Schinus terebinthifolius is the scientific name of the Brazilian pepper tree. Along with Brazil, this tree is also common in the southern US, Florida, Australia, New Zealand, Portugal, Spain, Argentina, and some other island nations. Due to its aggressive and invasive nature, most landscapers want to remove that tree from their yard.
According to the stats, nearly 90% of people in southern America hate this tree as it spreads quickly and ruins the landscape’s beauty. Moreover, the leaves of that tree cause skin irritation. Have you also noticed that pepper tree in your yards? Perhaps, you might be thinking about how to remove pepper tree roots. It’s not that easy to get rid of Brazilian pepper trees if you don’t know the proper removal techniques.
Don’t worry, within a while you will learn how to kill Brazilian pepper trees without chemicals.
How To Identify The Brazilian Pepper Tree?
First things first, you need to identify the Brazilian pepper tree to get rid of that completely. If you don’t know how to identify this invasive tree, you may overlook it while cleaning your yards.
Height: The pepper tree has a height of approximately 4 to 10 meters. The lifespan of that tree is around 35 years depending on the environment.
Leave Structure: The Brazilian pepper tree’s leaves contain seven to nine small leaflets. Also, you will find the leaves decorated continually following and succeeding by each other on the stem.
Leave Color and Smell: You can also identify the pepper tree by seeing red color leaves along with a turpentine-type smell.
Fruits: Fruits grow in bunches in a pepper tree. Fruits contain two colors, green and red. When the fruits are unripe, they will be green. After getting ripened, it will be turned red.
At this stage, you know how to identify the pepper tree. Now, you are ready to apply pepper tree removal techniques in your yard.
How To Kill Brazilian Pepper Trees Without Chemicals- Get Permanent Solutions In 7 Steps
Step 1: Wear Protective Dresses
As I have mentioned earlier, the leaves of a Brazilian pepper tree can cause skin irritation. Therefore, you have to cover yourself with gloves, and a suitable long-sleeved dress. Also, you should use safety goggles to stay away from possible risks to your eyes.
Step 2: Cut Pepper Trees Through Trunks
Sometimes people only trim the trunk while removing pepper trees. As the tree has root suckers producing capacity along with a self-seed feature, it reproduces the tree. Therefore, you have to cut pepper trees directly through the trunk above 6 inches of the yard. It’ll reduce the chances of re-growing the tree.
Step 3: Dig Around The Tree Roots
In that step, you have to dig around the pepper tree roots. While digging, you have to include the roots of the tree to remove those. Some people use only a shovel to do the task. But you have to use several tools such as mattock and hoe to get rid of the roots permanently.
Step 4: Trim Long Roots
In Brazilian pepper trees, some roots become too lengthy. In that case, you have to trim those extended roots. You can use a hand-pruning saw to do the task. Also, you can prune roots with plant scissors if they are not so big.
Step 5: Remove Pruned Roots
That’s an essential step. You should not leave any trimmed roots or bole in the soil. Otherwise, it could be the reason for the re-growth of the tree. Collect the bole and roots in a bucket and throw them somewhere else. Are there any root pieces? Well, you ought to remove them too. There should not be any additional root pieces.
Step 6: Replace Soil
After removing roots, trunks, and other stuff there will be some gaps and holes in the soil. You should not fill those holes or gaps with the previous soil that you have dug as there could remain root pieces in the soil. So, you have to replace soil from other fresh areas.
Step 7: Inspect The Area For Several Months
Last but not the least, you have to keep an eye on that area for around several months. As you might already know, old seeds or root pieces may produce new sprouts. If you notice such activities in your yard, you need to remove the sprouts immediately. After doing that inspection work for several months, you will get rid of pepper tree roots permanently.
Now, how to kill Brazilian pepper trees without chemicals. Still, I think you have got some queries about the tree. You have covered those common queries here.
Why Should I Kill Brazilian Pepper Trees?
The most obvious reason to remove Brazilian pepper is that the tree is harmful to other native trees in your yard.
It has an aggressive nature to grow rapidly to dominate other trees and keep coming back even after removing them. Also, this tree can cause inflammation of the skin. Therefore, most people do not want to keep that tree in their yard.
What Is The Best Time To Remove Pepper Tree Roots?
As the Brazilian pepper trees keep coming back even after cutting the trunk, some people wonder what is the best time to remove a pepper tree’s roots. Well, it will be the best time to remove pepper tree roots when the tree is flowering. In that period, there are fewer chances of re-produce the tree through the self-seed method.
Is The Pepper Tree Poisonous?
No, the pepper tree is not poisonous to humans or animals. But you can be harmful to your skin. When you get in touch with the tree, you can face allergic reactions and skin rashes. Therefore, it will be better to stay away from this tree.
Final Words
At this stage, you are totally aware of how to identify pepper tree roots. Also, we have informed you about how to remove pepper tree roots. Most importantly, you can kill Brazilian pepper trees without using any chemicals.
Hopefully, with those techniques, your yard will get rid of the tree permanently. Is there anything else that you would like to know about the pepper tree? Let us know in the comment box.
FAQ
How can I stop pepper tree roots?
You can apply a pruning saw on the pepper tree roots and remove pruned roots to another place.
How do you get rid of pepper trees?
To get rid of a pepper tree permanently, you have to remove tree roots, trunk, and sprouts. Then, monitor the area for a few months to repeat those stuff if there is any sign of a new pepper tree.
How big are the roots on a pepper tree?
The roots of a pepper tree can grow up to 3 feet or even more.
Which chemical kills pepper trees?
“Triclopyr Ester” is often used to kill a pepper tree. However, it’s not recommended to use chemicals as you can remove a pepper tree without applying that.