There are few tasks as tiring in gardening than attempting to dig up a tree stump. It can really take it out of you; to dig as far down as possible and then try to hack through the large roots when the surrounding dirt is absorbing a lot of the force. Unless you do it regularly, it can be a pretty large task – but it doesn’t have to be.

There are alternatives to digging up a tree stump, such as waiting for it to rot, although that basically comes down to a waiting game. That being said, you do have some control over how long you have to wait.

There are methods which you can employ to speed up the rotting process, so that instead of the process taking months or even years, it can be reduced to a month or perhaps less. Perforating the stump through the use of drills can help bacteria and germs to penetrate deeper into the stump quickly, but you can also buy a stump remover product, which is usually a potassium nitrate chemical solution, which can help to turbocharge the biodegradation.