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Season to kill a tree ? [botany]


Externet

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Hello all.   

My back yard has dozens of unproductive young trees 2m to 3m tall that will be eradicated or cut them off at or below soil level to prepare and clear soil for proper gardening.

Is there a season of the year when this is more convenient to do to prevent regrowth ?  

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They say the best time to plant a tree is 100 years ago and the second best time is now.

I think the same logic applies to removing them.

Having said that, I guess cutting them while they are dormant will trouble them less than when they are in full swing.

You can find data on when is a good time to prune trees; and then do your best not to follow it.
https://silveroaktreesurgery.com/article/a-guide-to-which-uk-trees-to-prune-in-late-spring-and-summer

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On 1/26/2024 at 4:30 AM, Externet said:

Hello all.   

My back yard has dozens of unproductive young trees 2m to 3m tall that will be eradicated or cut them off at or below soil level to prepare and clear soil for proper gardening.

Is there a season of the year when this is more convenient to do to prevent regrowth ?  

Trees regrow because they lay down dormant buds along the branches and trunks as they are growing, and some of those dormant buds then sprout after you cut them down. Doesn't matter when you cut down the tree as the buds will sprout if you are in the growing season. That being said, there are a fixed number of dormant buds and the closer to the ground you cut, the fewer buds available for regrowth. If you cut them down to the ground, some buds will sprout, others will not. Run over the new growth with a lawnmower a few times and the tree will use up all its dormant buds and die.

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Just a guess but cut them down in the fall seems to be logical.

A few years ago, during a hurricane, a tree was blown down in my yard. I cut it down below the soil level but in a few weeks the entire yard erupted in several dozen young trees of that species (an elm of some sort), very fast growing, they were up tp a meter tall in just a month or so. I had to cut them down several times before they stopped popping up.  

Edited by Moontanman
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