The amount of nostalgia and memories associated with trees would never allow me to kill them. Why would anyone want to kill a tree anyways? It sounds downright barbaric! But there’s also another side to the story, and it must be heard.
Most of my childhood was spent under the cool shade of a large canopy tree. I didn’t have many friends, so my loyal companions turned out to be thriller novels and a few granny smith apples plucked fresh from the trees.
The beauty of this perennial growing botanical can turn any garden look like a sweet sneak-peek into childhood. Especially after reading the magic faraway tree by Enid Blyton, it’s hard for me to imagine anything scenic without these majestic beauties.
However, at times, these trees grow excessively. So much that their canopy becomes an arch nemesis to other tiny floral species growing alongside it in the garden!
Other times, these evergreen trees become a nuisance and take the role of an invasive weed; if such is the case, you should be cut down before a disaster comes your way.
Whatever the reason, make sure it is valid and the last resort!
Once you choose to kill a tree in your garden or backyard, you can select using physical means, slow organic poisoning, or chemical herbicides.
It’s an overwhelming task, but you don’t have to worry. We have researched how you can adapt to kill a tree without making a big scene.
We’ll also tell you how to get rid of the zombie tree once its soul has flown to the skies! Read till the end to understand why, how, and when to kill a tree!
Table of Contents
Why are you killing a tree?
While most garden owners love tall blooming trees, they can quickly become inconvenient.
As a tree grows taller and older, its branches may spread so much that it stops your garden and kitchen from getting any sunlight during the daytime. To add fuel to the fire, ironically, the roots of a mature tree can also cause damage to the structure of your house, threatening the very foundation of your living space.
Such trees can also annoy your neighbor, and it seems a lot easier to kill them than to meet your neighbor in an environmental court once they sue you!
So when should I get rid of a mighty green nuisance?
Before you plan to kill that grown tree in your garden, make sure you have tried everything else, and there’s no other peaceful way left. Killing a tree is a significant matter; it takes time to grow another one, and infanticide is a time and energy-consuming task.
When should I attempt a floricide?
The best season to kill an upright conifer is during Autumn. The sap flows down from the branches to the root during the fall season, which makes it easier for any herbicide to travel down the germs and finish the tree off.
How to kill a tree: 7 tested methods
If you have decided to carry out a kill mission, we are here to support you without judgment! We have researched 8 of the best chemical and physical methods that you can adapt to kill a tree without attracting unnecessary attention.
Paving around the roots
Trees don’t feel pain, but they can be suffocated if the roots are deprived of oxygen. Paving over the roots or mulching deep down will strangle the tree and eventually kill it.
Applying salt to kill a tree
Any piece of ground, when sprinkled with salt, or drained in salt water, will lose its fertility and be unable to grow any floral life.
Salt is a taste potentiator but not a good pal to your garden tree. Applying Epsom salt will kill the standing tree but might also damage the garden’s soil, grass, and other shrubs.
Also, growing any other tree in the same soil might take longer. To avoid damage to the ground, drill holes into the tree trunk and pour the salt into it.
Copper nails
Copper nails are widely used to kill trees. However, this method takes a lot of time before showing signs of results. This method requires hammering down pins in the lower part of the trunk. If you want to keep it a secret, you can hang a poster with a copper nail on the tree. It’ll serve both as an advertisement and a potent tree killer!
Cutting the tree down
The simplest way to kill a garden tree is to cut it down. Start cutting the outer limbs and move inwards slowly. You can use a chainsaw or hire a professional to do it.
However, cutting down a tree is a notorious task and not as easy as it sounds. Mature trees don’t die entirely when their trunks are chopped off, as their roots are still fresh and alive.
If the remains of your cut-down tree grow sprouts again from the stump, you’ll have to remove the sprouts to discourage the roots from absorbing the energy it needs.
If this method doesn’t work, you’ll have to dig deeper and remove the roots. Although this too, doesn’t guarantee the eternal death of the tree. You can still miss a few little roots that can grow back if provided with nutrition.
