Poplars or Populus Trees belong to the deciduous family of trees. This species is very diverse in terms of their growth, some varieties only grow to about 50 feet while some varieties can grow more than 150 feet tall. They are characterized by wide leaves and slender trunks, their root systems can spread extremely wide giving the species some invasive properties.
Let’s take a look at how to kill Poplar trees and their root system
How to Kill Poplar Trees?
Some of the most popular methods for killing Populus are:
- 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
All of the above methods have their own pros and cons, if you want to learn more about them, make sure to read my other article about killing trees in general.
The best way to kill a small Poplar tree
Some smaller Populus species can only grow 20-30 feet tall. There are a couple of methods you can use on trees on a smaller side.
The first option is to simply cut the tree down and treat the stump with a herbicide like Tordon RTU from Amazon (Affiliate link). Tordon helps kill the root system of the Poplar tree and prevent sprouting.
Cutting down a smaller tree should not be an issue in most cases, and you can even do it yourself, but if you are not up to cutting down the tree, there is another option.
Foliar Spray Technique
The other method you can go for is the Foliar Spray method. This is only applicable if the Foliage of the tree is reachable by the sprayer. Preferably less than10 feet tall-
For this method, you will need a backpack sprayer and a herbicide to go along with it.
Make sure there is no wind or rain during this as the herbicide can get carried away. The leaves of the tree have to be dry before spraying to maximize absorption.
- Use an effective herbicide like Roundup, Ortho or Triclopy. You can find them here. It is also recommended that you add some type of a dye to the herbicide to mark the trees which have been treated. This will come in handy if you have to kill multiple trees.
- Spray the foliage or the leaves of the tree with the herbicide. With this species, it will take multiple coatings of the herbicide to get the job done.
- The herbicide will be absorbed by the leaves and transported to the roots, effectively killing the tree over time.
The Third method for small trees is the Basal bark Treatment, keep in mind that you can only use this method if the diameter of the trunk is less than 6-7 inches in diameter.
Basal Bark Treatment
Make sure you are wearing protective gear while using this method.
You will need a backpack sprayer if you have multiple trees to kill for spraying the chemical, a strong herbicide, and an oil-based solvent.
Ideally, you should choose herbicides that contain Trycloper or Trycloper Ester as the main chemical. Even Imazapyr-based herbicides can be a good option. For example, Garlon 4 Ultra, Relegate, Forestry Garlon XRT, Aligarh Trycloper are good choices, but they are not commercially available in a lot of states.
I would recommend this one from amazon. (affiliate link)
The solvent to mix the herbicide in would be diesel, basal oil, fuel oil, or kerosene.
The ideal proportion for mixing should be 1 part herbicide and 4-part solvent, so about 20-25% concentration.
Some types of herbicides in the market can directly be used for this method without needing to mix with anything like ‘Pathfinder II’, but these herbicides are more expensive. There are a lot of varieties in the market, so make sure to read the label before using it.
- Once you have the solution, spray the bottom 20 inches of the Poplar tree with this solution and let it dry out.
- Repeat the spaying proccess few times if the tree is on the bigger side.
- Make sure that the tree is not wet while performing this technique as the chemicals are hydrophobic, which means the herbicide will not be absorbed as effectively.
The best way to kill a large Poplar tree
A large Populus Tree can grow up to 150 feet tall. When this species grows this large, the roots expand up to 3 times the size of the foliage.
The roots of Poplar can cause damage to nearby properties like water lines, foundations, concrete slabs, etc.
You can use two methods together to speed up the killing process – Ringbarking and Chemical Injection.
Ringbarking
Ringbarking alone would be the easiest method for killing a large Populus as it will stop the nutrient flow from the roots to the stems and the leaves. Without nutrients, the tree will die over time.
- You will need to either get a hatchet, hammer and chisel or chainsaw for this method.
- Remove a ring of bark around the entire tree, about 4-8 inches wide.
- For extra measure, spray some herbicide along the exposed bark. Toron RTU would be the best option.
Make sure you take all of the safety precautions and read the manufacturer’s label before using the herbicide.
Chemical Injection
- You will need a drill and a herbicide for this method.
- Drill holes, 2-3 inches deep along the circumference of the tree, about 2-3 feet above the ground. Make the angle of the holes downward.
- Inject a strong herbicide like Roundup or Tordon RTU into these holes and let it absorb. This from amazon is a good option to use.
- After about an hour, inject more herbicide into these holes to increase the absorbtion and efficency.
What’s the best time to kill Populus?
In the case of ringbarking, winter would be a perfect time to kill a Poplar. Populus trees lose their leaves during the beginning of Autumn and they start producing leaves during the beginning of spring. This means that the tree will require the most amount of energy right before spring, but if the bark has been removed the nutrient flow is disturbed. Killing the tree during winter will speed up the process as the tree needs the most nutrients in spring to survive.
With other methods, to kill the tree quickly, you can start in early spring with cut surface treatment or chemical injection.
To carry out foliar spray, the foliage of the tree should be fully developed, so late spring or early summer is the best time.
Should you hire a professional tree removal service?
If Populus is small, you can manage to get it killed by yourself. On the other hand, if the tree is big, it can get quite tricky if you need it cut down.
From killing the tree to getting it cut down and transported, there are a lot of factors to consider, and hiring a professional will take care of most of these problems.
On top of this, the cost factor also plays an important role. Figuring out all of these separate logistical details can turn out to be quite costly.
Take a look at my tree removal pricing guide here.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can you kill a Poplar without cutting it down?
Yes, the preferred methods for doing so would be ringbarking along with chemical injection for a larger tree while you can use the foliar spray method for smaller trees.
Can you use rock salt to kill Populus?
Yes, rock salt can be used to kill smaller Populus by drilling holes into the trunk of the tree and stuffing rock salt into them. This method won’t be as effective as herbicides, especially on larger trees.
Can you use Roundup to kill a Populus Tree?
Yes, Roundup is a very efficient herbicide for Poplars that can either be used as Foliar Spray, Chemical Injection, Cut Surface treatment.
What are the uses of Poplar trees?
Besides ornamental uses, its varieties are also used for making paper, plywood, and pellets. Poplar is also good for kindling or for a small outdoor fire.
Conclusion
A small poplar, shorter than 10 feet, can be killed using the foliar spray method. For bigger trees, you can use ringbarking and chemical injection, or both in conjunction. Alternatively, you can also cut down the tree and treat the stump with a herbicide.
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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.
