How to Dry a Tree without having to cut it down, is a decision that has to be made when a tree has to be dried responsibly, given that its superficial roots have spread and cause damage to a building, water or gas pipes. or because the branches of the tree have grown and there is a power pole nearby. This post shows some methods to dry a tree.
Dry and kill a tree without felling
When talking about trees, you have to be aware that these plants are part of a natural ecosystem, such as a deciduous forest, a tropical rain forest, a coniferous forest. Trees have a close relationship with the soil and climate of the place, the environment where it grows and for this reason they have certain characteristics determined by their adaptation to these environmental conditions.
Observing how in a savanna trees such as the saman, rain tree or campano ( Samanea saman ) can grow in all their majesty, it is a tree about 20 meters tall, with an extensive umbrella-like crown that can reach about 50 meters, with slow growth, a long-lived tree and shallow roots.
So also the trees that grow in coniferous forests, such as pines, cypresses, cedars, redwoods, firs and other plant species grow and form plant communities adapted to cold temperatures, frosts, different very marked seasons. The pines are the trees that grow the most and emerge among the trees with their pyramidal crown, formed in this way to remove the snow faster. And also some species of pines have been planted in artificial ecosystems.
When trees are grown outside their natural habitat, such as artificial ecosystems built by human beings such as cities, parks, squares and houses. Sometimes without knowing the dimensions of its branches, trunk and roots, it means that some time later the tree has to be sacrificed because it damages a wall, grows near a power pole, raises a sidewalk, among others.
How does a tree dry up?
The conservation of trees and nature leads us to take into consideration the functions and benefits that trees provide to man and, due to this, the deforestation of large extensions of forests is observed with some mortification, which is affecting natural ecosystems and life. of the species of animals and plants that develop in these places. In addition to this, or as a consequence of this, global warming, which has been the result of poor environmental management of our planet.
The situation is that leads us to take actions such as promoting the planting of trees in parks and avenues, in conjunction with environmental associations. In order to become aware of having to protect the environment. However, there are times when decisions have to be made contrary to the actions of caring for the trees and the environment. What do I mean by this? Like when you have to decide to dry a tree because it causes damage to some facility.
When to dry a tree
To provide society with places to live and work, cities have been developed with housing and industrial buildings, as well as constructions for health, education, transportation and recreation services, among others. Creating an artificial urban ecosystem, with trees of different species of trees, which grow in small spaces if we compare them to how they grow in natural forests.
Coming to happen that these trees have been planted in places that also built a system of networks to supply water to buildings or industries; or the gardener, where they planted the tree, became too small and its roots began to damage the street and sidewalk. Bearing in mind that this tree that was planted to decorate the city, now turns out to be an inconvenience and is a potential damage, which can generate considerable expenses and, then, is the moment when it must be eliminated.
Drying a Tree with Epsom Salt
When the decision has been made to remove a tree and you want to avoid using a chainsaw because the cost is too expensive or this equipment is not available, there are other methods of removing a tree such as using Epsom salt or rock salt. It is currently widely used because it is effective, easy to apply and economical.
It should be noted that when a tree is dried using Epsom salt or rock salt, the results will be observed after a few months when noticing a tree with its dry trunk and branches, already lifeless. If you are looking for a product that dries a tree even faster, you have to look for another option or options. What if they exist apart from felling with a chainsaw.
It must be clarified that common salt should be avoided to dry a tree, since this can contaminate the soil and cause irreparable damage to the soil and therefore to the environment. This is why you have to use exclusively "Epsom salt" or also "rock salt". This product is 100% effective, it is added by itself without any other ingredients added. You will notice that when the stump of the affected tree is removed it is very likely that the soil has not been contaminated.
What is Epsom Salt?
Epsom salt is composed of magnesium sulfate, also known as magnesium sulfate, and has the chemical formula MgSO₄· 7H₂O . It is a natural source of magnesium for humans. In industry, it is used as a drying agent when the unahydrated magnesium (MgSO₄ ) is used.
In nature, the salts are extracted from a spring near the town of Epsom, in England, the spring water is salty and bitter and, when the salts were distilled for the first time, the name these salts have was taken from that spring. These salts look similar to common salt or sodium chloride.
Apply Epsom Salt
When applying Epsom salt to dry the tree, the following steps are followed: Start by drilling the ground around the tree, this is done so that the Epsom salt has direct contact with the roots. These holes are recommended to have the following dimensions of 1 to 2,5 centimeters wide with 20 to 30 centimeters deep.
After opening the holes, Epsom salt is added. When you finish adding the salts, add candle wax to seal the holes and they will be sealed. The goal will be to prevent the salt from leaking out of the holes and doing the work of drying out the plant. You are reminded that the Epsom salt should not fall on the surface of the ground, so that the other plants located in the garden near the tree to be dried are not damaged. At the end, a canvas is placed.
