Willow trees around pond

[cajunpaisley]

Located in south Louisiana, near Baton Rouge. We have a small pond. There are small willow trees all around the perimeter. They are unruly. They're not huge, the largest trunk is about as big around as a forearm. I'm not sure about the best way to remove them...We have a tractor, a good sized Massey Ferguson. We are wondering if the best way to remove them is to don waders and get in the water and saw underwater (and what's the best tool for this?) Or attach a chain to them and pull them out with the tractor (seems like this would damage the bank, leaving jagged,gaping holes) or a combination of both? This may not be the best group for this question, if anyone has any suggestions..thanks in advance. I've googled, but maybe my search terms were not clear enough.. FWIW..I'm not exactly a tree hugger, but by no means am I trying to just pillage and make a sterile, treeless pond bank..I'm thinking the willows are hogging water and space that would benefit the cypress trees that are so quintessentially cajun... Thanks. cajunpaisley

[Toller]

Herbicide to kill them; then cut them down?

[Don Phillipson]

You can probably get advice from the state Ag. Dept. Extension department or else at the state univ. E.g.

1. Trees that grow on land can be killed by ring-barking them (removing a sleeve of bark and cambium one inch deep all round the trunk.) It may take them a year to die, but when dead they dry out (relatively) thus are lighter in weight, therefore safer to fell. Ring-barking avoids using poison of any type --- but I don't know how well it works for trees standing in water.
2. Because yours is a small pond, you might be able to pull them out across the whole width of the pond. (Your tractor can pull just as hard on a 300-ft. cable as it can on a 10-ft. cable.) This would preserve the bank -- but I do not know if this is feasible for willows (cf. roots) or whether it does more harm to the pond structure than pulling towards the nearer bank. A limnologist ought to be able to tell you, if you can tell him how deep the pond is.

[Lar]

I know someone who had success with what you are describing by cutting the trees then paint a weed killer on the fresh cut stumps. I am not sure how long the stumps were left too die but they were removed within the year.

Lar

[Phisherman]

Pulling out the trees may well damage the pond bank. Maybe you can cut them down and leave the roots to temporarily hold the bank. As the roots decay, other vegetation will take over and hold the bank. I have a pond and use grasses, rush, etc to hold the bank--it works well and you can keep them trimmed. Willows easily sprout from branches and roots so you will be cutting these back for 2-3 years.

[Harry K]

Just cutting them won't work as they will resprout.

Pulling them will damage the bank.

Ring barking won't work either as they will sprout from below the dead section.

IMO, you will be stuck with using chemical to kill the roots. Check with your local ag department for the -real- information.

Harry K

[Harry K]

OOPs...I forgot one method but it is probably not useable in your situation: Fire. I have killed stumps by piling my brush on them and burning it.

Harry K

[The hooligan]

One word, "Beavers"

[BradMM]

If you cut them down, as has been said, you will eventually kill them if you keep cutting the tops off because they need leaves to photosynthesize. This produces the carbohydrates (CHO = food) for the rest of the plant so you will eventually starve them to death if you keep the leaves cut off. In the mean time, they will live and resprout from stored CHO's until they are depleted and then the plant dies. As was said, that may take a while but, if you're willing to stick with it and don't wait until the sprouts get big, it will work.

If you ring the tree, you'll just cause it to sprout more.

Herbicides sprayed on the foliage (Rodeo is the aquatic version of Roundup since it's over a pond) will work.

on their size, it might be hard to get the foliage sprayed.

Brad

[BradMM]

If you cut them down, as has been said, you will eventually kill them if you keep cutting the tops off because they need leaves to photosynthesize. This produces the carbohydrates (CHO = food) for the rest of the plant so you will eventually starve them to death if you keep the leaves cut off. In the mean time, they will live and resprout from stored CHO's until they are depleted and then the plant dies. As was said, that may take a while but, if you're willing to stick with it and don't wait until the sprouts get big, it will work.

If you ring the tree, you'll just cause it to sprout more.

Herbicides sprayed on the foliage (Rodeo is the aquatic version of Roundup since it's over a pond) will work.

on their size, it might be hard to get the foliage sprayed.

Brad

[dadiOH]

I would just jerk them. Yes, the bank will have some holes. The holes will fill up/level in short order...nature wants everything to be level.

Alternatively, use Rodeo to kill them. It is supposed to be non-injurious to aquatic life. After they are good and dead, just knock down with a blade (tractor, bulldozer, whatever). ______________

You have a pond. Until the pond is dry I wouldn't worry about the willows depriving the cypress of water. They have co-existed for millennia.

If you want to get rid of the willows for esthetic reasons, that's a different story. Hard to get rid of though as more will start growing from seeds or bits of branches...gotta keep on them and remove when they are babies.

[robert]

replying to Harry K, robert wrote: yes fire i dont see why people dont just use fire

[clare]

2 words.

Fort McMurray

[bob haller]

i would appreciate the beauty of the willow trees, and enjoy them.

no need to do a lot of work unnecessarily

[Harry K]

Old thread but I am now clearcutting a stand of willow for a farmer. Killing the stumps by spraying the sprouts with Roundup. Some gote thwir 2nd dose just last week. Haardly any of them came back after the first dose last spring.