Does Epsom Salts Kill Tree Roots?

Seven months ago I cut down a Nashi tree to make more space in the orchard. I tried a method I had seen on KZbin to kill the roots. Did it work?
Original video here: • Extreme Pruning!
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[@KordTaylor]

Great to get a realistic try and hear it doesn’t work. Thank you!

[@flxmkr]

I had fungus growing on my picnic table, and made the wood soft. So I pulled some fungus off that picnic table and placed it on the stump in my yard. Then I forgot all about it. Now we have a hole in our yard where the wood used to be. My suggestion is go to a wooded area and look for a dead tree that has fungus on it and bag some of it. Carry it back to your stump and push it on the holes. I’d hose out the holes, first…just in case salt kills fungus.

[@godwillprevail2188]

I've cut my tree down the same hight as your tree, then I used an angle grinder and I made the top part of the stump hollow. I poured pure white vinegar into the hollow(almost like a bowl) part of the stump. The stump absorbed the vinegar very quickly, but I kept on filling it up during the day. I've only realized the next day that there was still a vinegar puddle in the "bowl". Obviously the stump had enough of all the vinegar and that was also the end of the stump. This happened 6 years ago and the stump is still very much dead. 😉 The bark started coming loose after a good couple of months though.

[@a1930ford]

Instead of Epsom Salt, use rock salt. Drill the holes about 1 1/2" deep and pour in boiling water into each hole drilled. Cover the stump with a pan of some sort. Come back the next day and then put in the Rock Salt, but not to the very top of the hole. Seal the hole up with Dap or some sort of filler and then see if it works for you. It is not a difficult process, but easy enough to do and will give positive results. Epsom Salt is generally somewhat beneficial to plants and is not a root killer. If you look at all those small saplings growing beside the stump you had treated, they likely are growing as good as they are, because of your use of Epsom Salt.

[@user-mo8gw9om1z]

You must continually put salt on the stump and also start spreading salt everywhere else all over the yard on the saplings. Even go to the snaplings and snap them a little bit at the bottom to break it and cover with salt cover the whole area with salt is basically what I'm trying to say and in no time it will dry up all the roots and you will be able to mow freely without a stump or any sprouts

[@paigedelainy3877]

I actually feed my plants Epsom salt. They seem to thrive on it! I used boiling water and vinegar on tree stump several times then covered it with a bucket. Seemed to work. It was a Ficus as well growing in the wrong place, (someone else planted) with taproots. I did it about nine months ago. I haven't taken the bucket of for good yet...a bit nervous it'll come back!!! 😲😲

[@oldfartsailing]

I think people see the term salt and assume that Epson salt is just that and confuse the two. In reality plain table salt when the stump is drilled absolutely mills the stump. I've used it several times and it has always worked. By the way my wife and I love watching your videos. Hello from South Carolina in the US.

[@linmal2242]

Yes; save the Epsom Salts for your bath !

[@kyleorr533]

James Cole, ha I could be your neighbor...Clemson fan?

[@lauralei400]

Thank You for this comment..... I have an unwanted bush to kill plus grass to get rid of - was told to use salt & vinegar for the grass🌾

[@sharyn208]

Have heard about this, always wondered if it really does work. Thanks for the info. Have an awesome week.

[@sebjulien3]

I had 3 giant Canadian silver maples. After having them cut because they where destroying my house foundation, I drilled holes for hours in two of the stumps and put epsom salt in two of them. The only one of the three that didn't get epsom salt in it has started rotting while the other two have become ''dried'' and I see new trees growing around them...I'm not sure I will search the internet the next time I want some advice...no Epsom salt do not work to kill roots...thanks for the video

[@rodneyholland1867]

I have seen many many videos on KZbin which show this technique being applied... i started to suspect it would not be useful because I NEVER saw a follow upon how successful it was. I think your demonstration is likely to apply to all trees and not just your pear.

[@linmal2242]

As Cuttheknot says, use table salt (sodium chloride) not epson salts(magnesium chloride)

[@wedgetailleather]

Good to know! Won't be trying that one. Normally I just pull them out with a high lift jack and some threaded rod. Works for fence posts, and trees if you cut the roots as you bring it up. "The hard way" I guess. Haha Also I always thought of Epsom salts as more of a fertiliser anyway... certainly makes the grass greener!

[@Bazzawombat]

I did the same but filled the holes with Round Up, Worked well!

[@lauralei400]

I thought round-up causes cancer. Will any other household product help to kill my unwanted bush??

[@Bucknastyy]

Why would you use round up? You’re hurting the environment and putting yourself at risk of getting cancer.

[@tabbennett4254]

Roundup gets into the groundwater. Do not use it

[@josejusino6171]

I always use black plastic to cover the stump after drilling and adding Epsom salt, the Epsom salt is supposed to extract the moisture from the stump therefore killing the stump roots and all. black plastic is critical to hold the Epsom salt in place during rainy days.

[@sweetdweams]

Never heard of that. Thanks for the update.

[@alphamale3141]

Thanks. I was trying the same method. You saved me some time.

[@jetit]

The best way is to mix it with water and dish soap..so it can go all through the roots deep under the soil..that way No new growth will Happen. The salt only dried the top of the stump.

[@terrybenson3126]

Years ago I had a big weeping willow and I drilled holes in the big roots and then I poured round up in the holes and a week later the tree was dead. Straight round up

[@dystopiagear6999]

I've had the same results trying to kill Bradford pear tree roots that way... by which I mean no results at all, lol. Epsom salts are good in your fertilizer mix, but not for killing trees.

[@iNdUsTrIaLrOcKeR4U]

Did you cover the stump after you applied the Epson Salt? The rain will wash it away.

