Home / Stump sprouts
Why do stumps keep sprouting?
Many hardwoods send up shoots from a live stump or roots. Cutting the shoots only slows it. Grinding the stump removes the main source.
Trees that resprout in Oklahoma
- Callery (Bradford) pear, which suckers from roots and from the base.
- Silver maple and cottonwood, which send shoots from the stump.
- Hackberry and elm, which regrow from cut stumps.
- Osage orange, locust and mulberry, which sucker from roots.
What works
| Approach | Effect |
|---|---|
| Cutting shoots repeatedly | Slows regrowth, does not end it |
| Treating a fresh cut with herbicide | Can kill the stump if done soon after the tree is cut, per the label |
| Grinding the stump | Removes the main root crown, so far fewer shoots |
| Grinding then mowing | Handles stragglers from leftover roots |
Be careful with chemicals
Read the label, keep it off lawn grass and neighbors' plants, and never use it near a well or drainage. A crew can apply it for you or tell you when it makes sense.
Send the form and a crew that works your area will call with a price. Free, and you can say no.
Questions
Will the shoots stop after grinding?
They fade in most cases. A few species keep sending up a few shoots for a season or two. Cut them as they come.