Exploring Landscape Setups

How To Kill Tree Roots After Tree Removal

26 March 2015 by Tanya Green

There are a variety of reasons you may need to remove a tree from your yard; the tree is decaying or dying, perhaps it was struck by lightning, a zoning ordinance requires you to remove the tree, etc. Whatever the reason you may have for removing a tree, there is often one crucial part of tree removal that people often forget. When removing a tree, you need to remove all of the tree. That includes parts that are not visible to the naked eye! It is imperative that you remove a tree's roots after removing the tree proper. Wayward tree roots can damage soil, affect housing foundations and absolutely destroy your lawn. Here are a few tips on how to remove or kill tree roots after a successful tree removal.

Removing The Stump With A Winch

After cutting down a tree, one of the most common methods of root removal is getting rid of the stump. In most cases, getting rid of the stump will completely uproot the rest of the tree. If you decide on this method, make sure that you have three to four feet left of the tree after cutting it down, this ensures that you will have a much easier time with the removal of the stump. Then, dig a four foot radius around the tree, which loosens the soil and will make root removal a much easier task. Make sure that you hack at any larger roots with an ax or hatchet.

From this point, attach a rope or chain around the tree on one end, and attach the other end to a winch. By using the winch, the tree stump and roots should easily come out of the ground. There may even be cases where you can remove the tree yourself, without the aid of a winch. This is generally not recommended, as it is often times too difficult, and you run the risk of back injury.

Killing The Roots With Herbicide

This method is recommended for those that do not want to physically expend themselves in order to remove a tree stump, or those who do not have access to a winch. Removing a tree stump with herbicide is a fairly painless process. You do need to select a relatively powerful herbicide, however. Look for one that contains glyphosate or triclopyr. Both of these ingredients are strong enough to cause wood rot and will easily kill tree roots. 

Make sure that safety is your first priority, before even starting to spread the herbicide. You should wear a facemask so that you do not inhale powerful fumes, and heavy-duty latex gloves so your hands do not come into contact with the solution.

Using a chainsaw, cut the very bottom of the stump so the inside of the wood will be exposed. From here, spray the solution onto the innards of the wood itself. This will insure that the roots will die quickly. Apply several coats of herbicide. In several weeks, the herbicide will have killed the roots, and you will be free to dig them up and remove them from your property.

Tree root removal is an absolutely necessary part of removing a tree. You, like so many others, may forget that the roots are an integral part of a tree's body, and that getting rid of them is just as important as getting rid of the rest of the tree. Forgetting to remove or kill a tree's roots can cause serious damage to your home, lawn and property. If you aren't comfortable or confident in your ability to fully remove a tree's roots, a local tree trimming company can come perform the root removal for you, ensuring that all of your tree is eradicated.  

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