Tree of Heaven Control using Foam Herbicide

Tree of Heaven Control

using Foam Herbicide

By: John Lampe

January 30, 2014

Never cut tree of heaven down without an herbicide treatment.

It will sprout vigorously making it even harder to control.

Don’t apply herbicidein Spring or Early Summer

to Tree of Heaven

Spring and early summer – sap flowing up, and systemic herbicides cannot easily reach roots.

Do apply herbicidein Late Summer or Fall

to Tree of Heaven

Late summer and fall – sap flowing down and systemic herbicides can reach roots.

Two good techniques:

• Hack-and-squirt

• Cut stump

First technique hack-and-squirt

Recommended Herbicides for hack-and-squirt:

• Glyphosate (trade names: Roundup®, Killzall, and others)

• Imazapyr (not typically sold in consumer sizes)

• See DiTimaso et al. 2007.

Read the herbicide label before starting.

Use hatchet or machete.

Hack and Squirt

Treatment

Make series of cuts into live inner bark.

Place cuts around circumference of tree.

For thin barked trees, you may instead use a wood chisel . . .

to make cuts around circumference of tree.

Make cuts about 2 to 5 inches above ground.

2 to 5 inchesAbove the ground.

½ to 1 inch spacing between cuts

Make cuts about ½ to 1 inch apart.

Apply foam herbicide within 5 to 10 minutes of making cuts.

Fill each cut with foam herbicide.

Make sure herbicide contacts live tissue of inner bark.

To ensure root kill, don’t cut or otherwise disturb tree for at least 6 weeks.

Second technique cut stump

Recommended Herbicides for cut stump:

• Triclopyr (trade names: Garlon®, Brush b gon® and others)

• Imazapyr (not typically sold in consumer sizes)

• See DiTimaso et al. 2007.

Cut stump works well for any tree that you feel capable of cutting down.

Use saw for larger trees or loppers for smaller trees.

Cut should leave a stump about 2 to 5 inches in height.

2 to 5 inchesAbove the ground.

Apply foam herbicide within 5 to 10 minutes of making cuts.

Apply foam herbicide onto the phloem. . .

The phloem is the live, inner bark just inside the rough outer bark.

Apply foam herbicide around circumference of entire tree.

To ensure root kill, don’t grind out or otherwise disturb stump for at least 6 weeks.

More Information

Green Shoots®: www.greenshootsonline.com

Contact: [email protected]

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