We had a tree removed from our back yard. It was probably a Chinese elm and now lots of shoots are sprouting up profusely. How do we get rid of them?
Hardiness Zone: 5a
By moodyjudy from Fowler, CO
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We had a sumac tree doing that, and it nearly drove us crazy. We tried everything, up to and including bleach, but nothing killed it.
A guy at Ace Hardware told us to use Ortho Brush B Gone, which is for poison ivy. It's the only thing that finally killed the sumac, though I don't know for sure if it'll work on your species of tree.
You might try this stuff, and if that doesn't work, ask around at local hardware stores or nurseries. There's bound to be someone who knows what will kill the roots of that tree.
The roots of the tree are shooting up because the tree is still alive. The only correct way to get rid of the shoots is to get rid of the roots. Pulling out the tree completely is the correct thing to do. When you get a tree removed from your property, the tree removal service usually offers (2) options: to cut just the tree down (cheapest option) and to cut the tree down and remove all roots (a lot more money). The problem is that the tree stays alive underneath and can shoot up stems or steal water from nearby plants. If you have a garden or are planning on putting in landscaping around that area, it would be best if you correct the problem now. The tree roots will draw a lot of water away from your plants. Also, if the tree does die and the roots are left under the ground, then you can have issues with spores and mushrooms popping up everywhere. Fungi feed off of dead rotting tree roots and your yard will become a great feeding ground for them until the tree is completely decomposed, could take years.
The chemical that Ace sells is a poison, meaning it will harm the plant but it will also harm you and everyone else. I don't use any chemicals on my yard or lawn or house, especially if a non-chemical solution exists.
Hope this helps. Good luck!
My son had a stump removal service come, that is all they do. They dig and grind down the stump/roots. Cost us $50 for 2 trees.
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I cut a sweet gum tree down last year and they cut out part of the root, but it lives on and is producing more sweet gum trees. How can I kill the root?
Hardiness Zone: 8a
By Donna from Atlanta, GA
Pour gas on it. Good luck. (05/29/2010)
