Hackberry or Celtis Occidentalis is a North American native deciduous tree that is known for its uses as street or city trees. This is due to their remarkable adaptability to city climate. They are considered to be medium-sized trees with slender trunks and grow to about 70-80 feet tall. The berries that they produce are edible and remarkably full of nutrients.
Let’s take a look at some of the ways you can kill a Hackberry tree with its root system
How to Kill Hackberry Trees?
There is a number of methods to choose from when killing a tree:
- Foliar Spray
- Cutting the tree down and treating the stump with Herbicides
- Gridling or ring barking
- Basal Bark treatment
- Injecting the tree with chemicals
- Cut surface treatment
If you wish to learn more about each of these methods I will publish a more in-depth guide discussing the aforementioned methods on how to kill a tree without cutting it down.
The best way to kill a small Hackberry tree.
A young Celtis Occidentalisless than 10 feet high can be killed using the Foliar Spray method.
- For this method, you will need a medium sized sprayer and tree removal herbicide.
- Make sure you are using the technique during a calm weather as the herbicide can get carried away and damage other plants growing near by.
- Use an effective herbicide like Triclopyr, Tordon RTU, or Orthon. (More info here)
- Spray the leaves of the tree with the herbicide. I would prefer Triclopyr for this. (Amazon affiliate link)
- The herbicide will be absorbed and transported to the roots disturbing regular nutrient flow inside the tree.
This method is only applicable once the tree has full-sized leaves.
Alternative method: Basal Bark Treatment
Because of the tree’s slender trunk, you can also use Basal Bark treatment as an alternative method.
- For this method you will need a bigger backpack sprayer for spraying the chemical, herbicide and an oil-carrier lile diesel or kerosene.
- You should go for should be an oil soluble mixture of a herbicide. The ideal proportion for mixing should be 1 part herbicide and 4-part oil carrier. (you should follow manufacturers instructions)
- The best options comecially available you can go for is Triclopyr. Garlon 4 Ultra, Relegate, Forestry Garlon XRT, Aligare Trycloper are also good, but not available for consumers in most states.
- Once you have the solution, spray the bottom 2-3 feet of the trunk with the solution and let it dry out.
- Repeat the spraying process 2-3 times.
The best way to kill a large Hackberry tree
Because of the large height but slender trunk, a combination of Girdling and Basal Bark Treatment will be quite effective in killing Celtis Occidentalis. Although you can use other methods such as cut surface treatment, the mentioned combination would be the easiest and most efficient.
Ringbarking will stop the nutrient flow from the roots to the stem and branches, drying out the tree. Info on how ringbarking affects trees.
- Depending on the trunk size, you will need to either get a knife, hatchet or a chainsaw for this method.
- Remove a ring of bark around the tree’ trunk, about 4-8 inches wide.
- For extra measure spray Tordon on the exposed area.
Once this is done, you can apply the Basal Bark treatment talked about earier to speed up the process.
Cutting down the tree
If you are in a hurry, you can simply cut the tree down and treat the stump with a herbicide to stop further growth. But for this, it is recommended that you hire a professional.
Things to consider while removing a tree on your own
Celtis Occidentalis can grow up to 80-100 feet which makes it quite tricky to remove them on your own, especially if you don’t have prior experience.
Once the tree is killed with herbicides, it will eventually start decomposing and can fall over the nearby property. Depending on the situation it can be hazardous.
To remove the tree completely, you will have to get it cut down, transported to the waste station, and get the stump ground.
Hire a professional tree removal service
Thinking about the entire tree removal procedure, a professional will take care of the entire process from killing the tree to removing it off the property.
All in all, if the tree is mature, you will be saving your time and nerves if the tree is logistically in a bad place.
If you are interested in how much tree removal services cost, read my article about it here.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can you kill a Hackberry tree without cutting it down?
A Celtis Occidentalis can be killed without cutting them down. The preferred method for doing so would be ringbarking, basal bark treatment, or cut surface treatment.
Can you kill Celtis Occidentalis using Glyphosate Herbicide?
Yes, you can use Liquid Glyphosate Herbicide to kill a Celtis Occidentalis. Once the tree has been cut down, drill holes into the stump of the tree and fill each hole with Glyphosate Herbicide. The herbicide will seep into the tree and kill it.
How to kill Hackberry sprouts from the garden?
To remove sprouts, pull them out by hand. If the sapling grows from the existing root system, the only way to get rid of the sprouts completely would be to kill the parent tree by treating it with herbicide or uprooting it if it is small.
Can I use dried hackberry as firewood?
Once you have killed the hackberry, you can use it for campfires or even as a heat source in your home. Hackberry is a medium-quality wood when it comes to burning, it is not as common firewood as maple or cherry, but because of its hardwood nature, it burns clean and produces a moderate amount of heat.
Conclusion
A Hackberry or Celtis Occidentalis can be killed using Foliar Spray when they are young. For mature trees, you can use Basal Bark Treatment along with Girdling when they grow bigger.
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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.
