As per title, what is the best (and quickest) way to kill a tree. I need to kill 3 large trees that are in danger of damaging my brothers house (the roots have already started to lift some of the patio). Does anyone have any experience of this? It wont be a complete disaster if nothing grows again where the trees are planted.
Chainsaw? Alternatively, I believe removing a ring of bark will kill things pretty swiftly. Might want to be careful what you are doing though, some trees are protected and many will throw a hissy fit if you go chopping anything down you aint supposed too.
Ah man, I was expecting a show and tell thread involving black powder. The way I've always seen it done is chop down the tree to a short stump, drill a load of holes in the stump, and pour in poison. Then you dig the stump up after it's good and rotten.
The only ways ive seen have been copper nails in the stump, and drilling holes and pouring fuel in the holes (diesel it think it was). Ive also seen people chop down trees then cover the stump with tar.
Cut if down drill a BIG hold as deep as possible into the roots about 2" in diameter, and pour the most concentrated weed killer you can get your hands on in there
Please tell me he doesn't live in Berkshire... Neighbour just spent the past week chainsawing down a beautiful 300yr old tree so that it can't be used to stop his planning application for a housing estate on his land Why do they not get a tree surgeon to do this? It's totally not the right time of year right now and the whole poisoning thing is horrible. If you want to kill them because they're not allowed to be destroyed then grr to you quite frankly.
The trees are quite new (<15 years) and I don't see any reason why he wouldn't be allowed to destroy them. They aren't old beautiful trees, they are more like overgrown shrubs/hedges/xmas tree. The thickest trunk is probably about 6-8 inches diameter, but the previous owner planted them far too close to the building and now its either the trees or the house that must suffer.
In which case I'd still go with chainsawing and getting a tree surgeon to do it if your brother isn't up to it. 6-8" diameter would be gone pretty quickly. If you want them gone at this time of year (especially if they are like bushy shrubs) you legally have to have them checked out for nesting birds. Local council or RSPB will be happy to send someone out to check. If there are nests, you won't be able to do anything until they've moved on. An extreme of that would be October, but realistically it could be by mid July.
There is a chemical which you pour into stumps, drill holes and in it goes. Someone mentioned tar above, it's a little bit like that but it rots them away. You can then get digging with a mattock and get it out. Takes quite a long time to properly work though if I remember rightly. I'd love to know why Hex thinks the whole poisoning thing is so horrible. Means to an end. Damn sight safer than chainsaws if you cannot afford tree surgeons (which not everyone can).
Because it's a living thing and poisoning trees doesn't just kill them it damages the soil and everything in/around it. Messing with wildlife and also eventually getting into water supplies.
This is what I was hoping for. http://vids.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=vids.individual&videoid=9307826
easiest and safest way would be to cut it down A chainsaw would be the fastest, an axe would do the job and a handsaw would be a pain but still get it done
We had to get rid of a diseased tree that was also threatening to collapse onto our house - this was a big one, too - and we ended up getting it sliced down by a tree surgeon, then drilled and poisoned. I'm not sure about this poison leaching into the environment thing, TBH - we've got two pet rabbits (fragile, free-roaming, hungry and above all stupid) and plenty of nearby plants that show absolutely no ill effects, and in heavy rain we're almost below the water table, so I wouldn't assume it's just willy-nilly arsenic compounds the professionals use. Get them checked for wildlife - bird's nests especially - and then get a council surgeon to come round and turn them into Swedish flatpacks or toilet rolls or whatever.