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Tordon question

Started by Steven A., January 23, 2007, 11:31:09 AM

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Steven A.

I am killing 4  mature spruce trees with Tordon. Drilled holes around the trunk and into exposed roots last august and put Tordon in the holes. Its working but very slowly.
If I repeat the application now in winter will it be effective or does the tree need to be actively growing? I'd like them to be dead and brown by May.
I'm in  northern Wisconsin.

Thanks, Steve.

chet

Which Tordon product are you using, and what are you using for a carrier?  Or are you using a RTU product?
I am a true TREE HUGGER, if I didnt I would fall out!  chet the RETIRED arborist

Steven A.


chet

A frill or girdle treatment will work much better than the method you used, with the RTU product. If it is truly a Spruce you are trying to kill you may have problems. This product normally works well on Cedars and Firs, but the Spruces and Pines are very tolerant. Be very carefully with this product as it will "move" within root systems and in the ground and you may kill way more than you bargained for. Cutting may be a better option.  :)
I am a true TREE HUGGER, if I didnt I would fall out!  chet the RETIRED arborist

Phorester

Drilling holes in the trunk may be putting the Tordon too far into the tree.  It needs to reach the cambium layer just underneath the bark, which would mean only 1/2 an inch or so into the tree.  Deeper holes might be putting the herbicide past the cambium where it would not be absorbed by the tree.

On the label I have seen for Tordon RTU, it's not labeled for treating spruce. But since this is the herbicide you have, I feel it would work if you instead used it in a cut-surface style of application.  Cut the trees down and apply the Tordon immediately to the outer 1" of stump so as to put it right on to the cambium layer where it will be absorbed into the tree.

But mature spruce might not sprout anyway.  Big conifers don't, usually. You might just cut them down and forego the Tordon application.

Or if you don't want to cut them down, just remove a strip of bark all the way around the trunk with an ax or chainsaw. 

Steven A.

Thanks for the help.
I need to kill these before they are cut. Heres why.
The trees are growing over the 30 year old steel septic tank and drainfield at my second home where my mother lives.
I want the trees gone so when the septic tank fails in the next year or so [ Its rusting away on top] I don't have to do a tree removal project on short notice so the plumber can replace the tank.
My mother is elderly and will have a fit if I cut the nice trees even though they have to go. She is a gardener however and understands removing dead plants. So...... I am making the plants dead.

No there is not another place the septic can go. No, she will not listen to reason. Yes I have tried to think of any other alternative.  Unfortunately sometimes you just gotta do what you gotta do.

I'm going to drill shallow holes again and apply some more.
Will this work in winter when the trees are not really growing or will it be better to wait till spring?

Phorester


We're talking back and forth at the same time.  I revised my previous message before I read your last one, check it again and see if this answers your question.

Steven A.

Can that strip just be a chainsaw cut wide?
I'd prefer to not make this too noticeable to an 83 year olds eyes.
Will the tree be affected by a winter application of Tordon?

Texas Ranger

Frill the bark with an hatchet,, one whack per diameter inch around the stem, put tordon in the frill, will hardly be visible. 
The Ranger, home of Texas Forestry

WDH

I don't know much about spruce, but I think you will be more successful if you wait till spring after the buds break.
Woodmizer LT40HDD35, John Deere 2155, Kubota M5-111, Kubota L2501, Nyle L53 Dehumidification Kiln, and a passion for all things with leafs, twigs, and bark.  hamsleyhardwood.com

Phorester

Yep, a chainsaw cut wide will do it.  It can be done any time in the year.  However, a tree is weakest in late spring - early summer just after it has put on it's new foliage.  Hardwoods especially.  It has just used all its winter food reserves to make new foliage, and hasn't yet had time to photosynthesize new reserves.  So in general, the best time to kill a tree is then.

But different herbicides have different times of the year when they are most effective, based on how the herbicide works.  Most herbicides can be applied with more than one method. Each herbicide label gives the best time for using it in different application methods. So the label directions need to be followed.  The tordon RTU label says any time is good for the frill method as TRanger describes.

Pilot

Crossbow mixed in oil, 2 oz/gal (diesel works, but they prefer you buy a special vegetable oil for lots more $) sprayed on the outside of the bark will be carried thru the bark & kill the tree.  Works great on cascara, Scotch broom and blackberries, but I have never tried it on conifers, 'cause they are the good guys around here.  Works at any time of the year.  Spray from ground level up to about 6" all around the tree.

gtraxler

there is rain in the forecast for Saturday, and I have a group of family coming to eradicate Amur Maple.  if it rains a bit on freshly treated areas, will it still work?  i am not overly concerned with the stuff killing surrounding vegetation, it is mostly grass.  Using Tordon RTU.

Claybraker

As long as it's not raining while you are applying it should be fine. I like a quart spray bottle for injecting Tordon instead of the applicator tip, I can be more precise. With the applicator that comes with TordonRTU too much of the material leaks out of the frill or hack and dribbles down the bark, where it's wasted, and would be susceptible to washing off. I also use a cordless drill with a 3/8" bit to drill a very shallow hole and wallow that hole out to form a pocket for 1 ml of herbicide. One of the keys is a very shallow hole. You don't want to drill deep, just past the bark, and then move the drill motor so you are drilling almost parallel to the bark, not deep into the trunk. One hole for every 3-4" of dbh has smoked everything I've tried it on. Another Pro tip, if you use a quart spray bottle, take a few seconds to label it with the contents.

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