What is the best way to kill a 17 year old pine tree without cutting it down?

Question

There is a pine tree that I can not cut down that I want dead. What is the best way to speed up its demise?

Answer 1

JUST IGNORE IT.

IT WILL PINE AWAY ON ITS OWN.

Answer 2

by Ringing it. using an axe, cut a ring around the trunk a foot or two from the ground, making sure to go all the way through the bark. The bark is part the transfer system of the trees energy, so with the system ruptured, the sap and water will not be able to travel up through the tree. Insects do this sometimes when they are eating the bark of the tree. It may take a full year to "die," but it will definitely speed things up. You could even try taking a three or four inch wide section of the bark off the tree at the level of the cut.

Answer 3

Process called girdling. Take a saw or axe or chainsaw. Make a complete circle cut around the tree circumference. Make sure you make good clean deep cut. You want make sure you remove all the bark in the cut area. Bark has two layers, inner and outer. What you should see when you finish the cut is the white cambian layer. It will take a while for the tree to die. maybe even one growing season.

If you want to accelerate the death rate. Treat the cut area with Roundup or some form of glycophosphate. Don't dilute it.

Answer 4

Jim and Carnac have hit the nail on the head here. Ring the tree by removing its bark near the base. Roundup will also help.

Problem I see is that if you don't want to cut it and make it fall where you want, then when it is dead, branches will drop and the tree itself will eventually fall on its own in an entirely undefinable place.

Answer 5

I'm sure there are various poisons you can put around the roots to help kill it. It also might be possible to get some kind of insect or something to kill it, but the problem then is often you end up with a weaker dead tree and, even more importantly, the insects can spread to other trees.

Answer 6

Why in the world would you want to leave a dead tree standing?

A dead tree should be taken down. It'll be a magnet for pests, disease, insects. It could become a fire hazard. It could become dangerous as it falls apart. It'll certainly be an eyesore.

Answer 7

just ringbark it ,like jim here says
take a strip of bark of with a machete or chainsaw about a handswidth

the tree will die after that

Answer 8

Try pouring salt on its roots- it'll kill anything. They also sell a product at some hardware stores that is meant to kill trees.

Answer 9

I believe that, by driving large, long copper nails into the base of the trunk, the tree will die off in time.

Answer 10

ring it,like jenaver says