Tree roots growing back - how to stop?

[Laura]

Hi,

I had a huge elm(?) tree in my backyard that was removed over a year ago. Even after having someone do some grinding 18" down around the main part of the stump, there are still a few places where the roots are re-sprouting the tree.

The roots are several inches in diameter, and some are sticking up from the ground. We keep cutting them off with an ax, but they keep sprouting leaves!

I tried the stump remover where you drill a hole in the root and fill it with the granules and hot water. That hasn't seem to work for all of them.

Any ideas are appreciated.

Thanks in advance,

[bradleesnow]

underground?

there are other parts?

like 3, or 8, or?

huh? after stump ground 18" down?

How can it work selectively, tho I can't tell the product as described. Try 4 copper nails into the root.

Geographically where are you?

You sure it was an Elm? Not many left for years.

Why was the tree removed?

Not to be pushy...I do want to help.

-brad

[Pat Kiewicz]

I think that you must be talking about a white poplar, cottonwood or an ailanthus (tree-of-heaven). Those are the only tree which can get pretty huge that sprout so vigorously from the roots.

It will give up eventually if you are really persistant. You could try carefully hand-applying Roundup (or its equivalent) to the sprouts as they come up.

[Steve Wolfe]

When the roots of my neighbor's cottonwood (which was severely butchered in a pruning) started doing that in my yard, heavy doses of Roundup did nothing to them. I finally got sick, and just pulled the roots up all the way back to the tree - the roots which were producing the suckers were small and shallow, it wasn't that hard to do - and it took care of the problem.

steve

[Roy]

Get a dose or two of Pathfinder II. It will cure any and all suckers and future root growth Visit my website:

expressed are those of my wife, I had no input whatsoever. Remove "nospam" from email addy.

[Lee]

nu-ugh... I have a huge stump of Mimosa with huge roots was cut down abt Dec 2001 and it is still sending up sprouts big time. I mea like dozens of themwhich grow to 3 feet in a wink and we keep cutting them back and putting roundup and drilling holes in stump ..cut as tearing up a fence and highlines.. and in order to keep neighbor happy .. still trying to get it to stop growing

think the ghost of that tree wil see me to my grave

[Spud Demon]

[e-mail] (Lee) writes in article dated 24 Sep 2004 20:59:58

-0700:

I finally succeeded in terminating a willow tree by alternating between cutting and Roundup. You don't want to do them both at the same time, because it takes a while for the poison to work its way back down into the roots.

-- spud_demon -at- thundermaker.net The above may not (yet) represent the opinions of my employer.

[Lee]

thanks; guess we will continue the cutting and roundup and maybe it will disappear in another 10 or 15 years ---- by that time it won't make any difference to me...at my age : ) --- acceptance! leo/lee

[Laura]

Thanks all - Here's a response to questions from Brad --

The tree was removed because it was diseased and a couple of large branches had already fallen. The stump and surrounding area was ground down about 18". This means that a circlular area maybe 12 feet in diameter(?) was ground down.

The area outside of this still has roots because the tree was easily at least 30' tall. So, the larger roots are sprouting tree suckers. There are maybe 6 of them at this time.

Geographically I'm located in San Jose, California.

I hope this helps explain the situation.

-Laura