How to Remove a Small Backyard Stump (Without Wrecking Your Fence Corner)

The Scenario

You’ve got a sad little war zone in the back corner of your yard—a classic manifestation of The Fractured Interface Syndrome where old brick and concrete form an awkward, messy edge that severely impacts your home's curb appeal. Between the half-dead stump jammed right against the fence and the sun-baked, patchy soil with random weeds, it’s a spot you avoid looking at because it just feels like “yard regret.” You’re likely wondering: Can I actually remove this stump myself without destroying the fence… or my back? Or should I just pay someone? Addressing this failure mode quickly is the only way to reclaim the corner as an intentional space and avoid further [landscape design mistakes].

"How would you remove this tree stump?"

The GardenOwl Diagnosis

The Assessment

You’ve got a sad little war zone in the back corner of the yard. This lack of attention severely impacts your home's curb appeal:

• A half-dead stump jammed right against the fence
• Sun-baked, patchy soil with random weeds
• Old brick and concrete forming an awkward, messy edge
• A spot you avoid looking at because it just feels like “yard regret”

You’re wondering: Can I actually remove this stump myself without destroying the fence… or my back? Or should I just pay someone? And then what the hell do I do with that corner? Addressing this quickly prevents further [landscape design mistakes].

This is exactly the kind of small-but-annoying problem that either gets fixed in a weekend or sits there for five years.

Let’s make it a weekend project.

The Trap: Why Small Stumps Become Long-Term Eyesores

People overthink small stumps and underthink what happens after they’re gone.

Here’s the usual trap:

1. You leave the stump “for now.” You tell yourself it’ll rot out. It won’t, not for a long time. You just end up mowing around a jagged wooden knee for years.
2. You fall for chemical or burn “hacks.” For a stump this size, those tricks are slow, unreliable, and in a tight corner you really don’t want fire near your fence or posts.
3. You finally get it removed… and then wing the design. You toss random plants into compacted, rooty soil. They sulk or die. The corner still looks like a construction site, just with more mulch.

The stump in your photo is actually the sweet spot for a simple, sweaty DIY or a quick pro visit. The real value is reclaiming that corner as a clean, intentional space: a little shrub screen, a tidy paver edge, or a low-maintenance bed.

The Solution (Deep Dive)

You’ve basically got two smart paths:

1. DIY manual removal – cheap, all grunt, very doable
2. Hire a stump grinder – pay the minimum charge, be done in 20 minutes

I’ll walk through both, then how to rehab and redesign that corner so it stops looking like a stump graveyard.

Option 1: DIY the Stump Out (Sweaty, Not Clever)

This stump is small enough that you can muscle it out without heavy equipment. You’re not pulling an oak. You’re popping out what’s left of a small tree or big shrub.

Tools You Actually Need

Don’t overcomplicate it. For a stump like this:

• Hand saw or cordless reciprocating saw (Sawzall) – to cut the top down and slice roots
• Shovel – round-point digging shovel
• Mattock or pickaxe – the real MVP for cutting and prying through roots
• Axe or hatchet – for chopping thicker roots
• Long pry bar (5–6 ft if you can swing it) – for leverage once it’s mostly free
• Gloves and eye protection – roots snap, chips fly

If your soil is rock-hard clay, expect extra cussing. If it’s loam or sandy, you’re golden.

Step 1: Cut the Stump Down Low

You don’t need that jagged crown for leverage; it just gets in the way.

• Use a hand saw or reciprocating saw to cut the stump down as low and level as you comfortably can, just above soil grade.
• Don’t worry about making it pretty. You’re going to remove it entirely.

Why this helps: you’re not wrestling brittle, rotten branches, just the solid base.

Step 2: Trench Around the Stump (8–12 Inches Out)

This is the part everyone wants to skip. Don’t. The roots you can’t see are what’s holding it.

• Using your shovel and mattock, dig a ring-shaped trench about 8–12 inches from the trunk.
• Aim for 8–12 inches deep, or deeper as needed to expose the main roots.
• Don’t dig right next to the fence posts; keep your trench toward the open yard side.

You’re basically peeling back the soil to see where the main roots radiate out.

Step 3: Expose and Cut the Major Roots

Once you’ve got your trench, you’ll start hitting real wood.

• Brush soil off the roots with your hand or shovel.
• For roots under ~2 inches thick, use:
  • A reciprocating saw with a pruning or wood blade, or
  • A hatchet/axe if you’re comfortable swinging it in a tight spot.
• Cut each root completely through on both sides of the stump if they loop back.

Work your way around the stump like you’re loosening bolts on a wheel. The more of those big structural roots you cut, the looser the stump gets.

Step 4: Start Rocking the Stump

Once enough main roots are cut, the stump should start to move.

• Grab the stump and rock it side to side.
• This does two things:
  • Shows you which roots are still holding
  • Helps break fine roots and loosen the soil
• As you feel resistance in one direction, dig there and look for the last few bigger roots.

Cut those. Check again. Rinse and repeat.

