Several years ago I cut down a Locust tree to a stump. Nothing is growing on the stump however little Locust sproutlings keep popping up everywhere. Is it possible to finally put a stop to these progeny. I actually planted this tree. Karma has thorns. Help nettles
Hi Nettles I just wanted to welcome to our forums here at GardenStew. :-D Sorry I can't help with your problem as we don't have locust trees here in Scotland but there's bound to be someone along in a while who will know what to do with your tree sprouts.
Hi nettles (great name!) and welcome to "the Stew". I hope you get a chance to introduce yourself properly over in the "Welcome to GardenStew" forum. Now on to your question... well it's not an exact answer but we actually had a similar question a few days ago about how kill a rogue crabapple tree. See it here http://www.gardenstew.com/about1833.html This may work for you as well I'm not 100% sure of this though because it is a different type of tree so let's see if anybody else has something to chip in.
Welcome to Garden Stew Nettles.I live in Texas and that is a hard one to kill out.When you cut it down you probably scattered its thorns around and those buggers are just like a seed .Get you some brush and shrub killer and spray the stump and all around it plus all the little sprouts is about the only way and some are probably coming from the roots of the mother plant.
A friend said his mother cut down a tree and instead of digging out the stump, she put a big tub over it and left it over the winter. Those bugs that eat decaying plants worked on it and in the spring it was all spongy and they took the shovel and dug it out easily. We started to try it, but we didn't leave it all winter. It was working and it was very dead and starting to look spongy. Since it was in a low area that I was filling in with dirt, I just covered it over. It hasn't come up through the dirt. Dooley
oh I recall my adventure with a crepe myrtle, we cut it down and dug up the stump. Two years later littel sprigs from the roots still came up all over the place. I agree about the chemical enhanced removal for a locust. Also, if there were any seedpods that fell, and popped open, those little things just come up everywhere.
You probably can just keep chopping the sprouts with a hoe. Tiresome but effective. Here they say a locust tree post will wear out several post holes.
Thank you. All replies are worthy. I did not know the thorns were seeds. Seems I've been replanting. Hard work and alas chemicals are the final answer. Gardenstew is indeed a movable feast and I am grateful having partaken. Nettles :-D
