I've heard about ring-barking but that's a little too obvious for my purposes. How can I kill a small, maybe 2 year-old, tree surreptitiously in the dead of night. There's no surrounding vegetation but whatever has to be done can't be an airborne spray nor something obvious nor something that would injure other people (like explosives). Ideally we're talking about an easily-available swiftly-degradable poison. How about just plain boiling water into the roots, or lacquer thinner, or alcohol?
It sounds as though you are trying to piss someone off.
Killing any vegetation isn't hard, there are all sorts of chemicals designed for exactly that purpose - without going to the extent of Agent Orange. The various highway and main roads departments use them all the time to control undergrowth adjoining roadways.
You could always hitch it to the back of your car and simply tow it out of the ground. That's always fun.
At least this group is not dead as I thought it was.
Not really. The only people who might be pissed off are some tree-huggers or some parasites known as arborists but then what they don't know nor see won't hurt them.
Names please? Where to buy?
However, I don't think you have the message. I'm not talking about something like RoundUp which might (?) work but has to be sprayed on the leaves. Note the original parameter: it can't be an airborne spray.
Ridiculous.
Have you seen the damage that was caused by Hurricane Irene? Huge trees uprooted and crushing cars and other useful structures. Large trunks simply broken in two. Like spiders, crocodiles, mosquitoes, and other dangers to humanity, trees must be separated from us and preferably placed in the country, not where they can destroy private property such as automobiles, sewers, and sidewalks. Unfortunately tree-huggers don't agree. I can't do anything about the overall problem but I can do something about one tree that damages my car's paint, slaps me in the face when I walk by, and I'm sure, is slowly penetrating my sewer (or will in the next few years). Wouldn't it be sad if it suddenly died?
One of you was right about one thing though: it's not two years old. It was placed in the ground two or so years ago when it had a trunk diameter of about 4 inches at the base. It's now about six inches and
12 feet high. It's hardy though. I put bags of sodium chloride and magnesium chloride on it last winter and it still thrives. So much for "sowing the fields of Carthage with salt". Professors of ancient history don't know what they're talking about.
If you don't want to answer the question, that's your prerogative.
If I wanted to kill a tree, such as Ailanthus altissima, for example, an invasive weed, I would use a long pole and attach some rags or mop head soaked in roundup to apply to the leaves within my reach. Use your imagination.
What has hurricane Irene to do with towing a two year old tree out of the ground? A tree that young will uproot quite easily. I have done it a number of times, it is easier than cutting it back and digging the stump out. Much easier.
I assume that as you find the suggestion ridiculous that you are trying to kill a tree that is not yours. If the reason is because of root damage to drains (unlikely in a tree that young) then protect your drains. Dig a narrow trench between your drains and the tree and sprinkle Copper Sulphide Pentahydrate into it. No roots will grown through it.
Huge
Most people are a tad smarter than you it would seem, they can avoid tree branches.
Is that a euphemism for a Gay fantasy?
You are an asshole and you really want to hope that your neighbour isn't like me, or have friends like me. I would take it very seriously if someone killed one of my trees, and I would exact revenge.
The last time a neighbour really pissed me off he moved a year or so later. He didn't want to but after his wife found out about the affair he was TRYING to start with a woman where he worked, plus was informed that the credit card payments to a health club were actually to a brothel, and divorced him, he had little choice. I spent many months taking delight in making his life miserable. His car's motor was destroyed when the sump plug fell out while he was on the freeway - he was too dumb to stop until the bearings started to disintegrate. Funny thing, a week or two after he had his motor rebuilt it failed again. Almost as though someone had drained half the oil out and replaced it with Kerosene. I never did find out why the company who rebuilt the engine refused to accept it as damage covered by warranty.
His boss got the idea that he was applying for jobs with competition companies. His wife got copies of all his email. His female workmates (the attractive ones) got gifts of very sexy underwear along with suggestive cards - all bought and mailed from an on-line source using his credit card details. I think that the black eye I saw him sporting not long before he moved might have been from one of their husbands.
Yes, you really want to hope that your tree owning neighbour is not a vengeful bastard like me. Of course I hope that he is.
I just want to kill the tree. As long as it's dead the remains can stay in the ground.
Oh really. Someone damages my property (or potentially damages it in the future) and I have to spend money to protect my property? Shouldn't it be the other person who digs the trench and pays for it? And who keeps it trimmed so that it neither hits persons nor cars. And replaces the sidewalk if the tree breaks it up. And pays for any damage to houses or motor vehicles. Maybe if they had the consideration to not plant a tree where it will damage my property they wouldn't have to do any of this.
Perhaps a little trench around the tree base would solve the problem permanently.
You don't anticipate encountering a tree branch at head height while walking along a sidewalk. Of course you ignore all the other problems I mentioned.
Very amusing.
I very much doubt it. Anyway it's not an individual.
There's actually lots of information on the net about how to kill a tree. This winter ultra salt and even a little auger-dug hole next to the tree packed with the stuff for a start.
To the NG people, thanks for your helpful comments, all of you. No wonder usenet is dying.
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