SAve, BEautify and Love Your Trees: Tree CAre Tips

Trees are great assets. The timber they produce is necessary for making furniture and other things. When harvesting timber, tree stumps remain behind because it is often impractical to uproot the whole tree together with the roots. Doing so is not healthy for the soil. You need to get rid of the tree stumps in a safe manner so that there is no damage to the soil structure. Effective removal and termination of secondary trees requires stump and root killers. Here is what you need to know for about using stump treatments:

Follow the Required Method

Root and stump killers have different application techniques. Read through the manufacturer's guide to identify the preferred application technique. Some of the application techniques in use are:

1. Surface application - This involves treating the exposed surface of the stump with the killer chemical. The chemical then seeps into the stump, finding its way to the roots and inner tissues. Ideally, this method works well for highly soluble stump killers, as they will find their way to the roots quite fast.
2. Drilling holes - Here, you have to drill holes on the surface of the stump up to a certain length deemed fit by the manufactured. Thereafter, you release the killer granules into the holes where they will slowly be absorbed into the inner tissues. This method is ideal for large, deep-rooted stumps where the surface application method will take too long.
3. Wedge-Shaped Incisions - Wedge-shaped incisions are used on standing trees that you intend to kill before harvesting. The incisions are filled with the stump killer for absorption to take place. In some cases, smearing the chemical into the incisions also works.

Apply to Fresh Stumps

Another secret to efficient use of stump killers is to apply the chemicals immediately after felling the tree. Fresh stumps have live tissue capable of uptake and absorption, meaning that the killer chemical will get to work immediately after application. If you do not apply the chemical shortly after felling the tree, you will be forced to make a fresh cut to expose a new surface to apply the chemical to.

Watch the Season

Seasons affect metabolic action in trees. During the summer, hot weather increases absorption by the leaves and upper stems, so the sap rises rapidly. Applying stump and root killers at this time means that the chemical will be working against the tree's metabolic reaction. You might need too much of it. On the other hand, it's better to apply the chemical during winter or autumn because the sap does not rise during these seasons.

Contact a stump removal service for additional advice.