Locust Tree – Root Sprouts

Q: My neighbor had several locust trees cut down last year. This year there have been a huge number of sprouts coming up from the roots. I’ve used Brush-B-Gon a couple of times but new sprouts come up weeks later. Is there a stronger chemical I can use to get rid of these?

A: You’re doing the best you can. Your goal is to starve the roots. You can kill the sprouts by whatever means you choose: mowing, clipping, or spraying with herbicide. There is no product that will kill all of the roots the locust once had. Usually it takes a year of persistence to gain victory.