We have a 12 foot tall tree stump in our garden that was left that tall because the tree company charged less to not have to remove those large bottom sections from a relatively inaccessible back yard. I asked them to make a couple extra cuts to the top of it, forming a point like a roof peak. An inverted v . Then I had my husband put large pieces of bark overlapping like shingles (you could purchase cedar shakes to do the same) to cover the "roof". Then we drilled a hole to look like the entrance. Squirrels sit or lie on top, and now that the wood is beginning to decay, woodpeckers and other birds have been checking out the hole and pecking at it to enlarge it.... I have encouraged ivy to grow up it (it's shady) and when it turns red in the fall it looks pretty. Also, we found a true-to-scale wooden bird and attached it to the trunk. I love it. I had been thinking of carving a bunch of steps in a circular arrangement up the outside of the trunk, but since it was an oak, it has retained it's bark and really looks great just as is. I'm looking forward to all the fungi , etc. it will probably provide as it decays, and who knows, the birds may become successful someday at hollowing it out. This is my first comment on the forum, so I don't know how to post a picture yet, but you get the idea.....

Suckers probably aren't going to be the best approach. Reason is it's probably grown on a rootstock different from the fruiting part of the tree. For grafting you need wood from the strongest growing shoots last year. These might be in the top of the tree or a strong watersprout lower down. Cut those shoots from the base of last seasons growth with about 4-5 buds. Save them in the frige wrapped in a moist towel in a ziplock bag. Preferably away from any ripening fruit. Graft after the rootstock starts growing in spring. For T budding in late spring you take wood from the strongest new growth and immediately T bud it onto a rootstock like Gisela 5 or Krymsk 6 from Raintree nursery. This is the easiest way because you don't need to store the wood. If all that seems too difficult, try to find someone to graft or bud your wood. There are pros that do this for a fee but I don't have their names. The post below might help. It asks the same question for apple. Here is a link that might be useful: saving an old apple This post was edited by fruitnut on Sun, Feb 10, 13 at 13:15

the label on RU states.. that as a stump killer.. it is used as 100% ... which is 41% .. stump killing is NOT a spray thing.. and definitely not a pre-diluted spray thing ... its up to you whether to keep them .. just keep in mind.. you have a mature root mass capable of supporting a large tree... it is not going to stay in small shrub shape very long ... let us know when you really want to kill the stump .. if you ever come to that point in time... ken

If there is anything to be gained from that thread to which you link is that you should read and can accept as truth anything that Al (tapla) has to say. He is extremely knowledgeable and experienced in container gardening and is also a bit of an authority on bonsai and by default, striking cuttings. He is extremely well educated and published in various hobby and industry publications. The rest of the info from other contributors that may contradict his advice you can toss out as being self-serving nonsense. The term 'barking' is just barking mad :-) What is on your tree is mold. Period.