How to Kill a Tree

Who wants to kill a tree? Nobody wants to kill a tree. Killing a tree is not an easy thing to do. It should be nobody's business because we want to protect our environment. Sure we cut down trees but we don't want to kill them. But what if there comes a time when suddenly and unexpectedly you are tasked to handle the business of something so unusual like killing a tree? You cannot say no because the reasons they give are acceptable and valid. And when that happens do you know how to go about it?

There are four different known methods of killing a tree. You can determine which among the four will be the most effective and easy way for you to kill a tree. Here are the 4 methods:

1. Frilling and/or Girdling – these two methods can be used with the use of chemicals or without the need for it. Both these two methods are done by cutting the trunk of the tree with an ax or hatchet. Herbicide applications for both these methods can help add to their effectiveness.

a. Girdling involves making an incision or scoring a groove or notch all around the trunk of the tree to stop the flowing of sap from its roots to the top of the tree. Without its sustenance the tree will die. You have to make sure though that the groove made a complete circle around the trunk and the depth of the groove must be ½ inch on small trees and 1 to 1 ½ on large trees. Using a chainsaw can help hasten the job too.

b. Frilling on the other hand partially chops the bark all around the tree leaving the bottom part of the tree to hold the severed parts like frills. Herbicide application will make this method more effective.

2. Tree injection – a uniform spacing of grooves around the trunk is required by this method. They should be 1 to 3 inches away from one another. A tree injector will be used to apply the herbicide on each cut which is about 2 inches long. This is to make a chemical girdle around the tree. Chemicals that are used should be water soluble. It is also better to follow the instruction on the label of the herbicide regarding the amount of the chemical to be used.

3. Basal Bark – is the method that uses spray to apply herbicides to kill small trees, shrubs, and vines. Some 12 to 18 inches bottom part of the tree is sprayed leaving the chemical to stay in the bark and that eventually will kill the tree.

4. Cut stump – after trees or vines have been cut the remaining part we call stump might still grow. To prevent this from happening we should spray or apply herbicides to the stump as soon as the tree is cut. The chemical is rendered more effective when applied at the sapwood and the bark around the stump area. This will also prevent sprout to grow in the stump.