Tree-of-Heaven: Control Strategies

[@MudHancock]

Thank you for this video. It has helped me here at my property. No more 'Tree of Heaven' here! 🙂

[@dddhhh2612]

Suggestion: If you are going to do the hack-and-squirt approach (at ~5:15) , I recommend getting very good gloves or using two people. Rubber gloves used for pesticide application are often not tough enough to hold together when chopping with an axe. I did about 30 trees and went through a lot of gloves. Or try the electric chain saw suggested by another commenter.

[@GO-xs8pj]

I've cleared Tree of Heaven in a couple of different groves and used glyphosate the first two years with little effectiveness. I talked to an arborist and he recommended using "Crossbow" brand herbicide that has Tryclopyr. I had much better results with tryclopyr. Hack and squirt as shown in this video was not very effective for the larger trees that I had. The larger trees had multiple trunks and I was girdling the trees but they were still getting enough nutrients so they came back the following year. I used a chain saw to cut down in between the trunks and sprayed tryclopyr there and also around each individual trunk and the main trunk. The small electric chain saw worked better for me in getting cuts around the tree rather than a hatchet. It took four years to kill the small grove and six years to kill the larger grove. You have to plan to work on these trees and suckers for a couple of years.

[@LonelyOutlaw]

How often do you spray the herbicide on the tree? Daily? Weekly? I have 2 good size ones in my front yard that we've been just kinda dealing with for years. But now it's time to kill the trees. Because yard maintenance is darn near impossible.

[@LL-gq9tw]

Tryclopyr

[@koh9894]

@@LonelyOutlaw similarly, i have about 5 of these fackers behind my garage in Queens. I have sooo much work to do on other things in my house... Tree of heaven is definitely my most annoying task... And i DON'T have the money to pay someone to cut them down... That's my rock.. the hard place is general home repair. Ggrrrrr. Ok... Back to digging them out of my lawn.

[@steph7499]

I had a small sapling growing in my flowers. It was about a foot high. I stripped all the leaves off and wrapped duct tape all around it and on top. Then slipped an aluminum pipe over it. It stayed like that all winter. Took it off in May and it was just a dried up twig that broke off. No light-no plant. So far it hasn’t come back.

[@apesonegotrips7]

Thank you. That's what I'm going to do. I've got a large adult that I'm just gonna have to figure something out for (close to my well, too big to do what you did). Hopefully if I'm persistent and stay on top of the suckers I can solve this issue by summer 2025 (I'm serious). Who knows, maybe it won't take that long. and unless I buy the property who knows how long. I'll be here. But it's also too close to my blueberries, so....

[@quietyard8014]

Where can I learn more about non-chemical experiments like that? I refuse to believe it's not possible.

[@mandalorianmama]

It will be back, trust me

[@highxfive]

There is a huge tree growing inside a stucco column and has now emerged through a small hole towards the top. As much as i wished this worked every time, i imagine that it is a case by case basis

[@abydosianchulac2]

If it was like that into May, it sounds more like it died from being baked than from lack of sunlight.

[@Grant-rr2lh]

So glad I saw this at the beginning of August and didn't just cut it down.

[@lindagarey9709]

I am working on getting rid of so many of these. I have had 8 huge ones cut down amp down now I am dealing with all the little roots. Let’s hope I get these under control

[@claychandler3468]

good luck I've use round up recommended by pros . nope it no worked

[@nnicaj]

Did you get them under control?

[@carrielee2112]

​@@nnicajIf he doesn't respond I fear the trees have killed him. /S Of course I am joking, but they are almost that bad! We struggle with them here in New Mexico too. But the ever-more-intense sun here at 5000 ft elevation has killed some. And also tried glyphosate. Not sure if I have succeeded because they could still come back next spring :(

[@josephcostanzo4926]

Used the hack and squirt method last July on ten 4 to 8 inch trees using 50% glyphosate. Tops were completely browned out in 7-10 days. Waited a month for the process to kill the roots and then cut them down. Seems to have been very successful with almost no new suckers. Be sure you are using the 50% Glyphosate. Roundup labeled as "concentrate" is only around 25%. Was able to find the 50% at either Lowe's or Home Depot although it is expensive and had to buy a gallon. This can be diluted for other uses.

[@blakespower]

I planted Paw paw tree where they used to grow that seemed to kill them but now I have a bunch of paw paws growing they are like weeds too but they produce fruit but had to chop a lot down because they started growing around a American chestnut I planted

[@penticton29]

Excellent video! Very informative!

[@GutiarAce]

I cut one large tree of heaven down and stump sprayed it immediately. Another large tree of heaven next to it died from the herbicide a few days later. The stump spray went through the root system.

[@zilfondel]

Every house near me had at least 10 of these growing in their front yard. There are TOH growing every 50 ft down the freeways, on the highway bridges, on the cracks between the Jersey barriers. All the schools have them growing in huge clumps ... There must be 10 million of them just in our city! It's insane. Never saw one before this year.