Step 5: Use a Pry Bar to Pop It Out

This is where the long pry bar earns its keep.

• Jam the pry bar under one side of the stump base.
• Use nearby bricks, rocks, or a wood block as a fulcrum.
• Lean on the bar to lift and tilt the stump.
• As it pops up, stuff soil or scrap wood underneath to hold the gain, then pry again.

Eventually, you’ll either:

• Flip the stump out of the hole entirely, or
• Get it high enough to yank or roll it out.

Time reality check: If your soil isn’t solid rock, expect 1–2 hours of actual sweaty work. Not a whole weekend, but you’ll feel it.

Option 2: Call a Stump Grinder (The Zero-Nonsense Route)

If digging sounds miserable or your soil is like concrete, this is where the pros shine.

• Call a local stump grinding service.
• That stump is a minimum-charge job. They’ll likely:
  • Back a small grinder into the yard
  • Grind the stump 6–8 inches below grade in about 20 minutes

After they leave:

• Rake out the wood chips
• Mix some of them into the soil if you want, but don’t plant directly into pure chips
• Top up with real soil and compost if you’re planting

Why I like grinding here:

• No risk of hitting fence posts with a pickaxe
• No all-day wrestling match
• You don’t have to dispose of a big, heavy root ball

What I don’t recommend for this size stump:

• Chemical stump removers – slow, inconsistent, and you still end up digging
• Burning it out – in a fence corner, this is how you melt a panel or cook a post

Reclaiming the Corner: Soil, Design, and Planting

Once the ugly lump is gone, don’t just toss a random plant in and call it done. That corner has some specific issues you need to fix:

1. Dry, compacted soil from years of roots and foot traffic
2. Old roots that will slowly rot and tie up nitrogen for a bit
3. Hardscape right beside it (brick and concrete) reflecting heat
4. Fence shadow that changes the sun pattern through the day

Step 1: Clean Out and Loosen the Soil

After stump removal:

• Pull out as many thick leftover roots as you reasonably can.
• Break up the soil with a shovel or garden fork, at least 8–10 inches deep where you plan to plant.
• Remove construction debris, stones, or chunks of concrete.

Step 2: Add Organic Matter

That area looks dry and tired. Fix that now.

• Mix in 2–3 inches of compost over the top of the reclaimed area.
• Work it into the top 6–8 inches of soil.

This helps with water holding in sandy soil and drainage and structure in clay soil.

Step 3: Decide What That Corner Wants to Be

You’ve got three strong options that work well in a fence corner:

1. A small shrub screen – soften the fence, hide that transition between brick and concrete
2. A clean paver or gravel edge – extend the patio feel, low maintenance
3. A mixed bed with one focal shrub and groundcover – simple, still easy to maintain

Shrub Screen Idea

If you get half to full sun there (most of the day):

• Go for tough, compact shrubs that don’t overwhelm the space.
• Think regional natives or well-behaved cultivars, not monster shrubs that eat the fence.

Examples (adjust for your climate):

• Serviceberry (Amelanchier) – small, multi-stem, flowers in spring, good for 4-season interest
• Dwarf yaupon holly (in warmer climates) – tough as nails, clips nicely, evergreen
• Ninebark (dwarf varieties) – for color and texture, handles heat and cold

If it’s more shade, look at:

• Oakleaf hydrangea (compact forms)
• Leucothoe, Pieris, or similar shade-tolerant evergreen shrubs (depending on your region)

Cleaner Hardscape Edge Idea

If you’re sick of plants and just want a tidy, low-care corner:

• Extend the brick or paver pattern into that area.
• Or create a small gravel pocket with:
  • Solid edging (metal or brick) to keep the gravel from migrating
  • One large accent boulder or tall pot as a focal point

Just don’t dump loose gravel against the fence with no border. Gravel creeps everywhere without edging, and you’ll hate it.

Visualizing the Result Before You Dig: Using GardenDream as a Safety Net

Most people make their worst design mistakes with good intentions and no plan:

• They jam a random shrub in the corner that later blocks the gate.
• They throw down cheap pavers that don’t line up with anything.
• They plant something that needs shade… in a heat-reflecting brick-and-fence oven.

This is where a tool like GardenDream saves you a lot of swearing and wasted money.

Here’s how to use it smartly for this stump corner:

1. Take a clear photo of that fence corner once the stump is out and the soil is roughly leveled.
2. Upload it into GardenDream.
3. Mock up two or three versions:
   • Version A: Small shrub or two, mulch, maybe a stepping stone.
   • Version B: Extended brick or paver pad with a big pot.
   • Version C: Gravel pocket with a boulder and one upright shrub.
4. Check:
   • Does anything block access along the fence line?
   • Do the curves and lines feel like they belong, or is it another “bowling alley” straight shot?
   • Is there a clear focal point from your main viewing spot (patio, window, etc.)?

Think of our Exterior Design App as your blueprint and safety net. You get to screw up on-screen, not with $300 of plants and a weekend of labor.