How do you kill a tree root?

[Brandie]

We had a very large Walnut tree removed a few years ago, due to the fact that we were forced to have it removed by California Fire (as it was a hazard). The people who removed it apparently did not grind the root enough and it's starting to grow back and it's taking over! Other than digging and digging and digging, is there any other method to kill this root for good?

 

[Chuck]

We had a very large Walnut tree removed a few years ago, due to the fact that we were forced to have it removed by California Fire (as it was a hazard). The people who removed it apparently did not grind the root enough and it's starting to grow back and it's taking over! Other than digging and digging and digging, is there any other method to kill this root for good?

There are two ways. The first is to get a product called GreenLight Cut Stump and Vine Killer. Cut each of the shoots off with loppers and apply a few drops onto the cut. The second way is to drill a bunch of 1/2"+ holes into the stump and fill up the holes with salt peter (potassium nitrate). You can get it at just about any nursery under the name of stump remover and any real nursery should have the GreenLight product

 

[remnant]

Other than using chemical or mechanical methods to remove tree roots, one can also use the biological method of ringing. You just have to wait for the offshoots to grow and then strip them of their bark in a circular fashion in the middle. Done repeatedly, this would starve the roots of nutrition and this would kill them. Before cutting such a large tree, one should ring it to kill the roots and it will subsequently dry preventing the possibility of further sprouting.