We had just enough of our property cleared for our house to be built and some yard as well, but some of the left-behind trees in the yard have this junk underneath. I'm guessing it's what others have called yaupon holly because that exists in much larger versions everywhere else on the lot.

I could hire a guy, but what's the best way to clear it if I wanted to try it myself? I figure the main problem is taking care of the roots somehow. FYI, I don't have any significant machinery to speak of.

By hand, treat stumps or it will regrow with a vengeance

Same question here.

I've used Tordon RTU on brush that isn't under mature hardwoods, but I won't let that bottle come close to cut brush stumps near my oaks and elms.

I'm going to assume there is some combo that will harm the brush but not the desirable mature trees. Maybe roundup combined with something else?

The standard Remedy/diesel mix on a cut stump, and/or any basal treatment, should do the trick.
With the tremendous increase in glyphosate costs, Remedy is now even a better choice.

Looks like Indian Lakes? Grab some pruners and be in and out in a short bit. Then add some mulch. That should last for several years with very little if any maintenance.

Goats

Yaupon is pretty easy to control when your looking at a small area like that. Hand grub it out. Make sure you get below the root crown. Yaupon's have a root nodule below the surface, it looks like a potato. It will still come up, that's when you apply your salts to kill any runners. Use minimal poison to insure you don't kill any of your trees.

I figured I could easily get in there with some loppers and cut all the above ground stuff down, and we're likely to just put some type of ground cover in that spot.

But I also figured the roots and little stumps would give us trouble in the long run. Will I be able to pull it out of the ground?

GSS said:

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The standard Remedy/diesel mix on a cut stump, and/or any basal treatment, should do the trick.

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I agree. Frankly, I wouldn't cut any of that underbrush at this time. Just get a 3-gallon hand-held or 4-gallon backpack sprayer and spray the Remedy (61% triclopyr) plus diesel mixture on the plants you want dead (get the lower stems/trunk - not the leaves) and wait for the magic to happen.

[Keep the mixture off of the desirable trees, or it will kill/damage those too. Triclopyr really doesn't seem to spread in the soil, so you should be good.]

After they're very dead, I'd consider renting a self-propelled walk-behind brush cutter with a steel blade and chop all that mess up.

Remember, if the snakes are out (seems like that could be anytime), make sure you're wearing snake boots, chaps or shields on your hard leather boots when you're out there spraying or clearing that.

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With the tremendous increase in glyphosate costs, Remedy is now even a better choice.

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You're not just whistling Dixie! Traditionally I've used about a 3% glyphosate on burn-down applications around buildings and fencelines (mixed with residuals), but this year I'm going to experiment with just 1.5% (or even less) and let the residual work on the the rest.

As you could understand, I'd be a little worried about chemicals around those other trees.

If your going to lop them, lop to the ground. Those stumps will trip you and your family because they can be camouflaged. You sure don't want to fall on a bed of spikes, or run over with tires. I've used a sawzall for larger ones, it's convenient and not heavy like a chain saw.
If you don't want to use poison after lopping go by a cheap plastic tarp that covers the stumps place rocks or bricks on tarp and eventually the roots will die due to no sunlight. A different way to skin a cat.

S.A. Aggie said:

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Goats

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OP is suburban fake cowboy building his house out amongst the country folk. Probably had a dairy cleared out while preparing his lot.

Enjoy your "ranch".

Wrap a tow strap around a group of them, attach to trailer hitch and pull them out.

Ol_Ag_02 said:

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OP is suburban fake cowboy building his house out amongst the country folk. Probably had a dairy cleared out while preparing his lot.

Enjoy your "ranch".

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Hey, you got to start somewhere to get out of the Concrete Jungle.

lexofer said:

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Wrap a tow strap around a group of them, attach to trailer hitch and pull them out.

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I'd have said this way but those are too small, now the ones behind that bunch I'd use a strap & truck. Water them over night, strap 2 or 3 together about 5 or 6 ft up then pull them out. Very effective!

A cut stump or basal treatment with Remedy-diesel will have zero impact on surrounding trees.

Ol_Ag_02 said:

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OP is suburban fake cowboy building his house out amongst the country folk. Probably had a dairy cleared out while preparing his lot.

Enjoy your "ranch".

