[mudpuppy]

It's a long story,but I'v got a section of land that was clear-cut of timber 12-15 years ago and hasn't been touched since.My problem,each stump has sprouted 4-5 new trees around the circumference of the stump.The sprouts run from 2 to 6 inches in diameter and 10-20 feet tall according to species.
I absolutlly do not want to use spray.And know girdling or cutting only brings more sprouts.
Bulldozing is also out of the question.
I'v read about copper nails driven into the trunks but have never seen it done or talked to anyone with personal experiance.
I'd like to turn this little plot about 3/4 acre into a wildlife clearing as it is remote and surrounded by heavy timber and thickets.

Any suggestions will be greatly appreciated.

Thanks,Jim in Va.

 

[buffgun]

My dad used to do the copper nail ! works !

 

[Pard]

45-70 been killin trees for over 100 years ;D

 

[mudpuppy]

45-70 been killin trees for over 100 years ;D

Do I need to use copper jacketed bullets?

 

[swany]

First get rid of the sprouts. Advertise for firewood cutters. Next, make a batch of copper sulphate. Drill holes in the stumps and pour in the mixture.


Plastic bucket full of rock salt, add copper wiring ground up if possible ect, add water and let the mix dissolve. It will turn a bluish green.

 

[ochretoe]

We use a pole gun. Its a large pole about 5' long, about the size of a shovel handle, that holds .22 shells filled with poison. You jam the pole base into the tree and it pushes (does not shoot) the shell into the tree and the poison slowly gets absorbed by the tree. We use it for invasive trees like Palonia and privit. Works great but its costs a bit to get set up. Called ez-ject.
http://www.ezject.com/

 

[mudpuppy]

Swany,this little plot is only accessible by 1 1/2 mile fourwheeler trail and too much other easily accessed fire wood,and I want to kill these saplings on the stump to eliminate their shade to allow grass to grow.Once they'r dead and the roots somewhat rotten I can grub them out with my fourwheeler and winch utilizung the leverage afforded by a taller trunk.I'v done this before after applications of "Brush-Buster" and 'Round-Up" But I'm not going to spray this time(Long Story)

Ochretoe, that looks like a very effective method and I'm glad you mentioned it but a little more involved than I want for a few hundred square feet.At least now I know it exist.

I'm hopeing to get more positive feedback on the copper nails,or some similar method,as that would be the simplest and cheepest method.IF it realy works within one or two years.

 

[trapper-xx]

Copper nails or tacks definitly work. Use plenty!

 

[horsesoldier03]

IMO, the new trees are probably coming from the other timber that is in the area. Its kind of funny how a seed can travel and where they might end up. IMO, I would look for individuals that wanted to cut firewood. Other than that, I would keep the trees but thin them out nice and have them trimmed as high as I could reach. The best suggestion that I can give you is to fence the area in question and put some goats on it. I have heard just as many people say copper nails dont work as I have heard say that it does. ONLY ONE WAY TO FIND OUT!

 

[DWB]

The copper sulphate that Swany mentions will do the job nicely. You can get it at most chemical supply stores or some lawn and garden shops that sell it to control algae in ponds and lakes. Depending on how many stumps you want to neutralize, you can get a 15 Lb jug of the stuff in a powder form, take along a hand brace with a 3/4" bit, and a few of jugs of water.

Drill yourself one hole for every 36 square inches or so of stump surface, pour in some of the powdered copper sulphate, and top the hole off with some water. Save some of the water to wash your hands off, or use some nitrile gloves (but, probably should rinse the hands off anyhow)... That stuff will stain your hide and your hair, plus it is somewhat toxic if you eat too much of it. ;D

We used it to knock down some of the locust that a neighbor had in a hedgerow that was getting too wide. After cutting them back the previous year, we did the CuSO4 treatment to finish them off. They didn't come back the second time.

 

[mudpuppy]

I'v thought about the goats,they work for sure .My dad used to keep ten or twelve just for that purpose and loan them out to neighbors to back in the 50's-60's.But this plot is remote with no water,and "brush goats" are hard to fence without daily maintanance.
I'm going to try a modified version of copper nails useing#12 copper wire 1 1/2 -2 inches long and a 3/32 bitt in a cordless drill.

I'v only got 25-30 saplings and plenty of time on my hands.I'll try to document any progress with pictures.Might aid another pilgram in the future .

Thank Ya'll

 

[swany]

Ah heck just load them copper wires in a 12ga. ;D

Think you got a handle on it. I've used copper nails and the mentioned powder aka copper sulphate, then found I could make it with the salt and copper wires, some old plumbing, over a period of three months it all dissolved and I just used a cordless drill and wood bit on a angle in live trees and for stumps just a couple holes near the outside and pour in the solution. Do it now and the spring growth surge takes the moisture to the tops and the leaves will start to curl and die within a couple months. You'll watch the tree die, good part is most of the copper goes up the shoots. In case of a fresh cut stump not so much but it does stop new growth and the stump dies.

Lot of folks used to (showing my age) just wrap the young shoots like that with wire so it would kill itself when growing and was easy to gather for firewood once dead they would snap off.

Kind of like planning what the tree will do also so if it's benificial you go one way. Indians used to use a young tree with a Y branch placing a stone in it with a notch worked into the stone and it shaped for a simple club for pounding and other needs, hammering in ground stakes, say for grinding corn, a garden tool, war axe or whatever once it grew into the notch and was of proper strength they cut it and used their tool. Gather the tops into a tent for a neat deer blind.

 

[Marlin32]

My profession is in Forestry. Wasting time with copper. An old wives tale. Many trees and plants sprayed with copper sulfate as a fungicide.

Don't want to use chemical? What do you think Copper sulfate is?

Going to need to treat them with chemical. Check your local extension agent, or search web to use chemical labled for particular species of tree(s) you are wanting to eliminate. Proper use of chemical is a perfectly acceptable practice. In fact, may "pollute" less than using chainsaw.

 

[Roan444]

When I opened this thread, I was thinking "i need to suggest goats"

Then someone already had! It does work, but takes a while. Dad cleared about 20 acres of swamp with goats when I was a kid, clear as can be. Took a couple years, but cleared better'n a dozer, or fire or brushog!

 

[mudpuppy]

My profession is in Forestry. Wasting time with copper. An old wives tale. Many trees and plants sprayed with copper sulfate as a fungicide.

Don't want to use chemical? What do you think Copper sulfate is?

Going to need to treat them with chemical. Check your local extension agent, or search web to use chemical labled for particular species of tree(s) you are wanting to eliminate. Proper use of chemical is a perfectly acceptable practice. In fact, may "pollute" less than using chainsaw.

I said I didn't want to SPRAY

 

[mogwai]

I said I didn't want to SPRAY

Some chemicals come in granular form to be spread on ground under the drip line of the tree you want to kill.

 

[glc8519]

if you don't care about the soil at all you can put salt all over the area

 

[mudpuppy]

I have put the copper wires in ten or twelve saplings and peeled the bark from around another half a dozen.One maple about four inches thick,I peeled and coppered both.I plan to salt at least one .I'm going to give them two years to see if either works.

This is just an experiment using materials at hand,you know "MAKIN DO"

 

[Redbear]

Well I'm curious to see how it works. I've never heard of the copper and I bet the local wildlife will find the salt attractive.

 

[mudpuppy]

Well I'm curious to see how it works. I've never heard of the copper and I bet the local wildlife will find the salt attractive.

Redbear,from what I have seen where folks put out salt and mineral blocks,the wildlife can dig out a large stump in two years.Sometimes they'll dig a hole waist deep ;D