the stump is 99% dead wood.. and putting anything on that 99% is a waste ... get some roundup.. 41% ... and put it in the very expensive applicator at the link ... for precise application ... apply to the cambian s noted above ... this will kill 98% of the stumps ... the others.. come back as soon as you see a sprout.. and apply one single drop to the cut ... either properly mark and secure the applicator ... or put the undiluted RU back into the original container ... do not waste the RU on the center wood.. that is NOT where the sprouts form ... ken ps: brand is not as important as the drip top .. think dollar store, perhaps ... Here is a link that might be useful: link

keeping cutting them off.. or get rid of the tree ... my gut simply tells me sucker stopping goo is snake oil... and frankly.. you would be better off...getting rid of the tree.. and spending the goo money on a new tree ... really.. cant you get a nice 3 to 4 foot clump for 30 bucks or so????... so why spend that on goo???? ... its a birch.. no need to buy bigger than that ... just cut it flush to the ground... treat the cut with 100% roundup.. and plant a new babe.. a far enough way... to be able to dig a hole for the plant... and please dont tell me.. is so close to the house.. that you cant possibly work in a new tree.. lol ... show us a pic.. if you want some real good advice.. this guessing.. is.. well... guessing... why should we even presume.. its worth keeping... never forget.. the front of the house says a lot about who lives in the house.. and a half storm-massacred tree.. might not be the best you can put forward ... good luck ken ps: i have one doing this gratuitously.. about 450 feet from the front door.. i really dont care.. i am enjoying watching do its own thing... but if i were back in suburbia.... with a 50 foot deep front lawn... and this was in a prime front location .... that thing would be gone faster than i could shake a stick at it.. and it wouldnt be a sucker stick either.. lol ...

My elm has been a stump about 2 1/2 years. I covered it with plastic, and loaded woodchips on top. After about a year, I removed the black plastic. Since then, a lot of the neighboring groundcover myoporum grew over it. This summer an elm sprout emerged, so I recovered it with a lot more woodchips. After the resprout and the dry summer, the myoporum started to look really bad, it just couldn't compete with the other( close by & alive ) elm tree's roots. So I added even more wood chips and some horse manure, in a similar mad scientist, or just experimental fashion, as mentioned by border barb. Now I planted succulents on top of it and added some rocks to make it look like a more naturalistic raised bed.

Is anyone still reading this? I bought a black gum about 3 ft tall about 6 yrs and have been gradually pruning off branches as it grows. Not every year - I wait until it has a proportionately nice crown and until I can keep the bottom of the crown even. It is now about 10 ft tall with a beautiful crown. This year I notice that it has 3 clusters of root sprouts, growing about 2 ft from the tree - beyond that the lawn is being mowed. I've seen this on wild trees as well - is there a way to stop it?