How to Kill Hawthorne Stumps

Overview

You cut down an undesired hawthorn (Rhaphiolepis spp.) shrub or tree (Crataegus spp.), only to find the stump is still alive, sending up annoying sprigs of stems. Killing the small stump by digging it up is an option, but a labor-intensive and lengthy option. Using a systemic herbicide only on the stump and foliage efficiently kills the plant remains without disrupting the garden and breaking a sweat.

Step 1

Make a fresh cut on the stump with a pruning saw. You want to expose the living sapwood of the stump where you make the cut. Take off only 1 to 2 inches, and see if any live sapwood is revealed. If not, make another cut 1 or 2 inches further down.

Step 2

Spray or brush the exposed sapwood of the stump with herbicide with the active ingredient glyphosate immediately after the cut is made. Saturate the cut wound on the stump with the herbicide.

Step 3

Monitor the stump for the next 2 to 8 weeks, looking for signs of leafy sprouts that indicate the stump and roots of the hawthorn are still alive.

Step 4

Spray or brush the glyphosate-based herbicide onto any leafy sprouts emanating from the stump. The chemical absorbed by the leaves is transported to the roots, killing them, too.

Step 5

Repeat Steps 3 and 4 as needed to kill the stump. When leafy sprouts no longer grow from the stump, the plant is dead.