Things You'll Need

Instructions

1

Cut back a wild plum to the main stems or trunks using a pair of pruning shears or loppers. Then use a saw to cut the thicker wood to within 4 to 6 inches of the ground.
2

Paint a ready-to-use herbicide labeled for stump application, such as one with the active ingredient imazapyr, directly on the freshly cut wood. You must do this within five minutes of cutting the stumps or the herbicide will not be effective. Use a disposable paintbrush that you can easily discard after use.
3

Cut new sprouts that form over the next month or two, using pruning shears. Then recut the stumps by one-half to 1 inch. Immediately paint on an application of herbicide. Repeat this procedure as necessary until the wild plums no longer resprout.
4

Use a saw and cut the dead wild plum flush to the ground. Use a mattock and spade to dig out as much of the stump as possible. Because the plant is dead, leaving its roots behind is OK.