Killing a tree

[gonelli]

I was just wondering if there is a simple way that a large tree can be killed.

 

I know that you could ring-bark it or even dig up some of its main roots and cut them. But does anyone know of a method that is less noticeable, maybe some sort of poision or something that could be used to leech toxins into the tree?

 

Any help would be wonderful

[Phi for All]

Why do you want a "less noticeable" method?

[jackson33]

years ago, they cut the tree and tar covered. i have to agree however, why trying to be discrete in clearing of a tree. any landscaping service can remove all signs of any tree in a short time, at low cost. especially if they can use it elsewhere or benefit from the wood product.

[Phi for All]

i have to agree however, why trying to be discrete in clearing of a tree.

Let's put it bluntly: is this tree on your property? Does it belong to you or are you trying to poison someone else's tree?

[jackson33]

Let's put it bluntly: is this tree on your property? Does it belong to you or are you trying to poison someone else's tree?

 

i have no idea, the motive for being discrete. i simply agreed with you on *why*...

 

the clearing of trees, for pools or personal reasons would seem to be expensive, generally not and my only point. in many cases, such as on a farm you can actually receive monies from a logging company, get some acreage clear cut and plant a crop and harvest all in a year.

 

my answer was based on legitimate reasons, not some neighborhood dispute or political agenda.

[gonelli]

the reason why i was looking for a discrete way didn't have to do with some neighborhood dispute or illegal plan

 

the tree is on my property, it is going to be cut down sometime in the next year anyway. the idea of killing it was a joke with a friend, and it turned into a test to see whether it could be done

 

appologies on the lack of explanation as to why it had to be discrete

[Phi for All]

the reason why i was looking for a discrete way didn't have to do with some neighborhood dispute or illegal plan

 

the tree is on my property, it is going to be cut down sometime in the next year anyway. the idea of killing it was a joke with a friend, and it turned into a test to see whether it could be done

 

appologies on the lack of explanation as to why it had to be discrete

Thanks for the explanation. I hope you can see why it would be unwise for us to talk about killing trees without knowing your motivation.

 

AFAIK, anything you could do to poison a tree would poison the rest of the surrounding area as well. Water tables in the area would have to be considered too. Also, a poisoned tree might weaken to the point where you never know when it might break and fall. I don't know much more than, "the tree is on [your] property", but if this tree was near anything it could harm as it fell I would think you would want more control in how it... died.

 

Are you still looking for answers to this "test" with your friend?

i have no idea' date=' the motive for being discrete. i simply agreed with you on *why*...

 

the clearing of trees, for pools or personal reasons would seem to be expensive, generally not and my only point. in many cases, such as on a farm you can actually receive monies from a logging company, get some acreage clear cut and plant a crop and harvest all in a year.

 

my answer was based on legitimate reasons, not some neighborhood dispute or political agenda.[/quote']I added your comments as a quote to bolster my own questions. Sorry if it seemed like I was questioning you or accusing you. It was more like standing next to you so we could both ask *why*.

[Genecks]

How about watering it with salt water or something each day. I suppose watering it with a certain chemical would eventually make it become brittle, dry, and wilted.

[Sisyphus]

I wonder how feasible it would be electrocute it.

[grifter]

hmmm, electrocution...well that would depend on the moisture content of the tree, what tree is it ?

[Phi for All]

I wonder how feasible it would be electrocute it.

The Ben Franklin solution? Somehow induce a lightning strike? Not very covert but spectacular, natural and quite entertaining.

 

You could even "charge" admission....

[jackson33]

plants will only pick out H2O, from the salt water, not even iodine from table salt would get picked up. lightning is devastating on trees, killing many every year, but think the process would short circuit the power company before an equal effect could be applied, if a larger tree...

[Sisyphus]

Well sure, you wouldn't want lightning levels. That would cause a fire, and you couldn't get that much power anyway. I'm just curious what would be the effect of running a steady current. The goal is slow-roasted tree.

[Dak]

i don't believe we're talking about how to execute a tree...

 

jackson, i believe the intent with salt is to screw with osmotic potentials, so that the tree has a harder time sucking water out of the ground and dehydrates, rather than getting the tree to take up the salt.

[bombus]

if you cut it down, it can carry on living as a coppiced tree and could live another 1,000 years.

 

Don't kill it!

[gonelli]

AFAIK, anything you could do to poison a tree would poison the rest of the surrounding area as well. Water tables in the area would have to be considered too. Also, a poisoned tree might weaken to the point where you never know when it might break and fall. I don't know much more than, "the tree is on [your] property", but if this tree was near anything it could harm as it fell I would think you would want more control in how it... died.

 

The tree is on my property, but not close enough to anything to cause damage if it was to suddenly fall. But there are other plants around it, and i'm sure it's root system would extend far enough to make it impossible to poison without getting complaints from nextdoor.

 

Are you still looking for answers to this "test" with your friend?

 

Well, from what suggestions and problems people have put forward, it seems that there isn't a way to make our joke a reality. Even the idea of electrocuting it would be unlikey at this time, as there is a drought in Australia - not much moisture around.

 

Thanks to all for your ideas!

[Phi for All]

Well, from what suggestions and problems people have put forward, it seems that there isn't a way to make our joke a reality.

I love jokes (you should check out our Jokes Thread stickied in General Discussion) but I guess I'd have to know more about the context of this one.

 

Hey, how about carving the tree if it's going to be taken down anyway?

 

 

[gonelli]

Hey, how about carving the tree if it's going to be taken down anyway?

 

Very nice carving, maybe i could do something like that - although the tree isn't a thick at the bottom as that one, but i did do well in wood technology at school

[YT2095]

you Can poison trees, and also do it in a way that is hardly noticable.

 

however, I`m not going to be the one to share the HOW, suffice to say it can be done.

[insane_alien]

drill a hole half way into the tree, pack with black powder, ignite.

 

its my kind of discrete.

[grifter]

Instead of just ringing the bark try:

adding a new ring, try a ring of suitable mailable explosive i.e. C4, it would be really discrete, it would be as if the tree never existed... unless you used a really silly small ring in which case you'd just cut the tree down.

 

out of interest what is the diameter of the trunk....

[GutZ]

drill a hole half way into the tree, pack with black powder, ignite.

 

its my kind of discrete.

 

*Pretend like you ran out of the house to see whats going down*

 

"Holy, must be one of those exploding trees from "insert random country no one has heard about"!

[Phi for All]

We're done here.

 

Thread closed.