"Killing a sapling" Topic

A tree has rooted near the house. It needs to come out as its so close. Not a problem yet, but it will be.

Think the roots may be too tangled with other plants to get cleanly – is there a quick and easy way to kill it?

The hardware store has a brush killer that you cut the tree and treat immediately on the fresh cut. Got rid of a huge catalpa that was 12 inches across in a place where you could not dig it out.

I will second that.
I have nuked sumac and buckthorn the same way.

I have used Tordon extensively on a variety of invasive trees around the farm. Even when they've gotten past the sapling stage and/or are a particularly hardy kind of bastard, a little Tordon on a freshly cut stump will kill the root system.

you can cut it close to the ground and dump a big pot or 2 of boiling water on the roots of any plant and it will kill it by cooking it.. and then add in a Qt of vinegar a cup of dish soap mixed in a qt of water just to make sure its dead 3 times. :)

here is also Weedbegone/2-4D weedkiller available in hardware or garden stores (in most of the US, not sure about the UK).

Pour it on the stump at full strength.