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I thought about that very thread when I wrote the OP.

Repeating what others said. Don't cut it. Hand sprayer. 10% triclopyr(20% is not required)/ 90% diesel. Wet the bottom few inches of each stalk.

I've been doing this around different oaks for a couple years now with no harm to them. Watch for overspray. Pull any that are growing up against the trunk of something desirable.

It will take a little while for them to die. Come back later to hit any remaining ones that got missed the first time.

Shoefly! said:

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Yaupon is pretty easy to control when your looking at a small area like that. Hand grub it out. Make sure you get below the root crown. Yaupon's have a root nodule below the surface, it looks like a potato. It will still come up, that's when you apply your salts to kill any runners. Use minimal poison to insure you don't kill any of your trees.

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If you have a grubbing hoe, you can be done quickly. It lets you get those balls AND the root that runs off to one side. (Don't yank on that root, grub it out too or you can waste a lot of energy.) Loppers and they'll just come back.

Thanks to everyone for the suggestions. This is a little project that may take some time to get to, but I'm planning.

mhnatt said:

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Looks like Indian Lakes? Grab some pruners and be in and out in a short bit. Then add some mulch. That should last for several years with very little if any maintenance.

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It's a picture of some trees. What about it makes it Indian Lakes?

Thisguy1 said:

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mhnatt said:

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Looks like Indian Lakes? Grab some pruners and be in and out in a short bit. Then add some mulch. That should last for several years with very little if any maintenance.

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It's a picture of some trees. What about it makes it Indian Lakes?

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I'm not even sure where Indian Lakes is, and despite my user name I'm actually no longer even in Conroe.

Not that it matters, but this is in Walker County.

Control burns

Shoefly! said:

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If your going to lop them, lop to the ground. Those stumps will trip you and your family because they can be camouflaged. You sure don't want to fall on a bed of spikes, or run over with tires. I've used a sawzall for larger ones, it's convenient and not heavy like a chain saw.
If you don't want to use poison after lopping go by a cheap plastic tarp that covers the stumps place rocks or bricks on tarp and eventually the roots will die due to no sunlight. A different way to skin a cat.

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Just because I had not done it or seen it before, I recently saw someone with ad "tree trimmer" blade for a sawzall.

The guy liked it for the small brush since it saved his chains.

Otherwise OP - Remedy/Diesel before cutting or after on the stumps.

Yaupon and Privet are the bane of my existence since moving back to East Texas. You have to address the roots as has been mentioned.

Just find some trained beavers with tiny saddles for trained termites.

If you are fenced for it, and that is a big IF, goats will turn it into park land quickly. I worked on fifty acres behind my house using everything imaginable. I bought twelve small goats and it became a thing of beauty.

I use this up in Wyoming in somewhat similar density. Works great.

Stihl OEM Parts Brush Knife 350-3 FS510, FS560 Brushcutters - 4110 713 4100, 4110-713-4100, 41107134100 https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00C3IJS5U/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_glt_i_5YD8SK7GVCM31MX52Y20

Aquin said:

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If you are fenced for it, and that is a big IF, goats will turn it into park land quickly. I worked on fifty acres behind my house using everything imaginable. I bought twelve small goats and it became a thing of beauty.

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Wondering about this but want to not affect my deer hunting.

mhnatt said:

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Aquin said:

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If you are fenced for it, and that is a big IF, goats will turn it into park land quickly. I worked on fifty acres behind my house using everything imaginable. I bought twelve small goats and it became a thing of beauty.

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Wondering about this but want to not affect my deer hunting.

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$ell or eat the goats.

That's 1.5-2 yr old yaupon growth. We cut that crap back at the deer camp every year .. not sure we've ever actually killed any of it.

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Repeating what others said. Don't cut it. Hand sprayer. 10% triclopyr(20% is not required)/ 90% diesel. Wet the bottom few inches of each stalk.

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If you dont cut it then you'll have to look at dead / brown yaupon for a while. They dont seem to rot very quickly.

and if you dont mow the area where the yaupon was then youll just get new yaupon or weeds growing into the old dead one.

I just find that it's easier to spray when you can see the whole plant. Also easier to cut after it's dead. Doesn't take long for it to get soft and brittle.