Grubbing Out a 5-Inch Yard Tree Stump by Hand With a Cutter Mattock: A 1- to 2-Foot Trench and Every Lateral Cut

Small backyard tree stump in a dug trench with cut roots and mattock

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A small tree that died or was cut down leaves a stump that trips mowers and blocks replanting. At about 5 inches across, it is still small enough to dig out by hand in an afternoon with a mattock, a saw, and a bar.

How do you dig out a small tree stump by hand?

Dig a trench 1 to 2 feet deep around the stump, cut every lateral root you uncover, then pry the stump over to reach and cut the roots underneath. Leaving 4 to 6 feet of trunk gives you leverage. Hand digging is realistic for small stumps, best under about 6 inches.

Iowa State University Extension's guide to removing tree stumps says digging works on stumps under about 12 inches. It gives the 1 to 2 foot trench and says a stump left 4 to 6 feet tall provides leverage for prying.

Illinois Extension's Good Growing post on tree stump removal says its author would not hand-dig much over a 6-inch trunk. It cites research that a half-inch root takes about 450 pounds of force to pull from the soil.

Stump Size and Method

Trunk diameter Hand digging Source
Up to about 6 in. Practical Illinois
About 6 to 12 in. Possible but hard ISU
Over about 12 in. Not practical ISU

The 450-pound figure is why you cut roots instead of pulling on them. Every lateral you sever takes a large share of that hold away.

Why the Mattock Fits

The adze end clears soil off the roots so you can see them. The cutter end chops smaller roots close to the stump, and a pruning saw handles thicker ones cleanly.

The mattock is not a lever. Do the prying with a long digging bar so the fiberglass handle is not overloaded.

Materials and Tools

Stump Removal Steps

  1. Call 811. Get buried utilities marked before you dig.
  2. Leave a handle. If the tree is not cut yet, leave 4 to 6 feet of trunk.
  3. Soak the soil. Water around the stump the day before to soften it.
  4. Dig the trench. Open a ring 1 to 2 feet deep around the stump with the adze and shovel.
  5. Cut the laterals. Chop or saw each root close to the stump and again at the trench wall.
  6. Rock it. Push the trunk back and forth to find any root still holding.
  7. Pry and cut under. Lever the stump to one side with the bar and cut the roots beneath.
  8. Lift it out. Roll the stump out of the hole.
  9. Refill. Fill with topsoil, firm it, and replant as needed.

Mistakes and Hazards

  • Swinging the mattock at a root lying on a rock
  • Prying with the mattock handle instead of a bar
  • Pulling with a chain or rope, which ISU warns can slip or break and cause great harm
  • Standing over the bar while prying
  • Digging before utilities are marked

For cutting limbs before the stump comes out, see taking down a 3-inch yard tree limb with a folding saw. Old stakes near the stump come out with the method in pulling steel T-post tree stakes after one season.

If you replant in the same spot, a wire collar at planting keeps voles off the new trunk. The hardware cloth mesh size and gauge guide explains which mesh to use.

FAQ

Why leave part of the trunk?

ISU says leaving 4 to 6 feet of trunk gives leverage for prying and lifting the stump.

Does wet soil help?

Illinois says saturating the soil around a stump helps when pulling it, as long as you are not also soaking the ground where equipment will stand.

What about bigger stumps?

ISU says digging or pulling the stump of a larger tree is not practical. It calls stump grinding the quickest, easiest, and safest option.

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