How do you remove a Quaking Aspen Tree and its suckers?

Question

We moved into our home last april. It being our first, it has been a learning experience. We have 2 beautiful Quaking Aspen trees out infront of our home, and being familiar with their "suckering" I have been rather worried about how they would affect our yard.

About Mid-May, I noticed the suckers starting to come up through our lawn. Being rather put off, I went around with my pliers and pulled them all out, trying to make our lawn look decent and comparable to the others around us.

The lawn has just been a headache keeping it under control, and also all the work I have had to do on the sprinklers, (which are still a mess for the most part).

I have finally gotten to my wits-end and just want to take out the Quaking Aspen trees, (they are too close to our house as well, and weren't planned out for the long term anyway) to stop the suckering, and I will plant a new tree in it's place.

How do I get the "suckers" out of my lawn, and kill the two main trees to make sure that it kills any future suckers?

I have been thinking of getting some root killer and pour it onto the tree in the fall when it starts taking all of the color out of the leaves and into the trunk and roots, while it is preparing for the winter.

One tree is 26.5" in diameter, and the other is 37" in diameter.

Any help and Ideas would be great!!

I have pictures, but am currently in process of figuring out how to add them.

Thanks!

Puxatonie (Utah)

Answer 1

The best bet is to cut down the tree, and rent a stump grinder.  Grind the whole suckering area and the stump to a depth of 18" minimum.  Re-sod, or re-seed the ugly area you tore up.  Using chemical is less effective, and still will damage your lawn, maybe even more so then the grinder.  Or you could always call a tree service to do the grinding for you.  Hope this helps.

Answer 2

Just read the following in the FAQ section of this site.  The site is written by a Utahn.  Good Luck!:

http://www.joyinthegarden.com/faq.html

Q:  We have 3 quakies in our front yard that we decided needed to come down since there are hundreds of shoots in the grass (and our neighbor's lawn too!)  Any recommendations?

A:   Quakies (Quaking Aspen) are so beautiful in our mountains and  put on such a spectacular show in the fall that it isn't surprising that many folk like the idea of having them move into their garden.  For the first 3 or 4 years they usually grow nicely, turning golden yellow in the fall, and bringing smiles to all.  About here is when the problems start.  

    The only way Quakies reproduce is by sending out shoots from where ever the roots have grown.  As soon becomes obvious, the roots extend for MANY feet out from the trunk and up come the little Quaking Aspen.  The shoots are particularly happy when they are in well watered warm, sunny soil.  Like, maybe, in lawn areas?  Oh yes, we have created the meadow areas that Quakies love.

    Of course we mow the little darlings off every time we cut the lawn which simply makes the little stems thicker and really painful to step on in bare feet.  You can try pulling them but, hey, they are still attached to the mother tree!  Treating them like dandelions with spray can do a little good but remember, anything that goes in the shoots transfers via roots to the original tree.

    If the push has finally come to shove and the trees MUST go, please remember to kill them before cutting them down.

They don't usually go quiet into the night- it takes a while to make sure they are dead.  To start their decline take a knife or small hatchet and cut into the bark with a downward slice.  You only need to barely hit the wood under the bark and then gently peel the cut back leaving a 'flap' that creates a small area where you can put herbicide.  Continue making the little cuts until you have created a kind of flange all the way around the trunk.  Now, pour CONCENTRATED weed killer into the the flange.  Pour slowly and let it soak in.  In a couple of weeks the poison will circulate out to the root and the decline accelerates.  THEN cut down the trees.

   Sometimes the cutting is urgent and they must come down now.  There is still hope for killing the root system.  Pour the concentrated weed killer (RoundUp, Brush Killer, WeedOut, etc) directly on the outer edge of the newly cut stump.  No need to pour in the middle of the stump - the area that will trans locate the poison to the roots is barely inside the bark.

    Continue to enjoy our delightful Quakies, especially in the fall when the colors are so fantastic.  But you might be happier visiting Quaking Aspen in their home rather than  inviting them to be a garden move-in.