| Mimi, you may have in the area of your yard a tree that likes to send out sprouts from its roots. If you have such tree, you could, without endangering the tree, cut the roots at your property line and cut back the number of sprouts in your yard.
In any case, just keep cutting them with your lawn mower. The roots will continue to send them up until it either dies, or learns to stop.
RoundUp will kill foliage.....and if sprayed on other than the sprout, will kill that too.
Even RoundUp though needs repeat applications so when you paint the sprout with the solution of RoundUp, contine to make applications every 7 - 14 days. Eventually, the sprout will die.
The better solution is to find the offending root and cut that.
If you wish to not harm the tree, there is a formula that you can use to decide whether its safe to do that.
Go to the offending tree, measure up the trunk 4 1/2 feet. At that point, measure the diameter of the tree...in inches. Multiply that figure by 3....and that is the number of FEET you must go out before cutting the roots.
If the roots are just feeder....i.e. they are small, then they can be safely cut and pose no danger to the tree, they will replace themselves very soon.
But if the roots are of major size, then be careful. If large roots are cut it could endanger the stability of the tree from which it is feeding.
If you think you might not wish to cut so close after figuring the formulae, then go out further.
Most tree roots are within 18 - 24 inches of the surface. | 
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