Need to kill 14 trees

[Johnch]

Talked to his wife today and the problem is solved

Well I hate to do this
But there are 14 Cottenwood trees that are becoming a problem
All of them are at least 30 - 36" in dia and dropping branchs in my field every good wind [smilie=b:
I spent 2 hours this morning picking up branchs so the beans can be harvested

The problem is the all trees are right on the property line
The other land owner is a nice guy , but dosn't want the trees cut

So I need to kill the trees from my side and not show I did it

Any idea of something I can put in a hole next to the trees to kill them ?
But not kill all the crops in the field , or be quick
To work before the field is planted next year
Killing other brush and stuff along the fence line would be great

On the other side of the fence is a limestone ridge that isn't farmed



John

[imashooter2]

It is illegal to kill trees that don't belong to you. You can however, trim them back straight up the property line.

BTW, wouldn't killing them cause them to drop even more branches on your property?

[Janoosh]

I'm told copper nails driven into the base/trunk/roots of the tree works. Also diesel fuel around the base but that shows and smells.

[Sweetpea]

Somebody might possibly take a cordless drill with a long auger bit, and drill into the base of the tree at a downward angle...

They could then pour in some roundup, or diesel, or some stump remover...

Just saying, it could happen...

[Hardcast416taylor]

Had an old timer tell me once how to kill a tree with no visible evidence. Buy a pound of 8 penny brad headed copper nails. Drive them into the trunk of the tree about a foot apart around the circumference a foot or so above the soil level. May take a few years, but it`ll kill the tree.Robert

[Bonz]

My vote would be to prune back all the limbs/branches on my side of the property.

[Digger]

Copper Sulfate ...... ala .... root kill , the same stuff that is on the shelf at your hardware store for dumping in your sewer line for root problems .
Had a huge Chinese elm just over the neighbors fence that hung over my house and gave my sewer line root problems ....
an occasional hand full spread out so that it was not noticeable as it was in grass and sometimes watered ...the blue sulfate kernels would dissipate with the watering ....
took time but the tree is dead .
the house went thru ownership several times , so I was the only one that could deal with it responsibly ....
Had to cut it back my self while the bank owned it in foreclosure but took pics of it with all the dead limbs hanging over to look legit .
Nobody else would deal with it ..... so I did.
By the way .... went thru all the legal channels of paperwork notification to the entity's that be at the time and received no replies ...ignored.

[HarryT]

A family of beavers can legally kill those trees for you.

I'd ask the nice guy neighbor to help me pick up the branches. He may let you cut the trees after few limb removal days.

[unclogum bill]

In my business we sold Copper Sulfate as a root killer, (stopping roots growing in sewers) . One of my customers mixed two pounds flushed it in the toilet and left for a two week vacation. He had tree roots yearly in his sewer, due to neighbors maple tree. When he got home he called me to cut out roots, While it was July , that maple tree was dropping leaves all over. Neighbor accused him, but he "don't know nothing". That said I would not do what your thinking. Cottonwoods have to wide a root network and that poison will spread , seep, into the unknown. I could write pages here but it would not change the above .
To kill a tree effective you want to cut a line through its bark all the way around it, that will stop its ability to pass nutriments . Another old time method that I wont try would be driving copper nails in it. I always thought this was more of a joke cause I never saw a copper nail. To be effective would have to be a lot of them or a big one. Big one would be "tree spiking " , not cool at all if someone runs a chainsaw through it.
If the tree is cut and all that remains is a stump , drilling 1/2 inch holes in the top and filling them with rock salt will kill it proper , preventing the shoots from haunting you.
Possible a guy could angle auger a hole inside of trunk, pour in "round up" (turkey baster) and plug it, but with 14 trees, someones going to know someone did something.

[Johnch]

It is illegal to kill trees that don't belong to you. You can however, trim them back straight up the property line.

BTW, wouldn't killing them cause them to drop even more branches on your property?

OK true

More branchs if 1 time would be OK

Should have said I want to kill the 18 - 24" of each tree on my side of the fence line
As I am the only one that can get to them
The limestone ridge stops the other land owner from even getting close expect to hike over 1/2 of a mile of nasty

BTW I have a agreement that allows me to cut dead or dying trees on his land that he can't get to
I can sell the logs to the saw mill ( not sure what the use )

So I was just trying to be nice when I ask to cut them

Probely should have just said they were dying if he ask

John

[unclogum bill]

Let me add this to my last post. If you do decide to take matters into your own hands ,don't but the materials local and don't pay with a credit card. Remember that "big brother watches you all over , even has a tape of you entering the store.

[Bored1]

OK true

More branchs if 1 time would be OK

Should have said I want to kill the 18 - 24" of each tree on my side of the fence line
As I am the only one that can get to them
The limestone ridge stops the other land owner from even getting close expect to hike over 1/2 of a mile of nasty

BTW I have a agreement that allows me to cut dead or dying trees on his land that he can't get to
I can sell the logs to the saw mill ( not sure what the use )

So I was just trying to be nice when I ask to cut them

Probely should have just said they were dying if he ask

John

If he can't access them from his side I would suggest you go get him and bring him over to your side and explained the situation. Also mention that he can't even get to the trees so really no loss for him. Maybe if you offer to cut em give him the cash from the saw mill it may sway him a bit. Hard for anyone to pass up money for something they can't use/see.

