortunately, chemically treating your tree stump will not liquefy it overnight. Often, what is applied are salts to break down the tough woody material, but it is also detrimental to the living decay organisms that decompose tree stumps.
According to Dr. Coder, chemical treatment speeds up decomposition by about 25 percent, whereas enhancing natural decay (by increasing surface area, soil aeration, moisture and nitrogen availability) can accelerate degradation by up to 50 percent.
Do nothing
This is an ecologically valuable option. The energy locked up in a decomposing tree stump becomes an oasis for life. As the stump decays through time, the composition of organisms shifts as the former tree is eventually returned to the soil to sustain the next generation of trees.
Upcoming event
The Champaign County Master Gardeners present “Petals & Medals — New Annuals for 2026 & A Few Past Favorites” at 9 a.m. Thursday at the Idea Garden in Urbana. Registration available at go.illinois.edu/petalsnmedals.
Chris Enroth is a horticulture educator with UI Extension, serving Henderson, Knox, McDonough and Warren counties. This column also appears in the ‘Good Growing’ blog at go.illinois.edu/goodgrowing.