Tools Needed for Digging Up Large Brush

Hose

• While you don't use a hose to do any actual digging, soaking the ground around the brush you need to remove will make the entire process of digging much simpler. The water will soften the soil, allowing you to dig deeper with less effort. The water will also soften roots or sticks that you may need to cut through to get to the base of the brush area, or that you need to remove before you can plant new material in this area.

Pruning Shears

• A sharp pair of pruning shears or a pruning saw can help reduce a lot of the work you have to do. If you are not worried about saving the brush, or you intend to reshape or prune it back anyway, take a little time to trim off long branches, or really as much of the brush as you want to trim away; it leaves less material to get in your way as you dig around the base of the brush.

Spade

• A spade is essentially a small shovel with a straight, sharp edge. Use the spade to make the initial cuts through the surface of the soil, and to outline the area you need to excavate with a border line. You can also use the sharp point of the spade to cut through roots or sticks that get in the way of your digging efforts. A spade will be especially important if you want to create a flat edge for your excavated area.

Shovel

• A shovel will be your primary tool for moving most of the soil and roots around your brush. The shovel will move more material at once than the smaller spade, so it can be especially effective if you have soaked the soil and once you cut through the tough areas with the spade. Combine a shovel with a wheelbarrow for effective transporting of the old brush and for moving the soil you have to shovel out.