Trouble with poplar suckers

Question

My Poplar has been in place for about ten years and now and again it throws up suckers which I tend to run over with the mower. However a neighbour whose garden adjoins ours has complained that the suckers from my tree have become entrenched in her garden and cannot be moved except by extreme force. I believe that as they have been in place for ten years this cannot be the first year they have sent up suckers in her garden – I think it is more a case that in other years she has simply mown over them, but because the grass has not needed cutting so much this year the suckers have grown taller. I do not intend cutting my tree down – but do not want to fall out with the neighbour is there a way round this problem. Would cutting off the boughs that hang over her garden make any difference. Clearly this would cost money and as an elderly couple we do not have cash to spare – what do you suggest?

Answer 1

Pouring boiling water can kill off the new shoots at a location where it is used without killing the tree itself. Although it can be sending runners, it is likely also seeding in the yard. This can be hard to prevent.

Keeping them mowed will keep them from forming, but the tree will continue to send out new trees to do what it was designed to do. Repopulate.

Unfortunately, as long as the tree is alive it will continue to spread.