Killing a Box Elder tree

[letterman]

I live in an area where there are lots of Box Elder trees. These trees grow fast and provide shade. They are not bad looking trees either. The problem is that they are weak trees. Winds knock them down or split them apart quicker than most other trees. So I am constantly being faced with these trees falling.

I just had that happen again, and the tree fell on my power lines and caused a big mess, and knocking out my power, and damaging a roof. I decided that all the box elder trees near power lines or buildings need to come down. I'm currently in the process of removing them. The problem is that the stumps grow suckers that come back as new trees if they are not continually trimmed.

When the county cuts them along the road, they apply some sort of chemical that is green in color, to the stump. The trees do not grow back. What is this chemical, and where can I buy it?

Thanks

[dpb]

[e-mail] wrote: ...

Undoubtedly it's just a generic glyphosate (Roundup). The green dolor is simply a dye so can tell where they've got coverage...

--

[franz fripplfrappl]

Your garden center will have stump removal chemicals.

[Mike Hennessey]

I use a Dow speciality herbicide called Tordon. It is green in color. I buy it from the local feed mill. The active ingredients are picloram and diclorophenoxy acetic acid. Keep it off your skin. A small amount around the bark of the cut stump will kill the roots

Mike

Note: my address contains no numeric characters.

[Don Phillipson]

Why not ask the county roads department? They have no reason to keep it a secret.

[Hell Toupee]

Dunno what specifically they're using, but ammate (ammonium sulfamate) works very well. You may find it sold as Ortho Brush Killer A, Bonide Grass-N-Weed Killer, or plain old Ammate by DuPont.

Product description:

or

[John Gilmer]

Cut the stumps low enough that you can run a mower.

OR

just let the trees grow again and cut them back at 15' or so.

For a few years I maintained some "paths" through some trees and brush at the back of the property. It just wasn't a big deal to "patrol" every other week with some loppers and run a lawnmover through.

** Posted from **

[Eric in North TX]

I recently got rid of a big stump organically by boring holes in it and pouring it full of seaweed, bone meal & whatever organic fertilizer was at hand, then keeping it as wet as possible. It took about 2 years though.

[Toupee47]

There is a product called Tordon available at hardware and coop stores. It prevents all noxious plants from sprouting.

[trader_4]

But what do you use to prevent responses to 7 year old threads?

[CRNG]

On Sat, 04 May 2019 17:14:02 GMT, Be helpful <caedfaa9ed1216d60ef78a6f660f5f85 [e-mail] wrote in <uLjzE.303783$ [e-mail]

+1

[trader_4]

And of course, four years later, you make another post that adds what helpful information to the thread? Typical from HomeMoanersHub.