method to kill trees

[treesaver]

I have a problem that just gets worse every year. There is a mulberry tree just on the other side of my property line that the landowner said it is fine with him to take out. The problem is, I don't want to kill my grapes useing toradon to kill the tree. I killed some brush in the area close to there, and killed my elderberry bushes in the process. Can't have that with my grapes! Anyone have some ideas that may work? Thank you.

 

[vacuumpumpman]

I have a problem that just gets worse every year. There is a mulberry tree just on the other side of my property line that the landowner said it is fine with him to take out. The problem is, I don't want to kill my grapes useing toradon to kill the tree. I killed some brush in the area close to there, and killed my elderberry bushes in the process. Can't have that with my grapes! Anyone have some ideas that may work? Thank you.

I hope I am understanding your question ?

There is always a chainsaw or girdling the tree ?

 

[Johnd]

I have a problem that just gets worse every year. There is a mulberry tree just on the other side of my property line that the landowner said it is fine with him to take out. The problem is, I don't want to kill my grapes useing toradon to kill the tree. I killed some brush in the area close to there, and killed my elderberry bushes in the process. Can't have that with my grapes! Anyone have some ideas that may work? Thank you.

Interesting question, how to kill a tree, from treesaver...............

 

[treesaver]

I got my handle from my hobby of trapping beaver. Trees are no more than woody weeds. Yes, I can cut the tree down, I can girdle it, but that won't kill a mulberry! I'm looking for a way to treat it after it is cut, that won't transfer to my grapes. It is close enough that it has roots intermingled with my grape roots. Toradon works wonders, but will transfer to my grapes through the roots. I've tried salt on some small ones, and they sprouted right back!

 

[Redbird1]

Might be dumb, but is there any way to "burn"/flame it? Hollow out the stump, soak it in gasoline, and set a fire in there?

Alternatively, possibly equally dumb, but is there a way to put some sort of impermeable barrier between the two plants and try the Toradon? I know you said the roots are intermingled, but perhaps you could dig a trench between the two, trying to minimize the loss of the grape roots. I don't know how long Toradon remains active, but you could pull the barrier back up after that amount of time, and let the grape roots take off again.

I'm not much of a gardener/landscaper/etc., but those two ideas came to mind.

 

[Masbustelo]

What about dynamite?

 

[dralarms]

Cut it down, drill some holes in the stump and pour Epson salts in there and wet.

 

[grapeman]

I know glyphosate (Roundup and others) is not currently popular with many people, but most trees like that can be killed (including roots and underground rhizome type roots) by cutting the tree down and paining some glyphosate full strength onto the freshly cut stump. It is drawn into the roots where they are killed.

 

[treesaver]

Grapeman, the glyphosate won't transfer between roots like toradon? This tree is about ten feet from my frontenacs, and it's gotta go, but It scares me. I've heard of mixes of diesel fuel and antifreeze, but I'm worried about the carrying through the roots!

 

[grapeman]

The glyphosate needs to be taken up by an actively growing portion of the plant such as leaves and won't be taken in by the trunk or shoots that are hardened. Never heard of root to root transfer of it so I believe you would be safe.

 

[treesaver]

Thank you for the imput, I'll give it a try and see! I'll let you know how it turns out!

 

[treesaver]

Grapeman, the glyphosate won't transfer between roots like toradon? This tree is about ten feet from my frontenacs, and it's gotta go, but It scares me. I've heard of mixes of diesel fuel and antifreeze, but I'm worried about the carrying through the roots!

 

[treesaver]

Hmmm, that's weird. I posted the reply to grapemans post and. it posted the earlier reply after it. Thanks again guys.

 

[Ajmassa]

3" copper nails loaded all over into the stump. Keep them 1.5 inches part nailing em down into the trunk and on the sides all the way around. Will kill it good and dead 100% every time. Dead and gone and no accidental collateral damage. Just make sure you remove all the nails before the stump is removed so nothing is accidentally left behind.
It's like using copper sulfate without risking the health of any other growth near the stump.

Edit: I stand corrected. Mulberry is in its own class apparently. And google is all over the glyphosphate herbicide.

 

[treesaver]

I don't believe I've ever seen copper nails. That sounds like just what I'm looking for, but finding copper nails might be the deal breaker!

 

[Johnd]

When we have unwanted trees on our hunting property, we simply cut them down low to the ground and hit the new growth that pops out with glyphosate a time or two and it does the trick. Just make sure you don't have any wind blowing towards your vines if you try this method.

 

[Redbird1]

That's a neat idea.

A couple questions. Isn't copper too soft to be hammered into anything? How long does such a process take? There must be some reaction that needs to take place, then transporting the resultant byproduct to the roots, I assume. A Google search sure has mixed reviews on the process.

 

[Ajmassa]

That's a neat idea.

A couple questions. Isn't copper too soft to be hammered into anything? How long does such a process take? There must be some reaction that needs to take place, then transporting the resultant byproduct to the roots, I assume. A Google search sure has mixed reviews on the process.

I've seen it work with my own hands and eyes. The longer the nails the better and quicker it works. And it kills a small tree or stump much quicker than you'd think. Though I don't remember the exact timeframe. And it was never a mulberry. I edited my last post after googling and the 1st thing that popped up for the accepted practice for mulberry stump removal said glyphosate herbicide.--never heard of it personally.
But They have em at Walmart, hardware stores, Amazon. Either labeled "copper roofing nails" or "tree stump nails". Bigger the better.
The nail is just as strong as any other nail defying logic. (Any nail will bend if on a knot or hit wrong).
I don't know all the science behind it aside from the copper oxidizing while in the tree is a certified tree and root serial killer! And keeps all the carnage isolated within the root and not killing anything else around it.

 

[Ajmassa]

I had a busted soil line underground that was caused from grassroot through a coupling connection. Not fun. Entire front yard dug up and cost booku bucks.
I was told to dump a bottle of copper sulfate down my drains once or twice a year and will kill off anything attempting to squeeze through again. Same idea with the nails.
I learned from my dad as kid. He'd done it a few times over the years and told me to use the nails when I had a nuisance tree. I was skeptical. He was right. Now I swear by the method.

 

[grapeman]

Copper is used as a micro-nutrient and very small amounts of it can be beneficial. The copper nails overdose the tree on copper as it is toxic to all living things in large quantities. Copper sprays are considered organic but they can be just as deadly to all living things as the most toxic pesticides. Orchards in New York State that used to use copper sprays a lot have actually become contaminated with the spray buildup over the years and several of them can't be sold for sub-divisions as the land is considered too toxic for human habitation. If you use them to kill the trees please remove them afterwards and dispose of properly or reuse them according to the original labels.