Tree stump removal can be done in a variety of ways – we’ll tell you how.
05.03.2025
If you want to remove a tree stump, you can accelerate the decomposition process. To do this, saw crosses into the tree stump with a chainsaw and fill the slots with a mixture of compost, farmyard manure and fertiliser.
Tree stumps can be lifted out of the ground or, to avoid the need for digging, you can help the tree stump decompose faster and allow it to rot in place. Alternatively, you could avoid removing it entirely and instead incorporate it into your garden design.
You’ve felled the tree without much difficulty, but what to do about the stump? All gardeners are eventually faced with the challenge of having to remove a tree stump. You can encourage the tree stump to rot down quickly, dig it out, or leave it in place and use it for something else – we’ll show you a number of different ways to do the job.
To remove of a tree stump without digging it out, you should allow it to rot in place. The best way to do this is by composting it right where it stands. This process does take some time, so you might want to improve the appearance of the site by creating a flowerbed around the stump, for example.
Though a tree stump will take many years to rot if left to nature, you can speed up the process with a few handy tricks.
This method of removing a tree stump is best done between the months of March to November.
We show you how you can transform a tree stump into a sea of flowers or a herb garden bed in an elegant and environmentally friendly way.
Working with high-performance power tools is fun and allows you to broaden your skills, which is great if you can rely on effective and safe protective clothing. Always wear personal protective equipment when working with garden pruners. This includes, for example, safety glasses, gloves, and more. More information can be found in the STIHL owners manuals for your product. Before using your power tool for the first time, fully familiarise yourself with it and always ensure that it is in flawless condition before use. On request, your STIHL dealer will be happy to prepare your power tool for its first job, and will also advise you on models and sizes of protective clothing that you can try on at your leisure. Please remember that personal protective equipment is no substitute for working safely.
First, saw the tree stump down as close as possible to the ground, as this will make it easier to fully remove later. We recommend around 5 cm.
Now use a chainsaw from above to saw crosses into the tree stump as deeply as possible, creating a grid pattern. Take care not to push or jerk the chainsaw while cutting, but only to pull it in such a way that it cuts with the incoming chain – otherwise there is a risk of kickback, which you want to avoid. It is also important to avoid sawing into the ground, as this will quickly blunt the saw chain.
Now take your spade to remove grass and dig to a depth of 10 cm within a radius of approximately 30 cm around the tree stump. Appropriately dispose of lifted turf as garden waste. First mark out a spade’s width around the stump. Lift off the grass completely and use the spade to dig out soil. The bottom of the trench should be as level as possible, and ideally parallel to the surface of the stump.
Put the spade to one side, take the stones from the wheelbarrow, and arrange them in the trench around the tree stump. We used clinker bricks made of weatherproof terracotta. Gently tap the first row of stones into the ground and then loosely stack the remaining stones on top, in rows.
The top edge of the stone ring should protrude about 10 cm above the height of the stump. If the stones are rather flat, you may want to make your ring multiple stones wide and tap them down to form an attractive border.
Next, spread fertiliser onto sieved compost in a wheelbarrow, add a little compost accelerator and mix it all together thoroughly with a shovel. Compost contains bacteria, fungal cultures, and other valuable microorganisms that accelerate the decomposition process. The fertiliser serves as food for these microorganisms, and as such helps the tree stump to rot quickly.
Use the shovel to put the enriched compost onto the tree stump and carefully spread it into the sawn slits using the back of a rake. You’ll need around 20 litres, depending on the size of the stump. Pack the compost in using the back of the rake and then water it well with a watering can. Also tap soil out of the removed turf onto the stone border, and tread it down well.
Carefully fill the rest of the stone border with fresh potting soil. Make sure that the soil layer is deep enough for the types of plants you have chosen to thrive. In this case we are planting a variety of herbs. Then spread the soil evenly with the rake.
STIHL pro tip: For small areas, pour potting soil directly out of the soil bag, and for large tree stumps, shovel soil out of a wheelbarrow.
Before planting your herbs (or flowers), water them by soaking the plant pot in a bucket of water. Immerse each pot until no more bubbles come to the surface, then remove the plants from the pots. Make a hole in the soil with your hands, put the plant in, and then press down the soil to firm on all the sides. Now all you need to do is water your newly laid small bed and enjoy fresh herbs or a glorious floral display.
STIHL pro tip: Replenish the soil in the tree stump slits in spring if required. Depending on its size, the stump will take around 5 to 6 years to rot, by which time it should be sufficiently broken down that you can easily chop it up and dispose of it using an axe and spade.
The exact time it takes for a tree stump to rot depends on the tree type; oak, for example, takes longer than birch. As shown in our example, herbs are an ideal planting choice, although summer flowers or ground cover plants also help make the site more attractive while the rotting process is going on.
Green tip
We strongly advise against using chemicals for removing or burning out the tree stump, because of the risk of damage to the soil and garden creatures as well as the production of unhealthy smoke. There are more environmentally friendly options for removing tree roots – for example, digging them out.
Removing a tree stump is hard work and can be expensive if the type of tree means a small excavator is needed.
If you want to dig out a stump, you should ideally do it in dry weather, as damp soil gets stuck to your garden tools and makes it more difficult to work. If your tree has particularly deep roots, allow more time to remove it. The folding saw or a spade and axe are suitable for removing tree roots.
Stand around 1.50 metres from the trunk and dig a ring around it with a spade, to loosen and free the roots. As you dig, cut through small roots with the spade and chop or saw through every root you find to release the tree stump.
Use the remaining trunk as a lever, moving it in different directions so that the last remaining roots break off and the trunk can be gradually pulled out of the ground.
Tip: Tree stumps can also be removed using rope.
Sometimes it is worth considering whether you really want to remove the tree stump. A tree stump can be left in place for environmental reasons, providing vital habitat for wild bees and other small creatures while also being an attractive feature in your garden.
You could even hollow out the trunk from above, then fill it with potting soil and use the entire trunk as a planter for summer flowers, or bedding plants and window box flowers.
Even though the wood is waterproof, you should still make a plunge cut with the chainsaw (while following safety instructions) to act as a drainage hole. Be inspired!
