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How can we kill tree roots??
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gardenroute wrote: »Arroli,
If they are very small you could remove as much as possible with a chisel and then render over, leaving the rest inside; it's already dead.
However, if you think it's causing a damp problem, this might be something that a surveyor should look at. Is the tree anchored against the wall or have the roots entered the wall in search of water? An ash is a thirsty tree, i'm not sure why roots would penetrate a sound stone wall. If there is not enough girth in the trunk to drill holes, I can't see it causing damp in a house, unless it breaks through the DPC somehow. I'm not an expert in this at all, but the damp may be a seperate problem. Hopefully someone else can help you with this.
How high up the wall are the roots and how big are they? How many are there? Are there any cracks or loose stones in the wall that might be caused by the roots? A photo always helps.
To answer your question, salt may well help, wouldn't hurt. To dry out a root faster, I would split it as many times and as deeply as I could, to allow as much air and water penetration as possible; and remove as much of the protective bark as I could. But it may take months before the roots shrink enough to be pulled out.
Thankyou for your advice...I have today covered the roots in salt to see if it helps!!
The walls are in very poor condition, lots of loose stone and missing mortar, the cottage has not been occupied for a few years, and guttering had failed..I think water from the roof has been nourishing the sapling and its flourished sending roots into the crevices..
I have cut back as much as I can physically pull out, cannot budge the tree trunk itself, may need sheer brute force - or attacking with a chopping axe!0 -
Gardenroute needs to get a life, Was my post anywhere near as bad as theirs? I think you need to read
your own post. No attack in my post you misread the situation.
I read your post several times and it looks like an attack to me.
Did anyone else not find it funny someone answered a post from 2007? I presume google found it.
Its good at that, Finding outdated posts in searches, It doesnt seem to be able to list by the threads date.
I have heard of lots of stuff being used to kill tree stumps, Engine oil, Chainsaw oil, Salt, Caustic soda, Weedkiller.
You can get machines to chop it right the way down.
Personally i would cut it down as far as possibly then try and cut any roots running outwards.
Drill holes as deep as possible and put something different down each one.
Maybe if salty water runs out too quickly add the salt to some oil.
Depending on the location you could try burning the roots out.Censorship Reigns Supreme in Troll City...0
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