[@lastnameavailableok]

From Utah State Uni; It doesnt say the amounts, but to kill a good sized stump and roots, you only need; • approx 4x tablespoons of undiluted glyphosate. • approx 2x tablespoons Ammonia sulphate liquid to help tree to absorb the glyphosate. • approx 2x tablespoons Surfactant (spreader sticker) to reduce surface tension and stick Mix together in a jar then simply paint with brush onto cambium layer of the tree stump.

[@cheryll5496]

I killed a eucalypt stump by hacking a lot, though not all, of the bark off and covering it in a heavy layer of pea straw. Had to move the straw and pull off new shoots a few times but within 6 months it was dead. Only a 12 year old tree but a wider stump than the one you used. It's a low effort non toxic method.

[@cuttheknot4781]

Use SODIUM (Table Salt) not Epsom Salts which is (Magnesium)

[@Youdontknowmeson1324]

Epsom slats and nitrates are plant fertilizer it will help the plant root grow but will make bacteria feed on the tree faster

[@mopeayeni1450]

Pour the salt around the stump in the sand. Here we use a mix a lot of table salt and kerosene and just pour around the tree

[@joni22262]

So after two years has something else helped? I do believe the Spain was successful with the stump and if you till that area with rosin salt a few times it may kill the roots BUT…it looks like as your killing it the roots go further and you loosing more land. I had a similar situation and access to a back hole so we dig down 10 ft and a huge diameter and it worked. If you can get a trencher make a trench about a foot past the fresh area fill with eosinophils salt, lime whatever will kill it. Then til the inside of the trenched area and fill with Eason salt etc. I have a situation now but the trees are in the middle of a beautiful area with (the largest plant I’ve ever seen so I can only work on small areas. I’m desperate to get rid of it for ever. It’s been a 15 year battle scrub tree 15 plant loosing ground.

[@Berkeloid0]

In humans, epsom salts are supposed to act like any other salt - as in they will dehydrate you if you have too much, and can stress the body just like a diet high in table salt will. So I guess it will have a similar effect in a tree stump and dehydrate it - the shoots definitely didn't come back from the stump itself - but very interesting to see that the salts didn't get carried any further into the root system as one may expect. Thanks for sharing your results!

[@DevonCockings]

Hasn't tried it yet.

[@mohamudgaram4753]

Thankyou.

[@mentonelly9540]

Thank u for the update

[@billsmith9249]

Roots bring nutrients to and water to the trunk... not the other way around. You want to kill a tree stump, cut off its food source from the roots. Without killing the roots, it is hard to kill a stump.

[@wayneessar7489]

Laundry borax will kill it but it will not allow replanting in that spot

[@plymouthduster2252]

I have already drilled the holes into a stump I was going to try this on but hadn't put the Epsom salt on the stump yet. I just drilled the holes in it. Just out of curiosity do you think the holes in the stump will help it rot any faster? The holes always fill up with water every time it rains.

[@homesteading]

Very likely that the holes will help it rot faster. Maybe even put compost on it? More soil life = faster decay.

[@plymouthduster2252]

@@homesteading thank you for sharing your knowledge. I have a pine tree stump that I have been fighting for a while now.

[@Witness4Jesus59]

You were supposed to cover the stump with a plastic bag after you applied the epsom salt. No wonder it didn’t work.

[@6al0o0l]

What I did is cover it with black plastic cover the summer heat will kill it

[@drywallit43]

Use Diesel fuel-drill a few holes or not pour over root it will not grow back

[@homesteading]

A number of things would work to kill the roots, especially when first cut. The reason I chose to try the "Epsom Salts" method is because it is not toxic - it may have failed, but this is the same reason I wouldn't really want to use diesel when I have other fruit trees growing nearby.

[@lisajackson1114]

You should have used regular salt and vinegar that dries The Roots up

[@bessote]

Does this works on big trees and how often do we pour salt and vinegar? how long does it take to see results? Thank you

[@jaminagan7434]

if after 6 months, nothing much happen, I would slowly, day-by-day shovel the stump. Shoveling it probely it take 2 months

[@armandohernan4610]

The salt need to be covered not leave it open to nature..

[@dpicar803]

Epson salt is to dry it out not kill it.....then you can burn it and remove......

[@georgefeatherman7605]

Epsom salt is actually great for trees lol

[@user-lv2qn1rk7i]

ماذا يقول هذا الاعجمي

[@pokololotanginaser8264]

dont use epsom salt just use table salt NiCL for sure it will turn your land into a wasteland

[@U2BER2012]

Have you used the salt only method and does it work ?

[@patriciahammett4197]

Salt will kill anything green including grass.

[@anti-victimGenX]

But can you replant other plants in that spot/area, after the salt has leeched into the soil? That's the whole point of trying to find a safe root killer.

[@anti-victimGenX]

Ps. Epsom Salts work a bit differently to normal salt.

[@shirleyk623]

I agree regular table salt or vinegar. I use salt to kill weeds in my driveway and patio stones. Works wonderfully.

[@patriciahammett4197]

Mandie Smith,. Not for a couple of years.

[@FM-qm5xs]

Epsom salts are not sodium salts. They are magnesium. You can actually use small amounts of epsom salts in water to help fertilize plants. Tomatoes and citrus will thank you.

[@relaxingnature2617]

At 0:08 you said "last winter" ....as a Canadian who knows what actual winter is ..it's always funny/annoying when auzys refer to their off season as "winter" ..haha ..it's like 1 grain of sand beside the Sahara ..ridiculous ..actual winter is a terrible ferocious Beast with big teeth that should be thought of with fear and dread .. nightmare weather cannot be compared to mild weather

[@homesteading]

Nevertheless it's still called "winter" in English.