Glyphosate root kill and nearby trees

[tree-fancier123]

Hi,

first post on arbtalk, I do gardening and looking to get into treework.

A customer has what I call a weed tree (excuse ignorance don't even know species) but one of those that self propagate in large gardens like sycamores and oaks do). Anyway I lopped off a couple of limbs of the offending tree back in April and it is now fighting back with vigorous epicormic shoots around the wounds. The owner says the whole tree can come out and I wanted to drill the cut stumps in a ring around the new wood (each stump 6" dia approx ) and pour a 1:4 glyphosate 360:water in the holes I make (with a spade bit) . I've killed off sycamores, budleas etc with this method before, but here there are two palms or what maybe one with co-domininant? trunks growing right next to the tree I want to kill. The owner wants to retain the palms, is there any danger of the glyphosate root kill in a tree next to it harming the palm?. I know glyphosate is supposed to be neutralized on contact with soil, but am not up on if the roots of neighbouring trees may transfer fluids between dissimilar specimens by contact. Perhaps completely felling the tree would be enough to stop the epicormic shoots, but if its anything like a sycamore, only chemicals seem to work. I don't think the owner wants to pay to grind it. Thanks for reading and any replies. Some really useful stuff on here. Just need a small fortune for my chainsaw certs. Seems to be more money in training people than actually doing the work. Those that can't do teach and all that. Perhaps I'm too cynical (and tight)

Edited September 13, 2011 by tree-fancier123

[tree-fancier123]

impatient after no replies in the first hour I tried googling and looks like root kill is risky if trees right next to target are to be retained:

per Chemical Control for Woody Plants, Stumps and Trees

 

Root Grafts

Sometimes the roots of different plants share vascular tissue through grafting. Root grafting occurs primarily within the same species, but may occur between plants within the same genus. This phenomenon can be of great importance. A herbicide can move (translocate) from a treated tree to an untreated desirable tree, killing or injuring it. Damage to desirable trees as a result of root grafting will occur from use of the following herbicides: amitrole, 2,4-D, dicamba, glyphosate, imazapyr, metsulfuron, picloram, and triclopyr.

 

Flashback

This term describes the passive loss of a herbicide from the roots of treated trees. Once the herbicide is released from one tree, it is available for uptake by another. The serious consequence of this is that a treated tree may release herbicide back into the environment, injuring other nearby trees and vegetation. This occurs with picloram, dicamba, and occasionally with 2,4-D.

[sloth]

A weed tree that self propagates like sycamore (or oak)? Could be anything! I'm guessing ash, it can seed profusely and has vigorous epicormic growth when cut. If you want it dead, and are worried about chemicals, repeatedly cut of any growth 2 or 3 times a year. Long winded, but it will run out of energy reserves eventualy! Failing that, id paint the freshly cut surface with strong glyphosate. No need to drill. I've done it hundreds of times and never killed or noticed harm to neighbouring trees, even of the same species. If in any doubt, talk to your local agri chem supplier, they should be able to offer advice and herbicide to do the trick. Good luck.

[Arctostaphylos uva-ursi]

I would be more concerned about possible root grafts with trees of the same species nearby. I have seen several cases of neighbouring trees unintentionally killed with glyphosate. Go to your chemical supplier and ask for a non systemic stump treatment.