Sucker Control Under a Wall

Q. My neighbor's tree is sending out suckers that go under my cinder block wall and come out in my planter. I try to pull them out and spray them with weed killer, but to no avail. Is there anything I can do to keep them from coming up? I have the same problem in the front yard but it's the neighbor's palm trees and seeds. They root in the front yard. Anything I can do to kill them too?

Palm seedlings

A. Actually, these are two separate problems. The palm seedling cure is the easiest to fix. When palm seedlings are about 8 to 12 inches tall, pull them out. It works best in wet soil after irrigation. Palm seedlings will die if the bud in the top of the plant, the terminal bud, is removed or killed but it leaves the rest of the plant which can be unsightly. There are sprays that will kill the plant. They are sold as woody brush killers, but they must be sprayed only on the problem areas.

            The first problem requires more work on your part. There is no spray, but you will have to remove the planter, remove or cut the roots that are suckering, and put in a physical “root barrier” and then put everything back.