A small tree is defined as a sapling, unwanted sucker, or brush with a trunk diameter manageable by hand tools or less than six inches across. Removal is necessary when these woody plants grow too close to permanent structures or when aggressive, invasive species take over a landscape. Eliminating the tree before it matures prevents a difficult and costly removal project and permanently eliminates the plant to prevent regrowth.
Non-Chemical Methods for Eradication
Manual removal offers a definitive, chemical-free solution by physically extracting the root system. For small saplings and brush, digging out the entire root ball with a sharp spade or shovel is the most direct approach. Leaving a short section of the trunk provides a lever to rock the plant and loosen the roots before cutting them away with loppers or a saw.
Girdling starves the tree by interrupting the flow of nutrients between the roots and the leaves. This involves cutting a continuous ring around the trunk’s circumference, removing the bark and the cambium layer responsible for nutrient transport. The cut should be two to three inches wide to prevent the tree from healing over the wound; this process can take several months for the tree to die.
For patches of brush or persistent suckers, environmental manipulation suppresses growth. Techniques like solarization or smothering involve covering the area with mulch, a dark tarp, or heavy plastic sheeting. This process deprives the plants of sunlight necessary for photosynthesis, eventually killing the plant. Regularly cutting back any new leafy growth will also deplete the tree’s stored energy reserves until it ceases to regrow.
Targeted Herbicide Application Techniques
When manual removal is impractical or dealing with species known for vigorous regrowth, targeted herbicide application provides a highly effective solution. This method focuses on placing concentrated herbicide directly into the plant’s vascular system, ensuring the chemical is transported down to the roots for a permanent kill. Common active ingredients used include glyphosate and triclopyr, which are systemic herbicides.
The cut stump treatment is one of the most effective application methods. Immediately after cutting the trunk close to the ground, the herbicide is applied directly to the fresh cut surface. The chemical must be applied within two to five minutes to ensure proper absorption before the vascular tissue seals over. Focus the application specifically on the cambium layer, the narrow ring of living tissue just inside the bark, as this actively transports the herbicide to the roots.
Basal bark treatment is a non-cut method suited for thin-barked saplings up to six inches in diameter. This technique uses an oil-soluble herbicide, often triclopyr, mixed with a basal oil carrier. The mixture is sprayed onto the lower 12 to 18 inches of the trunk, fully saturating the bark around the circumference. The oil penetrates the bark and carries the herbicide into the tree’s system, allowing for effective treatment at any time of year, though fall and dormant-season applications are often most successful.
For larger saplings, the frill or hack-and-squirt method bypasses thick bark to deliver the chemical directly into the active wood. Using an axe or hatchet, downward-angled cuts (“frills”) are made completely around the trunk, ensuring the cut penetrates the cambium. A concentrated, water-soluble herbicide is then squirted or injected into each cut immediately after it is made. For maximum effectiveness, the cuts should be continuous or overlapping, with a guideline of one hack per three to four inches of the tree’s diameter.
Preventing Regrowth and Managing Stumps
After initial removal, the focus shifts to preventing the tree from resprouting and managing the remaining stump. Monitoring the area for suckers—new shoots arising from the lateral roots—is necessary, as many species are capable of vigorous regrowth even after the main trunk is killed. Any new growth should be immediately cut back and treated with a targeted herbicide to deplete the remaining root energy.
If the stump is left in place, it will eventually decompose, but this process can take a decade or longer, especially for hardwoods. To accelerate decay, drill several deep, wide holes across the stump surface. These holes are then filled with a high-nitrogen material, such as potassium nitrate or a high-nitrogen fertilizer, to feed the wood-decaying fungi and bacteria.
Keeping the treated stump consistently moist and covering it with a tarp or mulch traps heat and creates an ideal environment for decomposition. For immediate removal, stump grinding is the most efficient mechanical option, using a specialized machine to shred the stump into wood chips below ground level. This process eliminates the stump quickly, allowing the area to be replanted or covered with soil.