Spray for Tree Sprouts

Recommended Herbicides

• When trees are cut down, the underground portion of the tree or the stump and roots remain alive. Over time, the stump will start to sprout. The best way to eliminate this problem is with a recommended herbicide that will kill the tree roots. In "1001 Tips For Your Garden," the Reader's Digest Association recommends products containing 2,4-D+triclopyr, ammonium sulphamate or sulfur chlorate.

Drilling Method

• One of the ways to kill the stump and to help get the chemicals down to the roots is by drilling. Using a drill, make several holes in the stump surface. Carefully pour the recommended herbicide into these holes. As the chemical moves to the roots, the entirely stump will gradually die and will no longer sprout.

Brushing Method

• An an alternate method of preventing tree sprouts, spray the stump surface with herbicide. Cut the stump to a level to keep herbicide from running off. If the stump is 3 inches or less in diameter, brush or spray the entire surface area. If the stump is more than 3 inches in diameter, brush only the outer 2 to 3 inches next to the bark. The heartwood on larger trees is already dead and does not require treatment.

Treatment Tips

• When selecting herbicides for stump treatment, select the undiluted water-soluble formulas, suggests the Washington State University Extension. These have a higher level of efficacy compared with the esters. If you are spraying the chemical on the stump, avoid doing this on windy days to minimize chances of drift to non-target plants.