Tree stumps how to kill em off

Hope someone can advise

Just bought and used a chainsaw to cut back a number of youngish sycamores. They are about 4" or 5"stems trunks

They were growing alongside a carport between two stone walls which have soil and probably landfill to a height of about 4 feet so they had to go or they would have brought down the stone walls in time.

It was quite a struggle to cut them back as there is barely room to squeeze down there between the walls which are about 8 feet high one side and 6 feet the other so quite claustrophobic and not fun especially with a chainsaw in tow .. so we dont want to have to keep redoing this.

What is the best way to stop them growing back?
ps
I have taken a couple of pics to help to visualise the problem, but havent found a way to put them here yet. I did join photobucket but it kept crashing

I see there is a gallery feature but I think I need a certain amount of posts before I can use that? though I may need photobucket anyway?

sorry lots of questions ... newbie

 

Well you can google for natural solutions. I just pile some dirt on them, and over time the insects brake it down, then I just dig out the remains.

 

I've heard you can drill a hole deep into the stump and regurarly fill it with diesel. Don't know how true this is however.

 

If the stumps were dead I expect that would be good but these stumps are still alive the roots are all intact between the two walls as we can not get at them.

All we have done is chop off the tree branches above the ground they are growing in

 

Something like this.

http://www.millracegardencentre.co....e=googlebase&gclid=CNzWzo-agrkCFeGWtAodUVoAzw

Don't think we're allowed to drill holes in them & fill with battery acid anymore

Think its 10 or 15 posts before you can upload an image, but photobucket is a good idea

 

Managed to get photobucket to work
here is the pic of the area, I put the milk carton there to give scale, its a full sized milk carton

 

The diesel trick is used to stop the tree from growing back from the live stump.

 

mmm the stump killer looks like its made for the job, but has anyone had success with it?

I had already tried sll kinds of weedkiller that were supposed to kill stubborn plants on these trees, but they were strong as ever which is why we resorted to the chainsaw.

 

It is a live stump so maybe deisel is the way to go

I also thought about covering the whole thing with something to keep out the light maybe black plastic?

 

This pic shows where the gap is next to the carport between walls

I know the garden looks a tip by the way but in my defense we took on the house last year and this is the first summer I have had chance to start on the new gardens

 

Around 10 yrs ago, we decided that the Leylandii the previous owner had planted out by the back wall had to go, keeping them under control was a never ending challenge. We removed everything except the stumps (aprox 6" high), drilled bore holes in the middle of the stump to a depth of around 10" and poured DIESEL in. It worked but perhaps not the most eco way.

Steve

 

I don't think Leylandii would re-sprout after being cut down anyway, whereas Sycamore (Thugs!) probably will.

I don't like the diesel approach as it is likely to get into the surrounding soil and may prevent other things growing - maybe for some time.

There are Glyphosate based stump treatments, never known whether this was really necessary or if it is enough just to spray any regrowth. Glyphosaet works by interupting some chemical processes in the roots, so maybe treating the stump means that preventing regrowth will cause the roots to rot down more quickly?

I think the best bet is to hire a stump grinder - but that ain't going to fit in this instance!

 

I'd go with just spraying new growth with Round Up. It would probably be done in a single treatment.

 

what about drilling holes and filling with salt, is that any better for the environment than deisel?

 

Nope, salt not good for plants in the vicinity, and it will persist for a long time (possible years) so if it escapes sideways nothing will grow there for some time.