The Best Ways to Remove Rocks From Your Yard

Use a rock-screening rake or a bow rake to rake it into a pile. Both have metal tines that will gather the rocks while letting soil sift through, making them perfect for landscape rock removal. A typical garden rake can also work for this job, though it might not be as sturdy as a rock-screening rake or bow rake.

Use your shovel to scoop the rock piles into your wheelbarrow. Repeat the rake and shovel process until the ground is clear of rocks.

The previous homeowner may have used a geotextile cloth underneath the rock mulch to keep weeds in check. If that’s the case, you’re in luck — this makes it easier to pick up rocks in the yard. Simply lift the cloth to remove rocks in large quantities all at once.

For rocks that worked their way into the soil, use your pointed shovel to dig and move loads of dirt into a hand-held soil sifter or soil sieve. Hold and shake the sifter over the garden to let the dirt fall back in, removing the rock mulch from the soil and trapping it inside the sieve. A rock-sifting shovel works the same way.

After you’ve gotten the larger rocks out of the way, rake through the loose soil to separate rocks from the dirt. Rake any smaller rocks into a pile and scoop them into your rock sifter. Shake the sifter to let the loose dirt fall back into the tilled area, then dump the rocks into your wheelbarrow.

If you don’t have a rototiller or don’t feel like renting one — about $100 to $250 per day on average — you can always use a digging fork to loosen up the soil. The tines will help grab some of the larger rocks while you dig. For rocks embedded in the soil, use your hand trowel to dig around them until you can work them free.

For farmers across the U.S., rocks are the No. 1 crop. As such, the chief pain point among them is equipment damage. Particularly the million-dollar combines they run through their fields.

“When that thing hits a rock and stops your operation, it’s a really big deal,” says Trevor Thompson, president of TerraClear Inc. Picking up rocks is an annual chore for most farmers. Companies like TerraClear are trying to make it easier with AI mapping solutions installed in tractors, he says.

While you probably won’t need something that industrial, the right equipment can help you dig deeper into the soil to remove any nuisance rocks. If you have a big yard or an area where rocks are heavily concentrated, consider renting a tractor with a front loader, plow and sifter to remove rocks from the soil. This is ideal if you’re getting a large area ready for gardening.

If it’s your first time using a tractor for rock removal, talk with the equipment dealer or rental company about your project and be honest about your experience or comfort level, Jones says. They will offer tips on how to use everything. Once you have the equipment on-site, practice basic driving maneuvers on a dry, level surface until you’re comfortable with the machine, she says.

Attach the plow to the back of the tractor and pull it through the area in question. The plow blade digs down as you go, loosening up the topsoil. Use the front loader bucket to scoop up the soil, then use your sifter to separate the rocks from the dirt. Spread the sifted soil back over the area that you plowed and even it out using a garden rake.

Start by digging around the rock with your shovel to see how deep it goes. Continue digging until you’ve uncovered the whole rock. Make sure to loosen the soil surrounding it as much as possible so the rock is easier to lift. The more dirt you dig away from the rock, the easier it will be to move.

Using your shovel or a pry bar as a lever, work your way under the rock and lift it free. Ask for help when you need to remove a large rock from the ground, as it can get heavy and strain your back and knees. With the help of at least one other person, lift the rock into the wheelbarrow and push it away from the area.

If you have a boulder that’s just too large to move, you have a few options to get it out of your yard.

If you’ve got level terrain, use your pry bar and a 6×6” scrap piece of wood as a fulcrum to roll the rock a step at a time. This is the simplest, and slowest, method of getting that rock to your roll off dumpster.

Using wedges and feathers (aka shims) to break up large rocks is something any home DIYer can handle. The idea is to insert the wedges and feathers into pre-drilled holes in the boulder and apply enough pressure to crack the rock a piece at a time, making it easier to manage. A set of five (five wedges and 10 feathers) is usually enough.

1. Put on your safety glasses and fit your rotary hammer with a 1/2″ masonry bit.
2. Drill a series of holes in a line about 5 inches from the end of the rock. Use an anchor blow-out bulb to get as much drilling dust out of the hole as possible.
3. Insert two feathers with a wedge in between down into the hole with the feathers pointing out toward the edge of the rock.
4. Tap the wedge lightly with your 3 lb. sledgehammer and move on to the next hole. Repeat this process until the wedges and feathers fit snugly in each pre-drilled hole.
5. Go back to the first hole and hammer down until the wedge is firmly settled and the hammer strikes sound solid. Work your way back down the line, making strong hammer strikes.
6. As the rock starts to crack, keep repeating the process by starting with the first hole and working your way back down until the wedges are practically flush with the surface of the rock.
7. By now, you should see a clear crack along the rock. Use your pry bar to separate that first piece and carry it away to your wheelbarrow.
8. Keep going with this process until you’ve broken up the boulder enough to remove all pieces completely.