I have a couple of healthy mature 18-24" dia. Maples in my view corridor. For the most part, they are bare of limbs for the lower half and full of foliage at their tops which is almost perfect. My problem is every time I trim the occaisional shoot from a lower area, the next year results in 3 or 4 new shoots taking its place! It seems the more attention I give these trees, the worse my problem is. It's not easy pruning so high up the trees. How do I discourage unwanted new growth without killing the tree?:confused:

The plague of the maple tree owner, shoots. You have found what everyone finds, cut a soot and get 3 new ones. Try mulcjing sveral inches with a loose mulch like Crpress. If any shoots make it through give them a quick spray of regular RoundUp, not the brush killer.