Persimmon trees are nurturable until they grow beyond 15 feet and get a fungal infection. Then, they easily spread the disease to destroy the health and look of your yard. In that case, it is better to get rid of them. So, the question arises, “How to kill a persimmon tree?”
Spraying herbicide mixture on the roots, bark, and foliage is the easiest way to kill persimmon species. Felling the tree after herbicide application works the same. However, these require a few considerations, which I will cover to speed up the process.
Step-by-Step Process on How to Kill a Persimmon Tree
Home remedies or ingredients do not kill a persimmon tree effectively. So, you can use chemicals to get rid of it. Follow the tips in these steps to speed up the process –
Step 1: Prepare the Herbicides
Get Glyphosate and Dicamba based herbicides and dilute them together as per the instructions on the label. While mixing them, add 3% of mineral oil in 1% of herbicides to increase their toxicity. You can use diesel fuel if the oil is not available. And pour the liquid into a backpack sprayer.
Note that Invora herbicide does not toxify the tree enough to kill it as it has triclopyr. Watch the given video to know how to increase the efficacy of the herbicides:
Step 2: Toxify the Foliage
To start the killing process from the outside, spray the foliage and branches until the solution saturates them. Apply the solution on a dry and clear day, with no extreme heat and rain. It allows the tree to absorb the mix before wind and rain can wash it off.
And for foliar, skip mixing fuel into the solution. Or else the sprayed leaves will die before transferring the solution to the roots. As a result, the persimmon tree will thrive and regrow its foliage.
Follow this step for persimmon trees over 15 feet in height, as the sprayer can easily coat the nooks and crannies of tall trees.
Here is a video to help you with the spraying technique:
Step 3: Bark Treatment
If you have persimmon plants under 12 feet, apply the prepared solution to the lower barks of the trunk. Make sure to follow this step in the winter when the tree is inactive.
Thereby, there will be no flowing sap that will block the solution from reaching the top and roots to weaken the plant. It works faster than the foliar application.
Step 4: Soil Application
Remove soil around the lower trunk of the tree, and then expose the roots without cutting them down. Make sure there are no roots of other plants entangled with the persimmon. Otherwise, the solution will kill them too.
Using a piece of a paintbrush, paint 25% of the solution over the roots and apply it around the trunk. Add mulch or soil over them. Then regularly provide water to help the roots soak the liquid. You can drill holes in the roots and lower trunk. Afterward, coat them with the mix to increase herbicide efficacy.
For the chemicals to transpire, ensure to wait a few weeks. And upon noticing no symptom of decay reapply the herbicides as described above. Gradually the tree will die due to a lack of nutrients and toxic chemicals.
How to Cut Down the Persimmon Tree to Kill It?
The herbicides take a few weeks to kill the tree, but you might not have that much time to spare!
Also, to protect the nearby vegetation, multiple chemical applications are not advisable. In that case, you can cut down the tree with these steps –
Step 1: Check the Laws
Take a photo of your tree and search it on the internet for its removal laws. Or you can contact an arborist to know what are the dos and don’ts of cutting down such tall trees to avoid fines.
Step 2: Make Notches and Determine the Falling Direction
With an ax, make slits or notches in the trunk and spray herbicides. After a day, determine in which direction you would like the cut tree to fall.
Choose an area with zero to few structures, vehicles, and power lines. And ensure there is enough escape area to dispose of it.
Step 3: Remove Broken Limbs and Cut
Now, wear safety gloves and goggles. Then, using an ax or chainsaw, take off the detached or loose limbs or branches before felling the tree. With the chainsaw, make an undercut in the falling direction.
On its opposite side, cut the trunk a few inches above the undercut and leave a gap between the two side’s cuts.
Step 4: Stump Removal
Keep on cutting the opposite undercuts. Once the tree starts falling, ensure to go away from it. Then, with a stump grinder, remove the stump, or you can call technicians to pull it off without damaging the yard.
After that, no sprout will grow from the stump. Then dispose of the debris or burn them down in an empty area.
Frequently Asked Questions (F.A.Q’s):
Which Is the Fastest Method to Kill a Persimmon Tree?
Applying herbicides to the exposed roots transfers the solution quickly and kills the tree in a few days. Toxifying the bark also works faster than other methods.
Does Cutting Down the Persimmon Plant Kill It?
If you apply a few drops of herbicide into the cut frills before felling, it does kill the plant. Otherwise, sprouts will grow from the stump.
Will Persimmon Killing Herbicide Affect the Yard?
It depends on how effectively you apply the solution. If the solution overflows, it will affect the yard. But minimal application prevents so.
Conclusion
A few species, like persimmon, can grow even in drought or extreme conditions. And this adaptability makes it harder to control them once you no longer need them, especially if they are diseased.
So, keep how to kill a persimmon tree with or without natural methods noted. Because you never know which technique will be better! Just a friendly reminder – Do not mess with the stump grinder if you cannot handle it. Or else you will end up killing other plants.