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
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.