I need to kill a fruitless mulberry tree

[Genecks]

There is this tree in my yard that I want rid of. The thing is, if it touches the city sidewalk, then there is a problem. It's between a fence and the city street. The trunk is about 19 feet tall, the branches probably extend upward about 10 feet. It seems like maybe it's got a 6-foot diameter.

 

I've got a few ideas, but even if poison were used to kill it, it might fall on the fence. I don't want it to fall on the fence. So, what I'm wondering is if there are any good ways to really weaken it so that when it's cut down, it isn't as heavy to haul off. Other things I'm wondering about are good ways to take it down without it causing too much heavy debris to move onto the city sidewalk. I suspect I can get it off the sidewalk fast enough, but if it weighs 1000 lbs. I will not be able to move that. I could move 200 lbs. at a time, but definitely not 1000 lbs. I've considered taking it down part by part, but again, I consider even taking off all the branches will weigh about 100 lbs. Burning is not an option at all.

 

Ideas?

Edited August 20, 2012 by Genecks

[ecoli]

you can't cut it down first then chop it into sections?

[Genecks]

That was my first idea, but let's say that idea is out, too. The tree is on a slant. I could attempt to climb it, but I wouldn't want to climb it with a chain saw. Doesn't sound too safe nor appeal to me.

Edited August 20, 2012 by Genecks

[Moontanman]

Sounds like a job for Roundup! It's not going to fall down immediately if you use poison, it takes weeks for it to die and then months to rot to the point of limbs falling off. Is it on your property?

Edited August 20, 2012 by Moontanman

[Phi for All]

How about ropes around a single branch at a time for control, then lop them off one by one? Putting tension on the rope in the direction you want the branch to fall will make sure it doesn't hit anything you don't want to hit. That's the only way I'd cut down a tree that could possibly harm other property, or if I didn't have lots of help.

[ecoli]

That was my first idea, but let's say that idea is out, too. The tree is on a slant. I could attempt to climb it, but I wouldn't want to climb it with a chain saw. Doesn't sound too safe nor appeal to me.

 

Well maybe if you had a ladder. Landscappers do this to trim top branches or large trees (ie- to prevent trees from growing around telephone/electrical wires)

[Moontanman]

Hire a professional, at least before you do anything that might get your self hurt get an estimate on how much it would cost to have the tree cut down, it might not be as expensive as you think.

[Phi for All]

That was my first idea, but let's say that idea is out, too. The tree is on a slant. I could attempt to climb it, but I wouldn't want to climb it with a chain saw. Doesn't sound too safe nor appeal to me.

I could have sworn this post didn't say this when I first responded. It looks like you changed the OP after people responded too. <_<

 

 

 

If you don't want to climb a tree with a chainsaw, and can't cut it down to chop up later, you have no more viable options. Poison is too unpredictable, imo, unless you can monitor the tree 24/7. Burning the tree creates sparks which could set other things on fire. You're pretty much limited to having a professional do the work. They'd be bonded against damage and would be able to pull any proper permits with the city.

[Arete]

So, one of my jobs in undergrad involved landscape regeneration, we killed a lot of non-native trees.

 

The easiest way to kill a tree is using glyphosate poison like Roundup. Drill holes around the trunk, as close to the ground as possible, about 10cm in and about 5-10cm apart, in a ring (see below). Basically you want to deliver poison into the vascular cambium all around the tree. As soon as a hole is drilled, pour in the glyphosate undiluted. Wait 4-8 weeks.

 

 

As for not having it fall on a fence/house etc. I can't see any option being realistic apart from getting up on a ladder/rope and trimming it - it's usually how arborists go about taking down a tree. It should be easier once it's died off a little, but I wouldn't leave it so long that there's a danger of it dropping branches.

 

If those things are beyond the scope of what you can manage (i.e. tree is too big to get up with your available gear), it's probably time to call in the professionals. No point risking falling out of a tree, or having a big dead branch squash someone.

[Appolinaria]

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