Cottonwood sprouts all over my yard - Ask Extension
In 2023 I cut down cottonwood trees growing up directly next to/nto 2 other trees in my yard. Now my yard has been taken over by cottonwood sprouts. ...
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Cottonwood sprouts all over my yard #910873
Asked July 22, 2025, 1:12 PM EDT
In 2023 I cut down cottonwood trees growing up directly next to/nto 2 other trees in my yard. Now my yard has been taken over by cottonwood sprouts. My sister and I sprayed a solution of epson-commercial grade vinegar-dish soap and that did kill the sprouts off. We pulled them all up. And now they are all back just as prolific within 7-10 days.
Is there something I can do to more permanently kill them off without digging up the prior roots?
Fairbanks North Star County Alaska
Expert Response
Hi Molly,
Your best bet is to use an herbicide to treat the suckers as that is the only method that will kill the root system from the trees that you took out in a relatively efficient manner. There are a number of herbicide products available that will treat woody plants, but I would steer clear of any with glyphosate in them as you will need to spray the suckers and glyphosate will kill everything it touches including the lawn. A product with triclopyr is probably best as it is selective to woody plants and approved for use in residential areas. Make sure to follow the label instructions and that cottonwood or poplar is listed on the label as a target plant. Let the suckers grow big enough to have several sets of leaves and then apply spray per the label before the leaves start to turn color for autumn. Repeat treatment may be necessary that year and/or the next year to hit anything that comes back or sprouts elsewhere. Adding a dye to the herbicide can be helpful for keeping track of where you have sprayed already. Avoid disturbing the root system until it stops sending up suckers as disturbance will just stimulate more suckering. The epsom salt option won't kill the roots and will eventually build up salts in the soil that will be detrimental to plant growth. I would be happy to chat more details if you have questions. My office number is<personal data hidden>. Thanks!
Your best bet is to use an herbicide to treat the suckers as that is the only method that will kill the root system from the trees that you took out in a relatively efficient manner. There are a number of herbicide products available that will treat woody plants, but I would steer clear of any with glyphosate in them as you will need to spray the suckers and glyphosate will kill everything it touches including the lawn. A product with triclopyr is probably best as it is selective to woody plants and approved for use in residential areas. Make sure to follow the label instructions and that cottonwood or poplar is listed on the label as a target plant. Let the suckers grow big enough to have several sets of leaves and then apply spray per the label before the leaves start to turn color for autumn. Repeat treatment may be necessary that year and/or the next year to hit anything that comes back or sprouts elsewhere. Adding a dye to the herbicide can be helpful for keeping track of where you have sprayed already. Avoid disturbing the root system until it stops sending up suckers as disturbance will just stimulate more suckering. The epsom salt option won't kill the roots and will eventually build up salts in the soil that will be detrimental to plant growth. I would be happy to chat more details if you have questions. My office number is<personal data hidden>. Thanks!
Hi - I sprayed Cottonwood tree sprouts 2x with the herbicide and now my yard is full of sad looking brown wilted tree sprouts. Do I pull these? Or do I leave them through the winter?
LMK Thx
Hi Molly,
You will want to wait to pull those till you confirm that the root system is dead. It takes a few months for the herbicide to move through the roots. Wait till next summer to see if they leaf out again. If they don't, go ahead and pull them then. If they do leaf out, spray them again.
You will want to wait to pull those till you confirm that the root system is dead. It takes a few months for the herbicide to move through the roots. Wait till next summer to see if they leaf out again. If they don't, go ahead and pull them then. If they do leaf out, spray them again.
