In article , P&J
writes
I am having a poplar type tree removed from my garden. The tree surgeon says
that he needs to use poison on the stump to prevent it growing back.

Is this essential & would the poison be dangerous ?

I plan on having an organic veggie patch - only a few metres a way & already
have a few things very near to the tree -so I do have some concerns.

We have been gradually eliminating about 50 poplars from our hedges over
the last 25 years - they were planted 70+ years ago. With older trees we
find that if a tree is cut near to the ground - i.e. less than 3 ft., it
will seldom coppice back. One tree which I wanted to shorten from its
80+ft. height was pollarded at about 15ft. and it continues to live.
Poplar is not especially hard wood and stumps left to their own devices
will rot away in 3-5 years, almost never sending up suckers. Poplars cut
at about 5-10 ft. high may send up some basal shoots, and stumps will
often become covered with ivy and be a haven for local wildlife.
--
Alan & Joan Gould - North Lincs.