The best Way to Dig Up Shrubs Step-by-Step

By Calin Oancea and Florin Gabriel

4/22/20244 min read

To effectively remove a shrub, trim it down, dig around the base to loosen soil, cut through roots, leverage the shrub out, and fill the resulting hole with soil and compost, using appropriate tools and protective gear throughout the process.

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a person digging up soil with a showel
a person digging up soil with a showel
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dark green design
dark green design
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Green Box
Green Box

Gathering Your Tools for the Task

Before you start, arm yourself with the necessary equipment:

  • A sturdy shovel for digging

  • Pruning shears for trimming branches

  • A root saw for cutting through thick roots

  • Gloves to protect your hands

https://gardenerspath.com/how-to/animals-and-wildlife/deer-fence-diy/
https://gardenerspath.com/how-to/animals-and-wildlife/deer-fence-diy/

A Step-by-Step Guide to Digging Up Shrubs

1. Assessing Your Target: There are a lot of signs to remove bushes but first, examine the shrub to understand its size and the spread of its roots. Consider the impact of its removal on nearby plants or structures.

2. Trimming the Shrub for Easier Access: Cut back the branches to the main stem. This reduces the bulk of the shrub and provides better access to the roots, it is a trick that we always use to make it easier to handle.

3. Loosening the Soil Around the Shrub: You need to start digging around the shrub's base, about a foot away from the stem, to avoid slicing through the major roots immediately. Loosen the soil to make root cutting easier similar to digging up weeds.

4. Cutting the Roots: Use your root saw or pruning shears to cut through them. Be methodical, working your way around the shrub to free it from the soil.

5. Leveraging the Shrub Out: With the roots cut now carefully rock the shrub back and forth with the shovel. This action loosens the root ball from the surrounding soil, breaking free any remaining root attachments.

6. Removing the Shrub from the Ground: Now, the shrub should be loose enough to pull out of the ground. If it's particularly large or heavy, you might need additional help to lift and remove it.

  • Pro Tip: Don't underestimate the weight of your shrubs, when you are removing large shrubs it is better to lift and remove the plant with a second person, because we experienced that the shrubs look easier than they are.

the pruning saw we used for digging up shrubs
the pruning saw we used for digging up shrubs
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green design
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multiple shrubs with flowers in full sun
multiple shrubs with flowers in full sun
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green design

Completing the Cleanup After Diging Up Your Shrub

7. Disposing of the Shrub

Decide how to dispose of the removed deer resistant hedges or bushes for full sun. Composting is an excellent option for organic waste, but be mindful to discard any diseased parts responsibly.

8. Filling the Hole

You’ll be left with a hole and possibly some residual roots. Fill the hole with a mix of soil and compost to promote healthy growth in the area and later on plant new shrubs and reestablish new plants. Remove any large roots left behind to prevent regrowth.

our spot after we removed the shrub
our spot after we removed the shrub
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the gloves we used for protection
the gloves we used for protection
the showel we used for digging
the showel we used for digging

Sources

Nature and Sustainability uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies to support the facts we describe in our articles. Please read our editorial policy to learn more about how we keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.

  1. General information on removing and digging up bushes and shrubs: How to Remove Large Bushes and Shrubs Safely (thespruce.com), How to Remove Deeply Rooted Bushes and Small Trees (marthastewart.com), How to Clear Large Shrubs Without Damaging Their Roots (wikihow.com), How to Clear Large Shrubs - This Old House

  2. Root removing: Your Guide To Tree Root Removal – Forbes Home

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Calin Oancea
Calin Oancea
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Article By:

Calin is in the garden industry for 5 years now and knows a lot about gardening and plants. He is the owner of this website and responsible for most of the content.

Reviewed By:

Florin is responsible for reviewing most of the articles, some of the web design and occasionally making improvements so that everyhing we publish looks deam good.