Help! There's a tree growing out of the first floor of my house!!!

ballistic

It's a kind of woody trunked bush or shrub growing literally out of the brickwork making the bricks crack. I've pulled off the bush itself but I need to know what I can do to kill the roots and stop it growing again. It's already done quite a lot of damage!!! Any ideas?

sonnyboy

I believe chemical brush killer with stop it from growing. I've also been told that pouring large amounts of salt on a tree trunk will kill it.

ballistic

... and to think I've been moaning about not having much of a garden!!!

ballistic

I got the root killer stuff, and applied it, but really I shouldn't have pulled the bush out flush with the bricks. If I had left a stump in, I could have attached a plastic bag full of the crystals to it. As it is, if it rains it will wash all the chemicals away.

Eric

Hi ballistic,

I work with trees for a living.

Itwould be most helpfull to know what the plant be-deviling your brickwork actually is, or some pictures of it would help alot.

No offense to sonnyboy, but don't use salt! It will leach into the surrounding soil and nothing will ever grow where the salt concentrations are high for several years.

You want a systemic plant killer like glyphosphate, the generic term for Monsanto Corporation's product "Round-Up".

Unfortunately, it works best sprayed onto the foliage, the plant absorbs it and sends it down throughout the root system and kills it by destroying the plants growth regulator hormone, causing intracellular collapse.

However, you have removed the foliage, but all is not lost. If the plant is trying to sent out new shoots from the areas you have cut or torn back to, (very common with vines and other hardy shrubs), you're still in business.

Try to identify the cambium layer of the woody tissue you have cut back to. That is the outermost growth ring just inside the bark layer. Apply glyphosphate UN-diluted directly to the cambium layer. Use heavy rubber gloves, and don't spill the product on the soil or any desirable plants. If you have cut back to several places, hit them all. Dab it on anything new and green the plant is sending out.

The product will work mor slowly than if you still had foliage to work with, but you should see it spurt up wildly, then collapse.

Hope this helps.

Eric

Ballistic,

Hmm, didn't see you last post before I started responding. I type SO slowly!

Depending how far you've cut it back, and whether you see new growth starting again you may have to just start digging!

What are these crystals you used? Might not be good to mix chemicals!

Good Luck,

Eric

ezekiel3

This is an old remedy I know of:

First, wrap the stump in bands of iron and copper.
Do not remove bands for seven times.
Resist the urge to graze your lawn.

Should work like a charm!

tijkmo

dammit ezekiel3...i was just going to say that

ESTEE

- First, wrap the stump in bands of iron and copper.
- Do not remove bands for seven times.
- Resist the urge to graze your lawn.

lol @ ezekiel ... Love your sense of humor!!!

Love

ESTEE

ballistic

Ok, despite the apparent biblical fulfillment, the product I used contains Ammonium Sulphamate, it's called "Deep Root and Tree Stump Weedkiller". It cost quite a lot of money (9 pounds) so I hope it does the job. Eric - you seem to know your stuff - thanks for the help.

Help! There's a tree growing out of the first floor of my house!!!

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