Its roots are covered with a tarpaulin if the tree is tall, or the tree stump and roots, if the tree has already been cut down. This to help speed up the process, this cover can be a dark plastic in case you do not have a canvas, what matters is that it covers the plant. In this way, drying is accelerated since sunlight is prevented from reaching it, nor does rainwater reach it, and the salt does its job more effectively.
herbicide application
In the case of a tree that has already been cut down previously and has sprouted again, you can try a chemical herbicide, which have the following trade names: glyphosate or tricoplir, as they are the best known. What is counterproductive is that the herbicide, in addition to drying out the trunk of the tree that has sprouted again and its roots, will also dry out the roots of the plants close to it. This means that you must be careful when applying these products and open holes as close to the roots of the trunk to improve their effectiveness and damage other plants as little as possible.
cover the trunk
It is possible to dry a tree trunk by covering it completely, this technique is suggested when the stump of the tree remains, this practice has already been deprived and it is very effective to eliminate or dry the deep roots in a guaranteed way without causing environmental damage. The intention of covering the trunk of the tree and its roots is to accelerate its death, suppressing all nutrients and energies that nature provides through solar radiation and rainwater, without damaging the soil where it is growing and being able to use it. when planting a new, smaller plant.
Once the trunk or stump of the already cut tree is covered with a tarpaulin or dark plastic, for example a large garbage bag. You have to be aware that no water or sunlight enters it. This process may take between 3 to 6 months, during this time it is convenient to check the rest of the tree and if you notice that it begins to rot and fungi appear, this indicates that it is a good sign and the trunk is already dying.
It is possible that at the foot of the tree that we are treating so that it died by means of the technique of covering it. It is observed that a plant from the same tree sprouts and, it is wanted to be avoided, in view of the inconvenience caused by the drying tree. Then I suggest you carefully remove it from the root and place it in a bag or container, to replant it in another larger place or take it to a nursery so that they take care of it and offer other people if they have space to plant that type of tree.
Other Methods to Dry a Tree
In addition to the above techniques of using Epsom salt, tarping the tree, and also using herbicide, these are guaranteed to dry out a tree without cutting it down. There are other proven techniques as good techniques that help dry a tree, they are carried out using various tools and supplies, such as: a drill, nails, nitrogen fertilizer and a chainsaw, among others. What do they consist of? They are described below.
use a drill
In this step we have to have a drill, a half-inch bit, we pass the do with a marker or a colored pencil like a crayon, a circle around the trunk of the tree to mark the points where it will be drilled. The objective of this step is to drill the trunk, to apply a fertilizer that has nitrogen in the holes. This product is applied to accelerate the production of a fungus that helps decompose the tree in 4 to 6 weeks.
nail the trunk
In this method, you must have some large nails made of copper or another material, and a hammer. This method is simple and cheaper than others already indicated. It involves driving several nails into the bark of the tree trunk to accelerate the formation of saprophagous fungi that eat wood and begin to decompose the tree, until it dries up.
use a chainsaw
This method is one of the most used, due to the speed with which the problem that is causing the tree in question is solved. This method consists of having a chainsaw and, although it is not a new method, it is dangerous, because you have to know how to use this machinery so that the operator achieves his goal, without harming himself.
If you do not know how to use this machinery, it is preferable to hire an expert or receive a class on handling agricultural machinery first and take your precautions. Some recommendations are listed below, to obtain the expected result of drying or eliminating a tree.
- Evaluate the damage caused by the tree, to see if the tree actually has to be cut down.
- If it is a very large tree, you have to hire a specialized company.
- Observe where you have to make the cuts in the tree and have someone assist you with a rope to prevent falling branches from damaging other plants, walls, pipes or cables, to name a few of the things that could be damaged.
- The rope would hold the branch and trunk to be cut, to control its fall. Look before cutting to where the tree or part of it will fall, and position yourself on the opposite side.
- Use safety implements. Delimit the area to prevent other people from passing the place.
If the tree is real, it is a potential threat, given that it is affecting the wall of an educational institution where children attend, an institution such as a nursing home or a hospital frequented by many people of different ages and health conditions, and this tree , it can cause the fall of the wall, it is suggested to cut or dry the tree immediately. This to solve this situation of damage to the facilities and eliminate the threat to the people who frequent the place.
Above all, when the decision has to be made to eliminate a tree, because it is causing damage to third parties, it is planted near a power pole, its roots are damaging pipes of some urban service or it turns out that the tree was sick and died standing. . Whether it is any of the previous options and it has to be eliminated, it is first suggested to process the permit indicated by the environmental laws of your municipality, state or country. This permit is processed even if the tree in question is within the limits of private property.
