Black Locust Roots

[donfranko]

I cut down a Black Locust Tree yesterday because it was spreading and actually popping up small trees many yards from the individual tree. That type of root spreading had me concerned. I've also been pulling small sucker growth from my beds for a few years. Anyway, I cut the major roots from the base of tree and wanted to know if this may eliminate the "zombie like" sapling pop ups I've been reading about. If not any suggestions on killing these roots and how long do you think it will take? Thanks

 

[greengreer]

They will send up root suckers for a while. Grinding the stump will mitigate this to some extent.

 

[Streblerm]

Black locusts sucker like crazy. It is just how they grow. I have quite a few in my yard and suckers will pop up pretty far from the tree. Funny it takes a while for them to pop up and suddenly they appear 6" taller than everything around them.

Unless the tree you cut down is the only one in the area you will probably continue to see the suckers.

 

[Conquistador3]

Drill into the stump some holes at least 2" deep with the largest drill bit you have. Fill them to three quarters with salt, pour hot water into the holes and cover the stump with loose earth or a black plastic sheet.
In a few months (usually three or four) not only will the root system be dead, but the stump will be so rotten you will be able to hack it to pieces with a pick.

 

[echomeister]

It may sucker for years. Just be vigilant and don't let any of them grow for long and you will win... eventually.

 

[donfranko]

Thanks for the suggestions. I severed most of the larger roots from the stump so hoping that helps. I will try drilling holes into the stump to accelerate decomposing and kill any remaing roots.

 

[Bernard_Ritchie]

Drill into the stump some holes at least 2" deep with the largest drill bit you have. Fill them to three quarters with salt, pour hot water into the holes and cover the stump with loose earth or a black plastic sheet.
In a few months (usually three or four) not only will the root system be dead, but the stump will be so rotten you will be able to hack it to pieces with a pick.

Have you tried this with Black Locust before? That is second only to cedar in rot resistance. Locust makes great fence posts for that reason.
And hard wood. It will teach you to sharpen your chain, or stay away from Locust. When I was teenaged it was my job to convert Locust trees 6 to 12 inches in diameter into fence posts, that's how I know.

Sent from my Nexus 10 using Tapatalk

 

[derwoodii]

treat the stump and spray any emerging suckers with round up and broad leaf weed killer dicamba or MCPA

 

[Conquistador3]

Have you tried this with Black Locust before? That is second only to cedar in rot resistance. Locust makes great fence posts for that reason.
And hard wood. It will teach you to sharpen your chain, or stay away from Locust. When I was teenaged it was my job to convert Locust trees 6 to 12 inches in diameter into fence posts, that's how I know.

Yes, I have. Black locust is an extremely common invasive species here so I know it very well. After the 2008 Financial Crisis many larger houses (with a fireplace and/or firewood-fueled furnace) were abandoned and demand for firewood fell off a cliff so the last couple of cutting seasons have been over 70% Black locust for me and I sometimes go and clear trees new owners find in their gardens so I came to know quite a bit about it.

 

[david1332]

I took down 3 black locusts in my backyard here in NJ almost 2 years ago. Had saplings growing till now. I dug them out and sprayed with ortho ground kill. Works for me. They're hardy little bastards that just don't want to give up!