Every gardener sooner or later has the need to uproot an old tree and make room for new seedlings. Sawing and felling are not applicable, since if the wood falls, it can damage the crowns of neighboring trees. However, there are many other ways to get rid of a tree with minimal effort.
Use of chemicals
You can use potassium or ammonium nitrate. Gardeners use these substances to fertilize some fruit-bearing trees and shrubs, but, as we know, medicine in large doses is poison. To get rid of the tree, saltpeter is regularly poured into an artificially created hollow.
Another chemical is Picloram. A solution must be prepared from the drug. You can use two methods: spray the leaves and bark with diluted liquid or water the unwanted plant. It is important to know that the drug is removed from the soil after 3 years.
It is also possible to use herbicides such as Tornado, Arsenal, Roundup. They are diluted with water according to the instructions and sprayed on the crown. To improve and accelerate the effect, add 50–100 milliliters of vegetable oil to this solution. It is worth remembering that the product has a continuous effect. It affects any plants in the area where the substance is irrigated.
To preserve neighboring seedlings or trees, you can use the injection method.7–10 holes, 5 mm thick and 10 cm deep, should be drilled in the tree trunk. The holes should be drilled at an angle of 60 degrees so that the chemical does not leak out. It is better to place the holes at a distance of 5–7 centimeters.
Using a syringe, you need to inject the chemical and cover the holes with damp earth.
copper nail
The next method for uprooting a tree is very simple. It is enough to hammer a copper nail into a tree trunk. It begins to oxidize and the wood begins to dry out under the influence of copper oxide.
Batteries
There is another way: we bury used batteries under a tree. Toxic substances completely kill the roots and are stored in the ground, so nothing will grow in the area for a long time.
Mulching the trunk
The oldest method is mulching the trunk. It is important to use organic materials to block the access and circulation of oxygen in the soil. It is necessary to create a cushion with an area of 1 meter around the trunk and a height of at least half a meter.
For the cushion, fallen leaves, chopped weeds or other plant waste are used, the decay of which releases substances harmful to the tree. Sawdust, peat, hay and humus are also used.
Concrete
An effective way is to cover the roots with concrete. This will cut off the roots’ access to air, water and nutrients. To do this, you need to dig around the tree, fill the resulting hole with concrete and wait until the plant dies. The disadvantage of the method is hard physical labor.
Salt
The safest method is to use salt. Salt can be buried in the ground around the roots or sprinkled around the trunk and watered.It is possible to prepare a 1:1 saline solution and water the tree. To get rid of a small young plant, 2 months will be enough; a large and strong one will take much more effort and time.
Regardless of the chosen method, it is worth remembering that a lot depends on the plant. Namely, what age and size it is. By understanding how to remove a tree without cutting it down, you can easily avoid dangerous and difficult manual work.
