- 1). Pull the Chinese elm sprouts by hand or uproot them with a hoe.
- 2). Spray the seedlings' foliage with an herbicide containing the chemical triclopyr or imazapyr. Select a brand and apply the product according to the manufacturer's label.
- 3). Hold a weed flamer over the Chinese elm sprout 8 inches above the surface. The heat breaks the seedling's cells apart, causing irreparable fatal damage. You get the best results with a weed flamer before the sapling develops more than one pair of leaves. Check with your local government to verify there are no restrictions against the use of a weed flamer. The tool could start a fire in very dry areas.
- 4). Drench the sapling and the soil around it in boiling water. Use this method if no other plants that you want to keep are growing in the area. The extremely hot water kills roots indiscriminately.