[jcwit]

If you do end up cutting one of those trees down I sure would like to have a 6 inch slice of one of the trunks about 24 inches in dia.

They make excellent tomahawk/knife throwing backstops, which BTW are hard to find.

[Sweetpea]

If he can't access them from his side I would suggest you go get him and bring him over to your side and explained the situation. Also mention that he can't even get to the trees so really no loss for him. Maybe if you offer to cut em give him the cash from the saw mill it may sway him a bit. Hard for anyone to pass up money for something they can't use/see.

This sounds like a good idea, but I've never seen a Cottonwood tree worth any $$$...

[imashooter2]

OK true

More branchs if 1 time would be OK

Should have said I want to kill the 18 - 24" of each tree on my side of the fence line
As I am the only one that can get to them
The limestone ridge stops the other land owner from even getting close expect to hike over 1/2 of a mile of nasty

BTW I have a agreement that allows me to cut dead or dying trees on his land that he can't get to
I can sell the logs to the saw mill ( not sure what the use )

So I was just trying to be nice when I ask to cut them

Probely should have just said they were dying if he ask

John

It wouldn't be one time. Dead trees drop branches over a period of many years. Cutting them down because they were dying would be a one time thing, but the trees aren't yours to kill.

[square butte]

Don't do it. Not only is it illegal - IT IS WRONG.. Send him a bill for your labor and you damages if he will not cooperate - Or have him clean it up. I deal with the same problem every year - except with Willow trees. I doubt my neighbor is as nice as yours. It all get pitched on to his side of the line.

[w5pv]

I may be wrong but had a summer job killing sweet gum trees we would ring the tree with a hatchet and put lye in the cut to prevent it from sprouting. That was sixty-five or so years ago.If lye was to keep it from sprouting why wouldn't also kill through the roots.

[MtGun44]

Now that you posted it online, if you do it and the guy wants to go after you legally, you
are in deep kimshee. It will be easy to prove it was you. Anybody doing a bit of online
searching will find it and by the way - even if you delete this now, it is in the permanent
archives and can still be found in searches.

Kinda screwed the pooch here.

Bill

[unclogum bill]

Kinda screwed the pooch here.

About the only way I see that is if they take his computer, Know one can reference his real name to this site that I can see . Doubtful the FBI will get involved in "tree murder". Quick place computer in oven and cook at 450 for one hour....

[starmac]

Kinda screwed the pooch here.

About the only way I see that is if they take his computer, Know one can reference his real name to this site that I can see . Doubtful the FBI will get involved in "tree murder". Quick place computer in oven and cook at 450 for one hour....

In this day and time one never knows, it kind of depends on who the neighbor knows.

I would not kill any trees not on my side of the property line with out the neighbors permission, if they were really a problem I would trim them back to the property line.

[quilbilly]

Cottonwoods in this area that get that large usually have heart rot and can be dangerous. If most of the limbs and branches are falling on your side, the prevailing wind must be blowing them that way. The owner of a "danger tree" can be held liable for any damage if he is informed in advance. It may be time to cut and replant. Those types of trees often grow so fast that there might be only a couple years benefits lost before the new trees perform the same service. At least around here, the only things cottonwoods are good for is pulp for paper production (don't burn worth a darn as firewood) and it takes dozens of big ones to be worthwhile.

[unclogum bill]

I may be the only one with a sense of humor here. Remember the possum and the quite load thread. At best it was a guy wanting to break the law in city limits. At worst it was a city kid wanting to off a teacher. He got 3 pages of advice on how to do it, I was roasted for my why kill it , trap it rant. Very and I mean very few saw that as wrong. Here killing some cottonwoods comes down as wrong. I lived by my neighbors Cottonwoodsfor 20 years. More of a weed than a tree. Wrong sure. more wrong than firing a round in city limits, I don't know. I lived in a rural area and used to get chased by Bubbas dog as I run my motorcycle to work on a dirt road. Dog would hide and barrel out as I come past. Walked down his drive in nice guy mode and the guy run me off. Told me it was my problem. Outside of town, no animal control, sheriff couldn't care less. One day I let the dog in my car and took him to the pound. Like the guy said "My Problem". Sometimes your on your own.

[dbosman]

Does Ohio have a right to farm law? If so, his tree dropping sticks on your crop is his problem.
If you're planting Round Up ready beans, and who isn't ;-(, a little over dose on that side of your field shouldn't bother you much.

Copper nails are available at shops that supply boat builders. Copper nails in a tree is a multi-year kill project. And the nails will show on a metal detector and at cutting.
Copper sulphate is available at farm supply stores in areas with ponds.

Cotton wood, if the trees aren't hollow, makes for really nice looking cabinet wood.

[Garyshome]

Wire them up to a lightning rod!

