How to get rid of a Weeping Willow tree?

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Weeping Willows or Salix Babylonica is native to the east Asian regions of China and Nepal. They are usually cultivated for ornamental purposes and historically, they were traded through the silk road. Weeping Willows are small to medium-sized, growing to a maximum size of 80 feet, but they are pretty short-lived, with an average lifespan of only 60 years.

Let’s take a look at how to kill Weeping Willows as well as how to get rid of their root system.

How to Kill Weeping Willow Trees?

The preferred method for killing Salix Babylonica should be easy to use, cost-effective and efficient, and quick at the same time.

Some of the most popular methods for tree-killing 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

The best way to kill a small Weeping Willow tree

The small Weeping Willows are considered to be up to 10 feet tall with lush and drooping foliage which is deciduous in nature. This large foliage provides the perfect conditions for using the Foliar Spray method.

For this method, you will need a backpack sprayer and a herbicide to go along with it.

  1. Make sure there is no wind or rain during this as the herbicide can get carried away.
  2. Use an effective herbicide like Roundup, Ortho or Triclopyr. (More info on the herbicides here)
  3. Add some type of a dye to the herbicide to mark the trees which have been treated.
  4. Spray the the leaves of the Weeping Willow with the herbicide.
  5. Repeat the spraying process once the first layer has been absorbed. With this species, it will take multiple coatings of the herbicide to get the job done.
  6. The herbicide will be absorbed by the leaves and transported to the roots, killing the tree over time.

You should see the signs of the tree dying within a couple of weeks after spraying the leaves.

The best way to kill a large Weeping Willow tree

When it comes to killing a mature Salix Babylonica, you have multiple methods at your disposal.

If you are in a hurry and you want to get rid of the tree quickly, you can simply cut the tree down using an ax or a chainsaw and treat the stump with a herbicide like Roundup, Tordon, or Glyphosate.

Alternatively, you can also go for a combination of Girdling and Cut Surface treatment. Although it is possible to kill the tree using any of the methods, using both will expedite the process.

Girdling

With girdling, you cut the nutrient supply of the tree so that it dies over time.

The steps to kill the tree using girdling:

  1. Using an axe, a hatchet or even a chainsaw strip away a 4-5 inches wide strip of bark from the entire circumfence of the tree, 3-4 feet above the ground,
  2. Spray some herbicide on the exposed bark to speed up the process and kill the root system of the tree

Cut Surface Treatment

  1. Take an axe or a chainsaw and cut 2-3-inch-deep gashes into the trunk of the tree, all around the circumference.
  2. Within 15 minutes of making the cuts, spray some consentrated herbicide into the cuts and let it absorb.
  3. After the first dose of herbicide is absorbed, spray the cuts again for better absorbtion.

Should you hire a professional tree removal service?

Hiring a professional while dealing with Salix Babylonica makes sense when you think 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. Considering the large foliage of the Weeping willow, it is a huge advantage to get someone to do it for you.

If you are interested in getting the tree removed by a service provider, stay tuned for my tree removal cost guide. You can find it here.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can you kill a Weeping Willow tree without cutting it down?

Yes, a Salix Babylonica can be killed without cutting it down using Girdling, Foliar Spray, or Cut Surface Treatment.

Can you kill a Salix Babylonica tree by drilling into the roots?

Yes, you can, simply drill some holes into the roots beneath the ground and pour a strong herbicide like Tordon into the holes.

How long does it take to kill a Salix Babylonica tree with Copper nails?

Although it is not proven to be effective, using copper nails to kill a Weeping Willow can take anywhere from5 months to a year to see the signs of the tree dying.

Conclusion

You can kill a small Weeping Willow with the foliar spray method. For bigger trees, you can use basal bark treatment or cut surface treatment. Alternatively, you can also cut the tree down and treat the stump with herbicide to kill the tree and its root system

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