Killing tree with roundup


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Old 09-16-19, 04:32 AM
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Killing tree with roundup

I need to kill a tree that has gotten too big for its space. I have read that this can be done by applying glyphosate (Roundup) into downward-sloping ax-cuts in the trunk. However I can find nothing on how many such cuts I'll need, how much chemical to apply, etc.. My tree is a white pine with a 12" trunk. Any clues?
 
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Old 09-16-19, 05:53 AM
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So why not just cut it down? Maybe tight quarters, but it's not going to just shrivel away when it dies, so has to come down sooner or later, and a dead tree becomes a lot less predictable than a live one. With pine trees there's quite a bit of spring in the boughs so I generally like to cut as many as I can reach with a pole saw before felling them.
 
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Old 09-16-19, 06:52 AM
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I was going to say, because if I cut it down I'll have to haul it away since it would be in my way. Being pine it's no good to burn in the stove. It would be a big job. Usually if you leave a dead tree standing, it just gradually falls apart harmlessly gradually and decomposes. Anyway, I decided I call fall in one direction where I won't have to move it too much. Thnx anyway.
 
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Old 09-16-19, 11:45 AM
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Do you actually think a tall, standing tree is going to "...gradually falls apart harmlessly..."? No, the tree rots quickly near ground level, then it falls over. A dead tree standing is quite dangerous. If it hurts someone or does property damage you are liable since you intentionally poisoned/killed the tree.
 
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Old 09-16-19, 12:50 PM
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Thanks for your input Pilot Dane, but I live in the country, with woods all around. Dead trees here often shed their branches gradually. There are no people or property to worry about in this case.
 
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Old 09-16-19, 03:58 PM
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In that case take a chain saw to it and put the tree safely on the ground at the time of your choosing. Don't kill the tree and let it fall over at some random time in the next year or two when someone could get hurt.

A death from disease or old age is usually more gradual with branches dying back and falling off while some part of the core is still alive to provide support. A poisoned tree is suddenly dead from top to bottom. Decay sets in quickly at ground level where it's damp and insects are plentiful while the wood in the air is more protected. This makes it more likely for the tree to come down intact instead of "...gradually falls apart harmlessly gradually and decomposes".

I have poisoned many trees as a way of stopping them from leafing out in spring so I had more time to deal with cutting them down and not have the added bulk of leaves. I do not leave any poisoned tree standing for more than a few months.
 
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Old 09-16-19, 07:59 PM
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Thanks for that advice. Regarding your last paragraph ("I have poisoned many trees as a way of stopping them from leafing out in spring") can you give me any idea how much glyphosate (Roundup) I would use in how many cuts for, for example, a 12" pine? I was thinking of using the method of chopping in at a downward angle with an ax; then inserting the poison into the cut.
 
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Old 09-17-19, 04:37 AM
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I usually drill a series of 1/2" diameter downward sloping holes about 3" deep, spaced 6-9" apart around the trunk. One filling of the holes is all it takes. Then I fill the holes with glyphosate concentrate syrup. The holes hold the syrup so you don't have to stand there. With surface cuts you don't really know how much you are applying or how much is staying in your cuts vs dribbling down the outside of the trunk so it's more a guessing game. Your herbicide application(s) needs to happen immediately after the cuts are made as the tree will begin to heal itself and seal off the wound area.
 
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Old 09-17-19, 09:13 AM
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Thanks Pilot! I'll try it next time needed.
 
 

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