[capt.hollis]

I work with the Texas Dept of Agric, and let me tell you do not kill those trees. You will not only get into a legal issue with your neighbor, but youll get into some big time trouble with the State likewise, specially if he suspects illegal herbicide use killed them. I've seen many cases a lot lighter than this go to extreme measures. Just hope they fall down or die somehow.

[500MAG]

85572 you can girdle them but I'm sure that would be noticeable.

[dragon813gt]

I had the same thoughts as the OP but in my case it was just one tree. It was hanging over the line and laying on the rubber roof of my car port. The neighbor would not cut the tree down. And I use the term tree losely because it was a Locust which is just a big weed. So I cut everything off that was on my side of the line, which was half the tree. It looked so bad that the neighbors decided to cut it down completely a few weeks ago. It doesn't seem like this solution will work for the OP. But for someone living in a town it just might.

[unclogum bill]

I work with the Texas Dept of Agric, and let me tell you do not kill those trees. You will not only get into a legal issue with your neighbor, but you'll get into some big time trouble with the State likewise, specially if he suspects illegal herbicide use killed them. I've seen many cases a lot lighter than this go to extreme measures. Just hope they fall down or die somehow.
Oh' heck , hes right of course. Our local paper carried a story of a guy who got caught dumping a gallon waste oil in a storm sewer and they fined him ten grand. Job I was on the EPA showed up (concerned neighbor) cause of some sewer overflow. Normally no big deal but they made the guy pull the trailer off the lot and replace the dirt seven inches down. If your caught it never ends- Just not worth the grief.

[TXGunNut]

Seems to me most cottonwoods don't live long, ones this big probably won't live much longer anyway. Then you can ask him to cut them down before they fall down.

[leeggen]

I know here in Tn. our cottowoods grow quite big and tall most limbs are in the top, most lower fall off when small to med in size. I have some 30 to 34 in across and they don't grow fast as one would like to think. Trimming limbs on ones property side is legal killing or cutting the tree is illegal. Now that said, in most property lines if the tree sets "on the line" one can legally cut everyother tree as his own while the tree in between is the neighbors and has to be left alone. Don't get confused with cottonwood and basswood. Not alot of dif. except the edge of the leaves are dif. look nit upo on the net and see which it is. Lots of bass have been destroyed when people thought they were cottowood. As said before 14 trees dieing is kindof a giveaway as to intentional damage. If in dought take a few leaves to local ag or library and you can find out quickly. Baaswood is great for furniture frames and pays good money per board foot. Maybe if they are basswood the neighbor might share money if you cut and haul to mill. I farm also and limbs are a pain but good neighbors are hard to come by!! Best bet is trim limbs on yourside and leave well enough alone, walk away happy and honest at heart.
CD

[firefly1957]

Not sure if you can get this stuff but it worked great when Edison sprayed it! http://www.dowagro.com/vm/products/garlon_4_ultra.htm

THERE ARE OTHER PRODUCTS ON THE PAGE ALSO.

[rondog]

Leave them poor trees alone, they ain't hurtin' nothin'. We need all the trees we can keep. Go shoot some prairie dogs, it'll make ya feel better. Prairie rats, we don't need.

[DoubleAdobe]

I would consider a stainless steel wire girdling the tree low as you can without digging. Use a swifter(twister stick) on your side of the line and give it a crank now and then, it will kill it but not in a year.

[waksupi]

Just get used to dealing with the limbs, as a part of your business. I hate to see people ripping out shelter belts when they think they are in the way.

[MtGun44]

LOL!
Your ISP has ALL your info and all it takes is the local cops asking and they tell all. ZERO privacy on the web if
the authorities have any interest at all. They need nothing from your personal computer, just copies of what you posted
and the ISP records showing where it originated from.

Bill

[texassako]

You might want to read up on this: http://ohioline.osu.edu/for-fact/pdf/F_97_13.pdf . Treble damages could really hurt the pocket book for 14 trees, even if they are cheap cottonwoods. You don't even want to know what they are valued at if they are close enough to a home to be considered a yard tree.

[SODAPOPMG]

do it legal
dig a trench along your property line deep enough to cut the roots of the trees, and be sure to cut the roots use a saw if you have to
if enough of the root system of the tree is damaged the tree will die this will not get to all of them but it will take out the ones next to the property line

[Shepherd2]

I'm getting into this discussion a little late but it used to be that according to Ohio Fence Law that property owners were required to a keep a clear strip 4 feet wide on their side of a line fence. I don't think anyone paid any attention to it but it was the law. The fence laws were changed radically several years ago but it may still apply. Your county extension agent can point you in the right direction if you can't find the laws yourself. I used it on my own logger when we were timbering in 2000. There was an oak tree an inch or so under the cutting minimum of 18" DBH that we had agreed on. He balked at cutting it but I wanted it gone so I showed him the requirement for the 4 foot clear strip. I won the argument.

[Marvin S]

Tordon 22k at leaf fall but it will be obvious.

[Kull]

Don't ask for information pertaining to potentially illegal activities online. By the way anyone know how I can kill a few a chickens next to my property?

Seriously man, just trim what you can and deal with it.