Burning the tree
If you’re killing your garden tree because it’s affected beyond repair by the pest, you can consider burning it. The method is complicated and requires precision, but if done appropriately, burning down a tree can be rejuvenating for the soil.
Girdling or Starving a tree
Remember the early General science classes when we read about Xylem and Phloem tissues? They systematically transport the food and water from roots to shoots, similar to a human’s digestive system.
Girdling or Ring barking is a method using which you can starve a tree to death. The technique involves removing the bark around the circumference of the lush botanical, halting nutritional flow to the branches and leaves. Cut about 1.5 inches deep with an ax, clearing all layers of the bark in a circle around the tree to ensure a guaranteed kill.
The girdle’s width varies from 2-10 inches depending upon the size of a tree.
Chemically killing the tree
Apart from applying herbicides directly to the trunk or roots of a tree, there are other chemical methods you can use to kill a tree in your garden. Chemical processes aren’t environmentally friendly, but in some cases, they are the only viable and effective ways to kill a tree.
Herbicide application
Killing a tree using a herbicide is an effective method.
However, for brilliant results, herbicides should be applied to a tree in the fall season. Any herbicide administered through the trunk in Fall will easily transport to the roots and thus murder the foundation of a standing copse.
Herbicides are also effective for killing zombie trees (The trees that have been cut down but continue to grow).
Cut down a tree, and apply a potent herbicide to the fresh wound. Nonetheless, we only suggest this method if herbicides are legal to use in your area.
We suggest using the Tordon RTU to kill a tree in your garden. It doesn’t harm the grass and other botanicals growing near the tree if used with caution. If the herbicide leaches into the soil, it can damage the roots of other botanicals. You can buy a Tordon RTU from multiple online stores, such as Amazon or Etsy.
Injections
Specialized tree injection equipment can put a specific amount of herbicide or tree killer into the plant’s system. Injections are often used by professional tree removing companies, as the equipment is quite expensive.
For best results, inject the tree at your breast height.
Foliar Spraying
Foliar sprays are a pretty standard method to kill a tall tree.
For best results, make the application from early summer to later in September. This treatment won’t be as effective if the tree is under severe water stress.
Cut surface technique
This method creates a pathway by cutting the bark so the herbicide can be poured directly into the plant’s vascular system.
To apply the herbicide effectively, cuts are made in the lower parts of the trunks; this leaves the bark attached to the tree. For best results, use the herbicide immediately after cutting the tree.
Applying poison
A variety of killer tree poisons can be purchased from a legal drug store or botanical store. Applying poison is a task for the strong-hearted.
You can drill holes in the trunk, pour the poison, or use it directly in the soil. Although, keep in mind that the use of poison may pose a potential threat to the biodiversity of your garden.
Acid, bleach, and even vinegar can be used as tree poisons.
What to do after you kill a tree successfully?
Once you kill a tree, and your lawn has a zombie tree standing in it, you should call a tree surgeon or a professional botanical company to remove it with the help of machines.
A zombie tree can be hazardous to your garden. It can fall anytime and would cause severe damage.
Also, don’t talk about killing a tree. This might not be a decent topic to discuss! Like other murders, once you get rid of the body, wash your hands and plant saplings to cover the ground up!
Ask Away: Frequently Asked Questions
Can I kill a tree secretly?
Yes! However, this way is super sneaky and barbarous. A tree killer known as Gordon Stump can kill your desired tree and all the adjacent trees in the garden without anyone knowing. You can buy it at TSC.
Can a tree become dangerous once it’s dead?
Zombie trees won’t bite your brain, but as long as it’s standing, with roots rotting every minute and wood becoming brittle, a dead tree can cause severe damage to you and your property if it falls.
Will I go to prison for killing a tree?
It depends on the law of the state that you live in. Consult an attorney before killing a tree to ensure safety from being called an environmental killer.
Will a tree feel pain if I kill it?
No. As much as the sound of killing a tree seems brutal and vicious, understand that trees do not have a central nervous system or brain and cannot feel anything.