So, they have already been authorized to cut or phytosanitary treat the tree. Proceed to perform some of the following steps or one of those previously indicated to you. Below is information on how to dry a tree, carrying out the following steps, which taking the provisions such as putting on gloves, masks and delimiting the area, you could do it yourself, without having to hire a specialist, as long as you feel capable. to do so and the tree is small.
tree girdling
This method consists of removing the bark of the tree and exposing the lumen or wood of the tree, forming a ring around the tree. This process is quite simple and they guarantee to dry out the tree by interrupting the flow of tree sap, which travels from the root to the top of the tree. To speed up the drying of the tree, some people use herbicide or simply let the interrupted process for the proper functioning of the tree, such as nutrition, end up drying the tree.
The decision to apply herbicide or let the tree dry out over time will depend on how quickly you want to remove this tree. By using herbicide, the desired result will be seen faster, while if you want to avoid the use of chemicals, this process can take several months and even a year or two. It should be noted that the bark of the trunk of the tree is removed and an uncovered strip of its lumen about 10 to 12 centimeters wide or 4 to 5 inches wide is left.
Protective equipment
While performing this banding method, it is suggested that you take into account your personal protection, due to the use of agricultural machinery and agrochemicals. In order to avoid an accident, you have to put on protective glasses, bait gloves, gardening boots and a canvas bib or apron since, to do the banding you have to use a chainsaw, an ax or machete, an element of care when to be used.
herbicide application
Since you want to speed up the drying process of the tree and decided to apply an agrochemical, in this case a herbicide, it is suggested to do it first thing in the morning. This, because there is less breeze and helps to reduce the dispersion of the herbicide to other plants and kill them as well. When is it applied? At the end of ringing the stem of the tree and removing the bark, 5 or 10 minutes after having finished removing the bark and there is still sap in the trunk, the herbicide is applied. The area is protected with a cloth tape.
Among the herbicides that are suggested to carry out this drying method are those known by their trade names: glyphosate and triclopyr. Both are one of the most widely used herbicides in agriculture and landscape management. When you go to apply it, remember that they are toxic products and can poison a person. So remember to keep away and identified as poison, when you store it. In addition to protecting your eyes, hands and mouth when applying it, also follow the instructions for use, referred to in its packaging. If you follow them timely, everything will be fine.
Have patience
Already by cutting the bark when doing the girdling, he cut off the free circulation of the sap in the tree and also placed herbicide while it could still be absorbed by the plant and, having been transferred to its roots and other parts of the tree. What remains is to wait for the product to take effect on the tree and it will be dried.
Use an ax or machete
The next method to describe to dry a tree is carried out by using a machete or an ax and then spraying an herbicide. Below is information on how to do it, so that you can decide with which agricultural instrument you want to work.
Cuts are made with the ax or machete on the bark of the tree around the trunk of the tree. This method is similar to girdling, described above in that it seeks to interrupt the flow of sap and water from the roots to the top of the tree. Those who know both methods consider this one to be faster.
Apply herbicide after cutting with an ax
In a container with a spray nozzle, especially for the use of agrochemicals, water is mixed with herbicide, depending on the amount or dose suggested by the instructions of the company that made the product. Remember to protect yourself because you are working with a poison. Cuts are made with the ax or with the machete that are less wide and deep than those made with ringing. On these cuts the herbicide is applied. Remember to do this agricultural practice in the morning hours.
The cuts that are made will have to be about 5 centimeters or 2 inches, as you already know these cuts will be made with an ax or machete. These cuts have to reach the lumen or wood of the tree. Once the cuts are finished, the desired objective has been achieved by using one of the two instruments. So, the herbicide is sprayed and then you have to wait. It should be noted that to apply this product in agricultural houses there are containers with special nozzles to use with agrochemicals.
dry dead tree stump
Once any of the methods described above have been applied and the goal of drying out a tree has been reached because it was causing a problem for the community or for their home and family members, then the ideal is to finish pulling out the roots. Here is how to do this step.
Sometimes it turns out that a tree that was damaging a street, sidewalk or pavement has dried up, and it happens that the tree is removed but a stump of the stem with the roots remains and the sidewalk or pavement continues to be raised and damaged, so it is necessary to proceed to remove the roots or dry, with the aim of repairing the damaged installations.
Before continuing, remember to protect your hands, eyes and other parts of the body because you are going to use implements such as axes, drills and agrochemicals, as well as have someone help you and have the place delimited to avoid onlookers.
Here the holes or cuts that you make will be made on the stump and the protruding roots to the surface, once they have been made, the nitrogenous fertilizer is applied, again it is insisted on having gloves on and making the application early in the morning. Once the product has been applied, keep the tree delimited so that they do not approach, remember that you applied poison. This nitrogenous fertilizer accelerates the formation of saprophagous fungi and the tree stump and roots begin to rot and, in a short time, they will dry and can be easily removed.
final suggestion
Finally, it is suggested that when you have a garden at home, you choose trees that you know are of medium height and their roots are deeper than superficial, in addition to planting this tree away from buildings and pipes. With the purpose that when they grow they do not have to be sacrificed, unless the tree has already completed its life cycle and, because it is dead standing, it is a threat.
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