How to Get Rid of Tree Stumps in Your Yard

Removing tree stumps can help make an outdoor area safer while allowing you to also build over the area where the stump was located. Since tree stumps have roots buried deep in the ground, it isn't as simple as cutting under them and pulling them up. There are several options for removing the tree stump, all with varying costs and required levels of expertise.

1-inch spade bit

Spade bit extension

Potassium nitrate stump remover

Water

Kerosene

Ax

Pick

Shovel

Call a tree stump removal company. They own the required expensive equipment and have people trained to remove stumps quickly and completely. If you have more than one stump, make sure to tell them on the phone so that you can get an accurate estimate.

Use potassium nitrate stump remover, or fire and kerosene to remove the stump. Cut down the stump as far as you can. Drill 1-inch holes 3 to 4 inches in from the perimeter about a foot deep and then connect those passages to more holes that you drill about 3 inches deep at a 45-degree angle. Fill with the remover according to the directions and then fill with water. Wait four to several weeks for the stump to decay.

Fill the holes with kerosene once the stump has decayed. Wait another four or five weeks for all the liquid to be absorbed. At that point, lay a pile of charcoal briquettes and tender wood on top of the stump. Light it on fire. Carefully observe the spot where the stump is to be sure that the fire doesn't spread. As it burns, you'll have to occasionally dig in the pile of ash to keep it oxygenated enough to allow the fire to burn.

Use an ax, a pick and a shovel to dig under the base of the stump. Cut through the roots with an ax so that they're separated from the stump. Cut the stump into pieces once you've removed it at the base for easy transportation. Follow the large roots with your pick and sever them at their farthest point from the stump. Use the pick and shovel to dig under them until you can pick them up and dispose of them.