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Dormant seasons like fall and winter are the best times to dig up plants, including holly bushes. Plants aren’t growing during these seasons, so the removal process goes a lot quicker. Consider hiring a landscaping team to handle holly bush removal during the cold-weather months for off-season pricing deals, too.

If you want to take the decomposition process into your hands to speed it up, water and sunlight are key. Of course, you can’t control sunlight yourself, but you can rake leaves into piles in sunny spots in your yard. In terms of using water, you can also moisten the decomposing leaves with water, whether by pouring some from a watering can from time to time or using a hose to moisten them.

The most common alternative is burning the stump first, then dealing with the cinders and ashes. As you can imagine, this option creates fire hazards, especially since roots can burn underground, hidden, for long afterward. That’s why many states and cities have outlawed the use of stump burning entirely. We do not recommend this option as a viable alternative unless you get a permit from the local fire department and practice all safe burning procedures.

Others prefer a more long-term DIY approach of degrading the stump with home mixtures like Epsom salt and vinegar injected directly into it. This may help the stump decay faster, allowing homeowners to dig it out themselves, but it’s still a lengthy process. It usually takes months for a stump to start falling apart with such treatments, and in the meantime, it can be vulnerable to rot, insects, and other problems.

The fastest way to rid your yard of pesky stickers or burs is to go mechanical on them with a lawn mower or garden rake. Use a lawnmower with a bagger attachment to avoid spreading the seeds around and causing a bigger issue. If you choose to rake the stickers off the plants, be sure to dispose of them properly. Avoid putting them in with the composting and check local guidelines for disposing of lawn waste.