I have three crepe myrtle stumps from when we bought our house in the fall of 2023. They used to be about 10 feet tall and too close to our swimming pool, so I cut them down to prevent the flowers from making a mess. However, the roots are incredibly resilient, and I'm getting suckers sprouting up. I wish I had used Roundup on the stumps right after cutting them. I'm not sure I have enough space to use a chainsaw for a fresh cut. Would drilling holes in the stumps and pouring Roundup or another herbicide work?
2 Answers
It's a slow game, but I went the drill route and used salt. A 3/4” spade bit does the job nicely, and don’t worry if you hit some rocks while drilling. Just be aware that the salt could attract deer to your yard, which was a downside for me. Good luck!
Drilling holes can definitely help, it won't hurt to try! But personally, I've found that burning them out from the inside works the fastest. Just keep in mind that it can be tricky if you're in a city, so patience is key. If you want to avoid burning, try to spray the sucker shoots with glyphosate whenever they pop up—you’ll eventually wear them down! From what I've seen, this method can take up to three years depending on the size of the stumps.