Nail in tree.

I have gone back to my text books and have read up on copper toxicity. (Arboriculture, Harris, R.W.,second edition). Andrea411 above writes that copper nails kills trunks.........then goes on to say that it will kill a tree. First, a trunk is not a tree, it has a much smaller body area and therefore the cambium is easily effected by copper toxicity. Yes copper will help in getting rid of trunks - it will make the bark peel off, but the process of dying had already begun with the removal of the top part of the tree without the trunk, copper just puts another 'nail' in the coffin. Too much copper will produce stunted roots and a reduction in foliage. It would take many nails to produce the amount of copper to see these kinds of results. Soil profiles that have a large amount of copper can not be amended to change it. It would take replacing of the soil itself to reduce the copper level. The reason I mention this is to speak of quanity of copper in the soil that actuals shows symptoms of copper toxicity vs. the quanity of copper in one nail that can produce bark removal. If you need to add copper you may do so by using a Bordeaux mixture (copper sulfare and lime) - plants do need copper but it is rare to see copper deficiency. If Andrea has success in using copper nails to get rid of trunks, than go for it. Make sure you take the nail with it! Copper will kill bamboo, but don't use nails! Andrea (not Andrea411)

Thank you for the information.

Good to know info Andrea, thanks.

"another nail in the coffin".......(GROAN) grin

Can we put this one to rest?

dp72 - Sorry to go on, but I was asked to respond to Andrea411 post. May it rest in peace.

I'm the one who asked Andrea to respond and she did a great job of explaining it.

Thanks all, esp. pirl and Aschnapp whose response was funny.
But then I wanted to put it to rest, didn't I? My bad.

Maybe the devil made you do it.

She certainly nailed it. Grin

But not with a copper nail. She knows better.

You guys just crack me up.

Hang on and we'll nail you back together....grin

While you're cracking could you please tell me how many copper nails I'd need to eliminate what we call a "junk" tree that's actually a Negundo http://images.google.com/imgres?imgurl=http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_oH7YVmRWh-s/SEuEsefN6nI/AAAAAAAABkk/c8nFkE3tyuU/s400/Acer%2Bnegundo%2Bvar.jpg&imgrefurl=http://tree-species.blogspot.com/2008/06/boxelder-maple-acer-negundo.html&usg=__SKUSBGbJ_3kbpOrD6SRN0ehgff8=&h=300&w=400&sz=34&hl=en&start=6&tbnid=-2qAKMJ6Tmf2XM:&tbnh=93&tbnw=124&prev=/images%3Fq%3DNegundo%2Bmaple%26gbv%3D2%26hl%3Den%26sa%3DG maple seedling (per Bartlett Tree Service), now about 8' tall. It's going to take down the dog's fence and grows between the fence and the cement in the dog's pen and I'd like to use the tree as a trellis for the clematis that's already climbing on it.

Thanks for any help you can give me.

Early in the spring I assumed an awkward position and scraped the bark off with a knife cutter all the way around (maybe 6 to 8") for a length of 2" and the tree ignores my work and continues to grow. Then I was told to go 1/2" deep all the way around. I age more every time I try and kill this thing.

You could always salt it. Or get Dicambre...it is a herbicide for woody plants.

Would I have to spray the Dicambre? If so that would kill the clematis, right?

Yeah...it would. Okay, back to the nails...grin

Oh boy that's a good one......Ace negundo or Box elder (good example how common names can be a problem since it really is a maple). Here is the solution to your tree problem. DILIGENCE, DILIGENCE, DILIGENCE. A tree cannot grow without leaves as we all know because that is their source of food. After removing it, cut off any green that comes back up. Suckers will come up as well. Now I know I am going to nailed for this one...................after cutting it down, pour a little gasoline on the stump. I hope no one out there has a nail gun on me....................

I just want the tree dead but left in place to become a trellis (of sorts) for the clematis.

