On Thursday, July 11, 2019 at 2:15:24 PM UTC-4, T wrote:
Hi All,

Okay, I know a bit misleading subject line, but ...
You were thinking back hoe, dynamite, swearing, etc..

I have little trees growing all over the place. I think they
are either cotton wood or some kind of aspen. The have very
long tap roots. If I pull them when the are 6" tall, I can get
the 10" tap root too and that is the end of them.

BUT, if they get any bigger , I can not get the tap root out
and they keep growing back and back and back. I have
tried cutting them flush to the ground. I have tried
stripping all the bark and leaves off. And they adore
vinegar. They keep coming back and back and back.

So I have a bunch of little 1/4" to 1/2" stumps that
keep regrowing. How do I kill off these stumps. (I do
not want to use roundup do to my wife's chemical
sensitivities.) Small firecracker?

Many thanks,
-T
Tony Ewell, B.S.E.E.
Owner, Rent-A-Nerd Computer Services
775-265-5150, 9:00 am to 5:00 pm PST/PDT

I'd try cutting them off below the ground line with a mattock. Not sure if that will work, but it might be worth a try.

Paul