cottonwood tree spouts in Arizona

Question

Bought a house in Arizona that has 6 cottonwood trees that seem to have matured overnight in that they doubled in size in 8 months. Trees are on a drip system and get water twice daily for 30 min 6am and 6pm. I noticed I have lots, some very large, sprouts and was wondering if I can cut the sprouts at their base where they are coming off the roots and then use a tree sealer. Will this stop them from growing back? I don’t what else to do because I don’t want to kill the trees by using a weed killer on them. I have a tight budget so I have to find something I can do myself. Thanks for advice!

Answer 1

I think cutting back the sprouts at the roots will be an effective strategy. You will have to be vigilant, because other sprouts may emerge from other areas of the soil, which you will have to keep removing. The tree sealer may not be helpful, since the sprouts won’t grow from the cut end but from further down or directly from the roots, unless you can use it to seal cracks where the sprouts may emerge.