Sprouting stump control optionsQuestion: Earlier this spring we cut down a huge maple tree in our backyard. Even though we cut it level with the ground, it continues to produce dozens of sprouts. Is there anything we can do to kill the stump?

Answer: Killing unwanted trees or preventing stumps from sprouting is a problem for many homeowners. No matter how often the sprouts are removed from the offending stump, they always seem to reappear within a matter of weeks. If they are not removed, what was once a single tree trunk can become a jungle of sprouts that are all destined to become trees.

Although the most successful option is to simply remove the entire stump when the tree is cut down, this is not always possible due to the inaccessibility of the majority of most home gardens to large equipment. Mechanical stump grinders due a good job of pulverizing tree stumps, but again, space may limit their use.

An option that works fairly well is to simply cover the offending stump with heavy weight black plastic, securing the edges to prevent any light from reaching newly formed sprouts. Sprouts which develop beneath the plastic will grow for awhile, but eventually whither and die due to the lack of light. Although this process may take a couple of years to completely kill the unwanted stump, it is both an easy and effective way to get the job done.

A third option, is to use an herbicide registered for use as a brush killer. Most of these products contain a non-selective herbicide like triclopyr that is absorbed into the foliage of the sprout and translocated into the tree’s root system.

Fall is the most effective time for herbicides to be absorbed by plant foliage and translocated into roots.

Using this option however, means considering the consequences of the herbicide you select. Many of the herbicides that control undesirable woody plants vary in environmental stability, leachability, flashback potential and handling requirements. Control methods can damage surrounding vegetation and neighboring trees.

EDITOR’S NOTE: For answers to local gardening questions, contact Master Gardener Rachel Gana at 642-8723 or e-mail her at: baiter1@pacifier.com.