A Linda K. Lillie has been President of Sprigs & Twigs, Inc. for the last 25 years. She is a graduate of Connecticut College in Botany, an accredited NOFA Organic Land Care Professional, a Connecticut Master Gardener and a national award winning landscape designer for her design and installation projects. Welcome to My weekly series! ASK PROFESSIONAL Linda K. Lillie of Sprigs & Twigs Dear Linda- Our neighbors had a Pepperidge tree cut down and now there are seedlings coming up everywhere in their lawn and ours! We keep trying to dig them up but the roots are enormous!!! We are past customers of yours and hope you can give us advice. Our river heritage birch you planted here is gorgeous!! Thanks in advance for your time... Cheryl Dear Cheryl, Unfortunately, Pepperidge trees (also known as Black Gum trees) send up a lot of sprouts when the mother tree is cut down. CELEBRATING 26 YEARS! I recommend painting, with a sponge brush, straight white vinegar or a super saturated salt solution onto the freshly cut stems of the sprouts in the FALL ONLY when the tree is naturally pulling its carbohydrates (sugars), in liquid form, down from the leaves to the roots to prepare for winter. Painting in the spring and summer will have no effect. The end of September to the end of October is a good time to do this. Alternatively, you could continue to cut the sprouts (without painting them) which would help weaken the remaining root system. Cut the sprouts to below ground level as soon as you see them. Don't allow them to get big because as soon as the stem emerges above ground, the cells in the stem and the leaves start photosynthesizing and transporting more carbohydrates (sugars) to the roots (keeping the roots alive). The painting approach will be quicker, but either of these approaches will take years until the stored food reserves in the underground roots are depleted. This is not an overnight fix or even a one season fix. The overall object is to deplete the stored food reserves in the roots system by removing new growth (sprouts) after it draws upon the stored food but before it begins to return food to the roots. Good Luck. Be patient. It will work. Sprigs & Twigs best EMAIL OR MAIL YOUR QUESTIONS TO: info@sprigsandtwigs.net or Linda Lillie, Sprigs & Twigs Inc, PO Box 245, Gales Ferry, CT 06335 SPRIGS & TWIGS VOTED THE BEST BY DAY READERS EVERY YEAR! A Linda K. Lillie has been President of Sprigs & Twigs , Inc. for the last 25 years . She is a graduate of Connecticut College in Botany , an accredited NOFA Organic Land Care Professional , a Connecticut Master Gardener and a national award winning landscape designer for her design and installation projects . Welcome to My weekly series ! ASK PROFESSIONAL Linda K. Lillie of Sprigs & Twigs Dear Linda- Our neighbors had a Pepperidge tree cut down and now there are seedlings coming up everywhere in their lawn and ours ! We keep trying to dig them up but the roots are enormous !!! We are past customers of yours and hope you can give us advice . Our river heritage birch you planted here is gorgeous !! Thanks in advance for your time ... Cheryl Dear Cheryl , Unfortunately , Pepperidge trees ( also known as Black Gum trees ) send up a lot of sprouts when the mother tree is cut down . CELEBRATING 26 YEARS ! I recommend painting , with a sponge brush , straight white vinegar or a super saturated salt solution onto the freshly cut stems of the sprouts in the FALL ONLY when the tree is naturally pulling its carbohydrates ( sugars ) , in liquid form , down from the leaves to the roots to prepare for winter . Painting in the spring and summer will have no effect . The end of September to the end of October is a good time to do this . Alternatively , you could continue to cut the sprouts ( without painting them ) which would help weaken the remaining root system . Cut the sprouts to below ground level as soon as you see them . Don't allow them to get big because as soon as the stem emerges above ground , the cells in the stem and the leaves start photosynthesizing and transporting more carbohydrates ( sugars ) to the roots ( keeping the roots alive ) . The painting approach will be quicker , but either of these approaches will take years until the stored food reserves in the underground roots are depleted . This is not an overnight fix or even a one season fix . The overall object is to deplete the stored food reserves in the roots system by removing new growth ( sprouts ) after it draws upon the stored food but before it begins to return food to the roots . Good Luck . Be patient . It will work . Sprigs & Twigs best EMAIL OR MAIL YOUR QUESTIONS TO : info@sprigsandtwigs.net or Linda Lillie , Sprigs & Twigs Inc , PO Box 245 , Gales Ferry , CT 06335 SPRIGS & TWIGS VOTED THE BEST BY DAY READERS EVERY YEAR !