My Ceanothus pergumont blue bush was cut down after reaching 6ft by 4ft. The stump was left and sawn through and soaked with weed killer. 4yrs later, near the dead stub and other parts of the garden the plant is growing again. Will it interfere with my other plants that are there and how do I deal with this problem without having to dig up the whole garden to get rid of the roots?

to NGA

That is one determined plant! How deep are the roots the suckers are growing from? If they are shallow, you can discourage the roots by robbing them of their food supply. Pull the suckers (don't cut, pull) off the root.

Or, a second, slightly more dangerous but quicker method is cut the stems down to a couple inches and pick off any remaining leaves. Carefully paint the remaining stem with full strength brush killer. Don't get any on the soil as it will kill other sensitive plants it comes into contact with (ie: Maple trees). Using brush killer on perennials always works best in the fall as the leaves start to yellow.

Daisy

Many thanks Daisy, I will give this a try - much appreciated!