How to Remove an Arborvitae from Your Garden

Removing an arborvitae tree from your garden or yard is a fairly simple task that can be accomplished in one day if executed correctly. This article will teach you how to correctly eradicate an arborvitae tree from your yard in three simple steps.

Tools and Materials Needed to Remove an Arborvitae

• Garden gloves (to protect your hands during the process)
• Garden hose (to soak the soil before removal)
• Chainsaw or a hand operated saw and axe (to cut down the arborvitae tree)
• Square shovel (to dig up the arborvitae stump and fill in the subsequent hole)

Step 1: Prepare Arborvitae for Removal

The night before you have planned on removing the tree from your yard, use your garden hose to completely saturate the soil around the tree with water. Make sure that the water penetrates deep into the soil at a radius of about 2 feet around the base of the tree. To successfully accomplish this, you will need to run the hose at least 10 minutes.

Step 2: Cut Down the Above-Ground Portion of the Tree

Use your chainsaw to chop down the arborvitae tree. You should leave no more than six inches of the arborvitae stump sticking out from the ground. If you do not have a chainsaw to aid in this process, use your axe to cut a large wedge into the stump of the arborvitae tree. Use your hand-operated saw to finish off the job by sawing through the remaining area of the stump.

Properly dispose of the tree in a yard waste bin, or place the tree in an area of your yard to dry out for use as firewood in the future. Arborvitae trees make excellent firewood if they are allowed to dry at least 6 months.

Step 3: Remove the Arborvitae Tree Stump from the Earth

This part of the removal process requires the most effort and is the most difficult because the underground roots make it hard to remove tree stumps. Although this is the most challenging part of the procedure, it is the most rewarding because it completely eradicates the tree from your yard.

Consider soaking the soil around the stump with your garden hose to loosen the roots before getting ready to dig up the stump from the earth. Adding water to the soil will make this a muddy procedure, but it will also help loosen those tedious roots from the ground.

Next, use your square shovel to dig a trench around the circumference of the stump. The trench should be at least one foot deep; during this process you should feel your shovel sever some of the roots as it digs into the soil.

After the trench is complete, try wedging the tip of your shovel underneath the stump to viciously uproot the stump. You may need to strategically wedge the shovel under the stump in several locations before it can be completely uprooted and removed. Once the stump has been freed from the earth, carefully remove it from the hole and fill in the space with the soil you removed while digging the trench.