Removing shrub and tree stumps

THERE are two ways to tackle the stump and roots of trees and big shrubs. The first is to cut the stump as low as possible to the ground, then treat it with stump killer. The second is to dig it out.

Treating the stump takes little effort and is quite cheap, but it works very slowly, taking a year or more for the wood to rot away. It also means that the area occupied by the stump and roots is difficult or impossible to cultivate until it has rotted. However, it’s really the only