I’m a green gardener. I’m loathe to use toxic chemicals in my yard. However, there are assured situations when only toxic will do. Like, for example, when I recently had to kill a tree. Read on whether you’re in the same boat and would like some tips. Oh, and be certain to check out my photo gallery, too!

The Camphor Laurel: An Invasive Pest

First up: a bit about the tree in question. The offending plant was a camphor laurel tree (cinnamomum camphora), a local of East Asia that has become an invasive pest here in the US and in other countries, like Australia. Yes, that plant is the source of stinky camphor oil, which is found in products like Vicks(R) cold remedies.

In my backyard, the camphor is a big pain-in-the-butt-plant. My nemesis. My arch-enemy. It self-sows everywhere. I must have pulled hundreds of tiny seedlings by hand since learning (the tough way) to be more vigilant. Hand weeding camphor seedlings is a nuisance, but it certain beats trying to eradicate them once they become established.

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The camphor has an strange root system that makes it tough to dig out once seedlings have grown larger than about one foot in height. Camphor saplings have one main root shaped a bit like a carrot that burrows deep, deep down into the soil. Removing them without chemicals involves a lot of backbreaking digging, normally accompanied by much cursing. (As I say, I learned the tough way to be more vigilant!)

Not certain whether you’ve got a camphor tree? They’re easy to identify. Camphors grow fast and they grow tall (50-100 feet). They are evergreens with small, glossy green leaves. Crush the leaves, or fell a tree, and you will smell the unmistakable odor of camphor. Not certain? There are tons of photos of that plant available online.

Yes, camphors are pretty and form good shade trees. But so do hundreds of other trees and larger shrubs. whether you have one, take my advice and kill it, next replace it with something more environmentally friendly.

Interesting to note: wood-turners may be interested in your felled camphor tree. Apparently, it’s a good wood for carving.

How to Kill A Camphor Laurel (or Any Pesky Weed Tree)

So you want to kill a tree? Herbicides are essential for the job. Any weed tree, once cut down, will just re-sprout from the stump. that is particularly true of an invasive species like camphor, which regenerate with a vengeance after being cut or pruned. Please: don’t waste your day and energy trying to trim them!

Step 1: cut-stump application: the best method for most homeowners
How big has your weed tree become? Is it approach or far from any buildings? whether it is still smallish — with a trunk only around 10 cm diameter — and far from your house, you can spray the entire plant with a herbicide without cutting it down first. that is known as foliar application.

Or you can try basal bark application, in which the herbicide is applied to the base of the trunk. Either way, the dying tree can be left standing, to break down slowly by instance.

If the tree is larger, or whether it is anywhere approach your home or within view of the street, you’ll likely want to cut it down first, soon after kill the root system by portray the freshly cut stump with herbicide. that method, called cut-stump application, is the one that I used. Just remember: herbicides must be applied to a freshly cut surface.

If, like me, you’re trying to be a green gardener, you’ll plus prefer the latter method — applying herbicide directly to the cut stump — considering it’s easier to restrict what the chemical touches and kills.

Step 2: pick a poison: glyphosate vs. triclopyr
Two herbicides are commonly used to kill unwanted trees: glyphosate and triclopyr.

Glyphosate is the best known herbicide out there, sold under the ubiquitous grade name Roundup(R). Glyphosate is nonsystemic, meaning it kills whatever it touches. It’s popular for that reason, and additionally considering it becomes inactive fairly rapidly in the soil, so the affected area can be replanted within only a day or so.

Your other option for killing trees is triclopyr, commonly sold under the grade name Garlon(R). Triclopyr is a systemic herbicide that kills broadleaf trees and shrubs, and is particularly effective against waxy-type trees like camphor.

Again, we come back to the question of green gardening. Which is friendlier to the environment: glyphosate or triclopyr? Well, that’s up for debate, and depends fairly a bit on how you use your chosen product. Yes, it’s true that glyphosate is nonsystemic, whereas triclopyr kills only broadleaf plants — leaving grasses, for instance, unaffected.

On the other hand, whether you apply glyphosate with care — portray it directly onto specific surfaces or spraying it very carefully — you won’t do much harm to surrounding plants. Another plus: glyphosate becomes inactive and breaks down fairly quickly. That said, it’s hardly environmentally friendly to use any type of herbicide, and the perception (and marketing) of glyphosate as a more or less environmentally responsible herbicide is hotly opposed by environmentalists.