If we could dig it up (without removing the cement and the fence) we would but it rooted itself behind the wood pile in the ideal location for it to grow unnoticed, so digging is not an option. Gasoline isn't a choice either unless we want to demolish the fence.

Of course, if we used gasoline and the fence went up in flames and set fire to the wood pile we could have a big neighborhood cook out.

I'll take photos and report back tonight for hammering out more ideas.

claypa - gasoline is often used to stop the growth of a stump. We've seen people do it and if it takes two to four ounces it's a lot.

I often read articles about well water contaminated by MTBE. Whether it's done often or not, it is a crime. And stupid.

Leaving a tree to die but remaining as a trunk can be considered a hazard. This tree grows incredibly fast and I can assume that it is probably only a few seasons old. I guess I did not understand that you wanted the remains of the tree so you can keep it for a trellis. Try to dehorn it (remove all but the useful branches) and keep removing the green on it., Excuse me, but what 'law' did I break since now I am a criminal? I guess Claypa has the nail gun on me now.

Okay Mr. environmentalist, read what Pirl wrote. A few ounces not the whole tank.

Uh oh! Don't get nailed.

Thanks for the information. It will take diligence since the clematis is already growing on the tree. As for being a hazard, since it's about 8' tall and wedged in place I doubt it could hurt anything.

I guess it wouldn't work if I stripped the bark for a foot in length all the way around the tree? That would be a good winter job.

Before we range a war here, is vinegar okay? A 20% solution of vinegar on the trunk, if indeed you want to cut the tree down can be used. This is agriculture grade. Vinegar has been used many times in my garden to kill weeds and does a very good job at it.

It's not a case of saturating the ground with gasoline but just lightly covering the stump so it will stop growing when it's burned. The gas goes up in flames.

I'll try the vinegar today. Thank you so much.

Pirl. Boxelder grows where it does because it is a survivor. Stripping the bark may work but it can also recover from it as well by compartmentalize(or healing) the wound on the trunk.

I'll go the vinegar route. It's far easier than stripping the bark.

You can take a drill and drill a few holes at a 45% angle and fill the holes full of round up. that'll do the job, too. Aschnapp, don't you know all us Southerners are criminals.
Now you take Pirl, she is one sweet, Yankee.

Ha!

Y'all have got me out there with copper nails, gasoline, vinegar and now a drill! What next - dynamite?

Edited to add: maybe I should try beating it do death with some andouille sausage and okra!

This message was edited Aug 25, 2009 2:18 PM

Well, I guess it would get the job done. It has a lot of uses. It is good for fishing, too. I guess that would be a criminal act as well. Well shucks folks, I'm just an ignorant red neck and we do things a little different than normal people.

Okra? Gasoline? Copper nails? Which one is good for fishing?

if you're going to waste good andouille sausage, send it to me! lol

Andouille is good for fishing....and you are not a card-carrying Yank if you eat andouille and okra...Grin

I don't know know if I'd want to turn on the drill while swabbing on the gasoline.....might turn you into a whirling dervish.

You could use limb loppers and cut some of the smaller limbs back a bit and use a paint brush dipped in straight undiluted round-up to paint the cuts. It will take a while, but trimming the branches back a little and painting the cuts 3 or 4 times will eventually kill the tree. Anytime we have had to remove a tree...and we had to take out 26 when we moved here, we paint the stump with round-up IMMEDIATELY after making the cut. No stump sprouts much after that. And you won't burn down the fence...grin

Andouille sausage for fishing?? Those must be some good fat fish lol

That was the only thing I could imagine Jim was talking about....don't think fish eat okra...

I love all the food I've had in New Orleans but just can't take the okra. Just had Red Beans and Rice last week.

When I finally get to posting photos you'll see how much the clematis has taken over. I did remove many branches and took before and after photos. I also dumped 1/2 gallon of vinegar at the base of the tree.

Won't that kill your clematis?

The clematis is planted 10' away but likes to roam. Right plant, wrong spot.