Elms or Ulmus Minor, have had a rich history of being used as ornamental and park trees in Central Europe during the 18th century. At one point in time, Elms were some of the most common forest trees you could find. They belong to the deciduous and semi-deciduous family of trees and their population has dwindled over the past years due to the Dutch Elm Disease.
Let’s take a look at some of the methods on how to kill Elm trees and root systems.
How to Kill Elm Trees?
While selecting the right method for killing Ulmus Minors, you have to take into account, the nature of the tree, time, cost, and efficiency of each method.
Some of the most popular methods of killing trees:
- Foliar Spray
- Cutting the tree down and treating the stump with Herbicides
- Gridling or ring barking
- Basal Bark treatment
- Injecting the tree with killing chemicals
- Cut surface treatment
Elm is really a tough species to work with and not all techniques will work to kill the tree completely.
The best way to kill a small Elm tree
When Elm trees are young, less than 5 feet tall, they have decent-sized foliage. This makes them suitable for using the Foliar Spray method.
- For this method, you will need a sprayer and a herbicide to go along with it.
- Make sure there is no wind during the process as the herbicide can get carried away and kill any nearby plants.
- Use an effective herbicide like Triclopyr. (More info in this page)
- Spray the leaves of the tree with the herbicide.
- The herbicide will be absorbed by the leaves and transported to the roots, ideally killing the tree.
The most effective season to use this method is summer and spring.
I would advise spraying the tree numerous times to make sure the tree dies completely.
The best way to kill a large Elm tree
Dealing with large Elms can be a bit tricky. They can easily get taller than 120 feet and this can be an issue when removing the tree.
On top of this, the Ulmus Minors are also prone to the Dutch Elm Disease which is usually propagated by the elm bark beetle. This disease can also be transferred to other neighboring trees.
Because of Elm’s sheer size, it will be really difficult to cut the tree down directly, but it is necessary.
Cut the tree down and teat the stump with herbicide
Cutting down the Elm would be the easiest and the most efficient method. Even though cutting down the tree would not seem efficient, it is the only proper way to approach the issue. Elm tends to survive basal bark treatment as well as ringbarking and injecting the stump with chemicals.
- You will need to get a saw for this method
- Cut down the tree as close to the ground as possible.
- Treat the stumps cambium layer with an herbicide like Tordon (Amazon affiliate link).
The stump needs to be treated quickly to be effective. Preferably right after cutting the tree down. If you are late, then the tree will sprout again in the next spring.
Things to consider while removing a tree on your own
There are multiple factors to keep in mind while removing Ulmus Minors:
- They can grow to mammoth proportions which will make it really difficult to cut the tree down by yourself.
- They can survive rough treatment. In other words, they might survive if all the steps are not carried out properly.
Therefore, it is important to make sure that the cambium layer of the tree is treated as soon as possible.
Hire a professional tree removal service
I always advise people to hire a professional, especially if you are dealing with bigger trees than 10-15 ft.
Cutting down trees involves its own set of risks, depending on the size. Especially if you don’t have any experience.
On top of this, killing the Elm tree and its root system entirely is a much bigger challenge than killing Conifers for example.
If you are interested in how much tree removal would cost you, check out my detailed post about the tree removal price.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can you kill an Elm tree without cutting it down?
Elms smaller than 4-5 feet can be killed by spraying the foliage of the tree with an herbicide like Fertilome or Triclopyr. Bigger trees need to be cut down and the remaining stump treated with a strong herbicide like Tordon RTU.
What does the Dutch Elm disease look like?
The Dutch Elm Disease is caused by the Elm bark beetle and it can turn the bark of the tree white and ashy.
During what season will the Ulmus Minors lose their leaves?
The Ulmus Minors will usually lose most of their leaves by Autumn.
Conclusion
The most effective way to kill an Elm tree and its root system would be to cut the tree down and treat the cambium layer of the stump with Tordon.
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I am the guy behind Theyardable.com. I grew up on a homestead and I am here to share the knowledge I have and things I learn while living in the countryside.
