LAIG: Do a Google search for 'killing tree stumps' and you'll get a lot of hits.

Welcome to Wisconsin!

LAIG: Welcome. I think you will find that all gardeners learn as they go. Like the oft quoted line from an aged Thomas Jefferson "Tho an old man, I am but a young gardener".
Now, as for buckthorn- spring is when the buckthorn uses energy stored in its roots and is a tough time to eradicate it. Fall is generally better because the plant will pull the poison down into it's roots. And which chemical control you ask? I have done volunteer work eradicating buckthorn at the Schlitz Autubon Nature Center north of Milwaukee and for smaller saplings, Roundup will work. On larger saplings they used some potent combination of diesel fuel and who knows what!

Here is a link that might be useful: CHEMICAL CONTROL OF BUCKTHORN

We took a buckthorn down that was in tree form - beautiful tree. In winter the male cardinals would gather in the tree. One year there were 7 at one time which is pretty impressive living in the city.

We dug out the stump.

Thanks for the responses. We did start cutting down and pulling out the buckthorn in the fall last year but we didn't treat the stumps with anything. This spring we noticed sproutings around the stumps. Like I said....we are learning as we go...LOL. We aren't talking one tree here. We've cut down many, many trees that were tangled together and intwined with an old barbed wire fence. The tree line of buckthorn was choking out a few nice trees. We've done a lot of work to clear it out. It looks so much better. We just need to prevent them from growing back and eventually remove the stumps. I think we will use RoundUp immediately and check into some other options in the fall. Thanks again for the help.