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I removed a large bischofia tree from my yard, which included grinding the large stump down. However I keep seeing sprouts from the tree around the area of the stump grinding and throughout the yard. Here are some photos of the sprouts.

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The disturbed soil is my attempt at digging up the roots. It took a lot of time and effort, but didn't do too much to slow the growth of the roots. The number and size of the roots are probably a contributing factor. Here is one of the larger roots that I dug up.

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What can I do to kill the tree and stop it from continuing to sprout at different locations?

One caveat is that I would like grass to be able to grow around near the area afterwards.

I have used Bonide Stump Out with some success, but I'd like to keep using it to see if it works more.

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Unfortunately, all this growth is coming off long roots under the ground which are clearly still alive. You don't say how deep you went with the stump grinder, but it should be a foot to 18 inches, including any adjacent major roots coming off the central stump. There is a solution, but the product I'd recommend you to use (because you can replace soil over the top) isn't one that's available in the USA so far as I'm aware - its a liquid brushwood killer named SBK.

The usual way to deal with these is to expose the roots, then drill into them at intervals, making wells or pits about quarter inch deep with a wood bit, then fill up the holes with the liquid brushwood killer, then preferably, cover with something (sheet of plastic, broken pieces of tile, whatever) and then replace the soil over the top. It's sometimes wise to wait to see what regrowth occurs, because secondary treatment might be necessary, or this type of root may produce growth in a different area than previously..

The only thing I can suggest is you research what products are available for use as stump killers or brushwood killers; many are granular in formulation, some recommend drilling holes and packing the holes with the granules, but I'm not sure that it would be possible to immediately replace soil over the top - depends on the product.

The only other option for a final solution is a lot of work - dig up the whole area, bore out all roots, then replace the soil and level off, then turf or seed grass.

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I recommend Triclopyr. Drill a hole into the stump, pour a bit down the hole, cover the stump with plastic for a couple days. Should do the trick. And it's not too pricy.

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  • Triclopyr is good for that... but in this case, you can't drill into the stump.
    – J. Musser
    Mar 7, 2017 at 18:32
  • Cut the suckers, apply to cut, bag it for a couple days. If roots are connected, all will die.
    – Paul Nardini
    Mar 8, 2017 at 2:53
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What I would probably do - just keep mowing it. Few if any trees will tolerate being treated like a lawn for any length of time. Smooth the soil so that the lawnmower can take them out and mow them down.

What you could do if so inclined - use a broadleaf weed-killer; since you want to grow grass, a weedkiller that selectively targets broadleaf plants such as this tree and does not kill monocots (grass) would be in the direction you'll want. These are fairly common in agricultural use. I don't know what's currently available to homeowners as opposed to licensed applicators in this line as it's not something I do, but you might find such in the lawn care area. If need be, hire a licensed applicator.

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