How to Clear Shrubs in My Woods

Cut back each shrub's branches with a manual hedge trimmer. Work your way around all sides of each shrub, cutting closer to the center where the wood growth is thickest.

Saw through large, thick branches with a wood saw. Focus on one branch at a time. Remove each branch from each shrub as you cut, and continue to saw off the thickest branches.

Cut off the remaining growth at each shrub's trunk 4 to 5 inches from the ground, leaving a stump.

Dig 2- to 3-feet deep around each shrub's stump until you can see the shrub's root system. Remove as much soil as you can in order to see the size of the roots.

Remove each shrub's roots. Slide a shovel beneath the roots, loosen the soil and apply pressure to pry the densest part of the roots from the ground. If a shrub is small to medium in size, use pruning cutters to snip the small pieces of root. If a shrub is large, cut through its large root system with the shovel, and remove the roots and stump in pieces. Continue digging until each shrub's entire root system is removed to ensure the shrub will not grow back. You may need to use a hacksaw to cut through thick pieces of root.

Fill in each hole where shrub roots were with native topsoil. If you intend to add plants to the area, mix a 2- to 4-inch layer of compost into the topsoil to add good bacteria and oxygen.