I have a lot of poplar trees on my property. Many border on or are in my wetland. The ones in my yard are always shooting up little trees from the roots. So if I mow the reed canary grass around the drip line of the trees in the wetland, will they put up trees from the roots?
Poplar Trees
- Thread starter bucktail
- Start date
jyoutz
Well-known member
Equipment
MX6000 HST open station, FEL, 6’ cutter, forks, 8’ rear blade, 7’ cultivator
All trees in the Populus genus will root sucker. It has nothing to do with mowing the grass under and around them.
They aren't putting out suckers, or at least not that i can see. Any ideas on what might be keeping them from doing it? I was thinking maybe moisture, but this summer and last summer were both dry, so the trees should start sending them out if that were the case. I also thought that maybe they were putting out suckers, but they weren't growing through the 3 foot tall reed canary grass, hence the mowing question.
You have to pull the trees out by the roots and remove all roots to stop suckering. Poplars are messy invasive weeds.
They do that up in the yard where I don't want them. Trying to figure out how to get them to do that in the wetland where I'd like a few more of them.
Cut the stump at ground level and immediately spray the stump with a woody plant herbicide like garlon. Nasty stuff.
Good point. If you don't immediately spray, they will form a protective coating that won't absorb herbicide later. I would cut them slightly proud and spray strong glyphosate (poison ivy killer mix ratio) in the fall and then grind the stump in the spring time. I read it's best to do in the fall when the trees start to pull nutrients back towards the root system to make sure they're good and dead (Source: Invasive buckthorn removal guides).
If you're going to cut them off spray them immediately with RTU (ready to use) Tordon. A farm store would have it in a spray bottle qt size. Bluish tint, spray the outer ring real good, wait 5 minutes and give them another coat. Don't have to spray the entire stump, just don't let them start to scab over.