Bottom line:

a poison is a poison, period. Use herbicides only when you absolutely must and not for day-to-day control of common weeds in and around lawns and paths.

While we’re on the subject of consumer education: for a handy rundown of complications and dangers associated with using herbicides on trees, check out the list of tips in that scoop from About.com. Particularly worth noting is the observation that root grafting can occur amidst plants of the same species and, sometimes, the same genus. Therefore, treating one with herbicide may mean the inevitable death of another, desirable tree nearby.

Herbicide concentration is another factor that must be considered. You will need to use a fairly highly concentrated profile to kill something large like a tree. The ready-to-use containers of Roundup(R) commonly sold at big box stores are designed to kill weeds, and are not supreme decent for that tree-killing project.

Ideally, you should use a 50% solution whether you opt for glyphosate. That’s Roundup(R) Super Concentrate, whether you go with that type. (I have to confess, I balked at the cost of a bottle of the Super Concentrate and chose to go with the less effective Concentrate Plus. I’m crossing my fingers and hoping it works, considering I will tear my hair out whether that camphor tree stump starts sprouting again!) whether you choose triclopyr, try a 40 or 50% solution in oil.

Step 3: assemble your tools
This is a task that calls for warm, dry weather. Wear enlarged pants with socks and boots, and a long-sleeved shirt, to protect your skin from accidental chemical exposure. You will plus need:
* a saw or chainsaw
* work gloves
* eye protection, particularly whether you are using a chainsaw or herbicide spray gun
* herbicide
* electric drill or hammer and large nail
* paintbrush
* broom or small brush
* hand pruners or long-handled lopers
* a rag in case of spills
* a bucket

Step 4: execution date for a tree stump
The thing to remember when killing a tree is that duration is of the essence if you are applying herbicide directly to the tree stump. To be effective, the chemical must have duration to soak into the exposed trunk before the plant releases sap that seals the cut surface.

Apply herbicide to the entire stump whether it is only small (around three inches or so in diameter). whether the tree stump is a large one, it’s not essential to apply herbicide to the entire stump surface. The outer two or three inches will do the trick, considering that’s the living wood. The inner wood, the heartwood, is actually already dead.

First task: Don your gloves and eye protection. Use your hand pruners or lopers to cut off any saplings or suckers sprouting directly out of the tree. Using a paintbrush, apply herbicide directly to the cut surfaces.

Tip: Here is where the bucket comes in handy: keep your bottle of herbicide in it to help it stay upright and to prevent spills.

Second task: Fell the tree using a saw or chainsaw. Obviously, felling a larger tree will require helpers or even expert assistance. Don’t attempt that step unless you’re certain you can handle it! If your tree has previously been felled, you will need to cut the stump through again as low as possible to the ground. that will leave you with a nice, freshly exposed surface on which to apply the herbicide.

Tip: It’s tricky to do that, particularly whether you don’t have a chainsaw, but try to cut on a level. That way, the herbicide is more likely to pool effectively on the stump instead of running off… onto desirable plants… or your shoes…. Oops!

Third task: Depending on the size of the stump, drill one or a few holes into the cut surface. whether you don’t have a drill handy, a hammer and nail do the job just as well. Use your broom or brush to sweep absent the sawdust. Herbicide will pool inside the holes and hopefully improve its effectiveness. Do that speedily, before the tree has a chance to send much sap to the cut surface.

Fourth task: Using your paintbrush, apply herbicide directly to the stump, focusing on the outermost two or three inches of wood and on the holes made by the drill or nail.

Tip: to apply herbicide, use an old paintbrush, or do what I did and purchase a cheapo paintbrush particularly for the task. The one I used cost only 75 cents, and having it meant I didn’t have to anguish about rinsing a good paintbrush clean.

Well, you’re done!

Hopefully, that will spell the end of your pest tree, whether it be a camphor laurel or something else. Now it’s duration for the enjoyable part: deciding what to plant in that newly-vacated space. Of course, you can plant around the remaining dead stump. Alternatively, whether you’re willing to wave goodbye to some lovely cash, hire a stump-grinding service.

Finally, replace your weed tree with something that’s friendly to your local environment. Consider a native species or perhaps something with berries and flowers that attract birds and insects. Check and see whether your state government has published a friendly plants list for your area, like that fab online database for Florida residents.

Happy planting!

Original post by Diane Rixon