# Killing weed trees



## thatch_r8k (Sep 1, 2020)

Hi everyone. I have weed trees growing all over my fence lines. I tried pouring Spectracide (what I had in hand) and it only slowed them down a bit. Since they're just under the fences it's really hard to dig them up. What can really stop them?


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## ken-n-nancy (Jul 25, 2017)

Are these seedlings of trees (typically maple or oak) or are these "suckers" off of root systems of mature trees that you'd like to keep?


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## Justmatson (Apr 4, 2020)

ken-n-nancy said:


> Are these seedlings of trees (typically maple or oak) or are these "suckers" off of root systems of mature trees that you'd like to keep?


Not to steal this thread from thatch_r8k... but do you happen to know how to control suckers off lilacs?

I hate how they spread like that.


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## ken-n-nancy (Jul 25, 2017)

Justmatson said:


> ken-n-nancy said:
> 
> 
> > Are these seedlings of trees (typically maple or oak) or are these "suckers" off of root systems of mature trees that you'd like to keep?
> ...


The short answer is that I don't know how to control suckers off lilacs. Actually, I'd like for our lilacs to put out some suckers!


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## Justmatson (Apr 4, 2020)

I think I caused my issue.

The first couple years at my house they didn't seem to spread. Then one fall I pruned them. Come spring they seemed to focus their energy on spreading/ running. I had very few flowers. 
I also started using fertilizer. Going on a couple years they are still spreading but got lots more flowers this year.

Its definitely the species. I'm not sure of the names, I just call them light purple, dark purple, and white.

The white ones grow more like a tree. Has a trunk and grows branches.

The light purple is like a bunch type. It grows suckers but they stay close to the mother plant.

The dark purple is the issue. It has rhizomes that will run over 6' from the plant then sends up shoots that grow very quickly.


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## thatch_r8k (Sep 1, 2020)

ken-n-nancy said:


> Are these seedlings of trees (typically maple or oak) or are these "suckers" off of root systems of mature trees that you'd like to keep?


They look different than the other trees around, almost like mulberry trees and soft wood trees. Left un-cut, they will get get large and unruly. Since they grow on the fence I don't want them.


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## gm560 (Feb 22, 2018)

Maybe a sumac. They spread underground. If that is what it is, I think you can kill them with triclopyr, but it will be a battle.


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