Author Topic: How to kill a tree? (Read 5086 times)

sawdust · « **on:** May 13, 2009, 05:53:49 pm »

My aunt has a 50 year old tree on her boulevard that has put roots into her sewer. Each year she has to have the line roto rooted. Since the tree is on the boulevard you might expect the town to kick in a bit.. nope. She offered to have the tree removed at her expense... no dice.

So without obviously girdling the tree can it be poisoned? Drill a hole and put something in?

I have never tried to kill a tree with anything but a chainsaw. Ok, shotgun slugs once.

Open to suggestions. Thank you!

sawdust

pineywoods · « **Reply #1 on:** May 13, 2009, 08:48:48 pm »

What kind of tree?? for some, drilling a few small holes and squirting them full of roundup will kill the roots and all.

John Mc · « **Reply #2 on:** May 14, 2009, 10:59:21 am »

Is it too big or too obvious to spray the foliage with roundup, if pineywoods idea with the holes doesn't work?

Foliar spray leaves no tell-tale holes, but you've got to cover most, if not all, of the foliage to kill some trees. The downside is, if you are in a public place, people are going to remember seeing someone spray the tree when it dies later.

With the hole drilling & RoundUp (active ingredient = glyphosphate), time of year may be an issue. Up here in Vermont, when I want to kill buckthorn by spraying roundup on the cut stump, it's most effective if I hit it in late summer or early fall. Getting it while the leaves are still green, before the start to turn color and drop off, but while the tree is sending it's energy/nutrient reserves down to the root system for the winter is the best chance of killing the root system and preventing resprouting. I'm not sure if this makes as much of a difference down in your neck of the woods or not. Also - use the highest concentration roundup you can get. The 2% hardware store stuff probably ain't going to cut it. Even the 18% "concentrate" some hardware stores sell may not be enough. Farm supply stores often sell 40 or 50% concentration, which is your best chance of success when injecting it into holes.

Another thought, depending on the species of tree: a mixture of Garlon (Garlon IV ??) and diesel sprayed on the trunk from ground level up to a height equal to several times the diameter of the trunk (8" diameter tree = 24" of spraying) will kill many trees. The bigger the tree, and thicker the bark, the less chance this has of succeeding. Might be worth a try. Leaves little evidence, and easier than spraying the whole tree with roundup. Sometimes the tree will still leaf out the next spring, then die later. If I saw it leaf out, I'd be inclined to hit it again, especially if it was a big, healthy tree to begin with.

Radar67 · « **Reply #3 on:** May 14, 2009, 11:14:58 am »

If ya want to be covert about it, go down to the local coop/feed and seed store, get a hypodermic needle (like you use for cattle) and fill it with 2-4-D and round up. Insert needle through or under bark to cambium layer and give it a few shots. That should kill it with no physical traces.

Texas Ranger · « **Reply #4 on:** May 14, 2009, 03:50:15 pm »

Murder, most foul!!!!!!!!

pineywoods · « **Reply #5 on:** May 14, 2009, 08:57:30 pm »

The holes full of roundup is particularly effective against sweet gum, which is bad to send up root sprouts. Roundup kills the roots. Sweetgum killed in this manner seems to rot faster than normal.

Polly · « **Reply #6 on:** May 15, 2009, 09:05:37 pm »

when i was little dad had a bunch of trees ,most to big to cut with crosscut saw , he drilled a hole into the heart of log and filled with salt ,that was before dad had a chainsaw and i was to little to pull my end of the crosscut , he killed every one of the trees

JimMartin9999 · « **Reply #7 on:** May 16, 2009, 06:38:04 pm »

I have heard that driving a copper nail into a tree will kill it. Is this just an old wives´tail?

nas · « **Reply #8 on:** May 16, 2009, 06:53:59 pm »

I've heard that too, but I have milled a tree that had copper wire going through it, and it was quite alive when I cut it down. Now it may make a difference that the tree grew around it rather than the copper being driven into it.

beenthere · « **Reply #9 on:** May 16, 2009, 07:39:38 pm »

I know of copper nails killing red pine. Large research project in a stand of prestigous red pine. Trees were fitted with test devices to make measurements over time.
Killed 'em all. Very embarrassing for the tree researcher.

Whitman · « **Reply #10 on:** May 16, 2009, 08:03:40 pm »

It is not a good idea to mix Roundup and a 2,4,d product as they are not compatable!! Hivar and a host of others will get the job done.

beenthere · « **Reply #11 on:** May 16, 2009, 08:20:47 pm »

I've read elsewhere that Roundup and 2,4-d are recommended mixed together.

Any info available to help understand it more?

Banjo picker · « **Reply #12 on:** May 16, 2009, 10:12:06 pm »

I have mixed them before plenty of times--not saying I was supposed to.l

Tim

Ron Scott · « **Reply #13 on:** May 17, 2009, 09:53:19 am »

I've heard of it being done.

splitter · « **Reply #14 on:** May 21, 2009, 07:47:52 pm »

Peal the bark all the way around the tree. Splitter

sawdust · « **Reply #15 on:** May 21, 2009, 08:12:34 pm »

Girdling was my first suggestion too. Bit too obvious.
Thanks for all the suggestions, I think I will bring a big hypo from work and try injecting into the cambium.
See if it won't draw down into the roots.

sawdust

Brian Beauchamp · « **Reply #16 on:** May 22, 2009, 07:31:55 pm »

Who owns the property that it is on?

olyman · « **Reply #17 on:** May 22, 2009, 08:13:37 pm »

from what he said--the city. copper nails!

clearcut · « **Reply #18 on:** May 22, 2009, 10:12:43 pm »

Have you considered relining the sewer pipe instead of killing the tree? If the roots can get into the sewer pipe, then sewage can leak from it. Depending on the condition of the sewer, the location and length, the cost of a flexible liner might not be that much. Having a street tree usually increases the value of the homes nearby.

Brian Beauchamp · « **Reply #19 on:** May 23, 2009, 01:08:28 am »

Quote from: olyman on May 22, 2009, 08:13:37 pm

from what he said--the city.

Most cities just have an easement within around 10 feet of a road, which is why I asked.

She may not need their approval necessarily unless they have an ordinance or a part of the easement agreement specifying that they have the final say in the removal or addition of vegetative structure within that area. If it is on someone else's property, it is flat out criminal to kill the tree intentionally. She has every right to have the roots removed, but should talk to an attorney before killing the tree itself without 'approval' from the governing body and/or the landowner to make sure she has the legal right to do so.

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Author Topic: How to kill a tree? (Read 5086 times)