Practical guide
Written by Craig, Foundation Garden & Trees
A machine turns a two week hand clearance into a two day job, provided the access, ground conditions and waste route are worked out first.
6 minute readUpdated September 2026Last updated:
A micro digger fits through a standard 760mm gateway.
Wet clay and fen peat need dry conditions or tracking mats.
Buried services must be checked before any digging starts.
Root balls, stumps, dense scrub, old concrete bases, buried rubble and levelling are all work that hand tools cannot do at a sensible cost. Anything below the surface is a machine job.
Light bramble and nettle on a small garden is often faster and tidier by hand, so we do not put a machine on a plot that does not need one.
Access decides the machine, and the machine decides the pace of the job.
Standing vegetation comes down first, then stumps and roots are dug out, then arisings are gathered in one loading point, then the ground is graded and raked to the agreed finish.
We check for buried services, drainage runs and boundary markers before breaking ground, and we protect any tree we are retaining.
Common questions
A micro digger needs roughly 760mm of clear gateway width and a firm route. A mini digger needs closer to 1.5 metres and is usually brought in through a field gate or driveway.
Tracked machines spread their weight well and we use boards or mats on soft ground and paving. Some marking is normal and we make good the route before leaving.
On open land, digging the root ball out is often quicker and cheaper than grinding. Near buildings, walls or services, grinding is the safer option.
Yes. Clearance, grading and levelling to a finished level is normally quoted as one piece of work, including turf installation if you want it completed in one go.
A typical paddock of scrub with machine access is one to three days, depending on stump count, ground conditions and how far the waste has to travel.
Straightforward advice
Call Craig or send photos, your location and a short description for an initial estimate.