[@si_vis_amari_ama]

More like Tree From Hell.

[@zoyamargolis6889]

Hello, thank you for the video. They cut our tree to a stump a year ago. I wish I had seen your video before doing anything to the tree. Now we have a thousand shoots coming up from the ground. To make matters worse, my nice neighbor who made me cut it in the first place, refuses to treat the shoots coming up in her yard, claiming chemical danger. Any advice? We live in an urban setting with very limited garden space. Thanks

[@worldserpent731]

Well she will have several trees in her yard that she will have to get someone to deal with them. Organic methods on the Tree of Heaven usually take years and are not as good. At my grandma's house we had mushrooms that finally wiped them out, but that took at least 4 years??? In a year the shoots will become pretty big and soon turn hard, no longer able to easily pull them up or break them. Eventually, you will have to do what's in the video or else they will become a menace every year. I pull them up usually mid summer and then at the end of fall. No big deal, hate dealing with the smell tho. Like what was said in the video you have to keep after them, or else they will get out of control.

[@scallopohare9431]

She just has to mow, mow, mow. That will only suppress the shoots, but it's better than nothing.

[@witchescrossing]

I have younger trees that I think are tree-of-heavens. The “trunk” is still green and not old enough to produce bark yet. How do I treat these young smaller saplings and trees if they don’t have bark yet? Where can I have someone look at a photo of my saplings and small trees to confirm they are even tree-of-heavens? Any suggestions? Thank you! 🌿

[@TheHolyMongolEmpire]

I chopped down about 12 tree of heaven in my backyard. That was a huge mistake ugh. Now they’re everywhere.

[@danielel1874]

I wish I knew this 30 years ago! I absolutely HATE the smell of these and they're EVERYWHERE now! And since I missed my window of opportunity this year, I'm going to have to wait another 9 months to do this now. 😖 I am not looking forward to that stench in late spring 🤢

[@Nain1993]

Could you drill downward holes and fill the holes with herbicide instead of hack & squirt? The herbicide would just spill out of the hacked spots but the herbicide would actually stay inside the drilled holes, allowing time for the herbicide to be absorbed into the tree. Work smarter, not harder.

[@steveh8724]

Nice idea but fails to take into account how the hack & squirt method actually works. The key is to deliver the herbicide to the root system using the tree's own delivery system. This system is normally used to transport sugars produced in the leaves down to the root system. This transfer occurs only in the active vascular part of the trunk. That is the thin layer between the inside of the bark and the 'dead' woody part of the trunk (most of the trunk is this 'dead' wood). So drilling holes will simply create a pocket to hold herbicide in the 'dead' portion of the trunk which serves not useful purpose. By using the shallow 'hacks', you create a small gash into which you can squirt the herbicide and it is held near the active vascular part of the trunk--the cambium located *between* the inner surface of the bark and the outermost layers of mature wood. Not sure that's a clear explanation, if you're interested do some searches for how trees transport sap and water.

[@sophiaandgeorgegeorganas5837]

There is a complicating factor involved in all ailanthus control strategies, seed. Should one proceed to anticipate the growing and maturing of seeds in trees mature enough to produce seed? Arguably the gain from preventing the seeds maturing is far greater than waiting for the sap to start flowing towards the roots, after the seeds start raining down. Perhaps a three-step strategy could be worth trying: Spraying, basal bark treatment or hack and squirting female trees only before their seeds mature, then cutting down to stump level after they wilt and, then, re-treating, preferably with foliar sprays when suckers and new low growth trees appear. The latter will take some time before they can grow seeds again. Nothing scientific in the above, just speculation. Perhaps, though, the issue deserves some serious research.

[@steveh8724]

Some good thoughts, but I think if you do a little more research here (KZbin) and with Google, you'll find that pro's have already done this research and that has led to the current recommendations for control. Part of that reflects targeting the female trees that produce the seeds, but the best methods employ getting herbicide down to the roots which then will kill both the root system *and* the foliage. Once that's done (might require more than 1 season), the trees can be cut down without producing dozens of new sprouts from the extensive root system.

[@roxysevy]

My neighbor has one right on the fence line (very smart), and a bunch of the roots have grown on my side. All this time I thought I could get rid of them, now I know I can’t without hurting the main stump on my neighbor’s side. I’m having a gardener look at it later, but I’m worried that he won’t be able to do anything about it unless I convince the neighbor to cut it down…. I called the city too and they said they can’t do anything 😩

[@MessyBeans]

Good information! Thanks

[@ron2368]

Hack/squirt seems to take 2 years to kill a tree from one treatment using retail products. I have done a few trees this spring since they are very hard to get to in summer. If the product stays in circulation it should gradually get into the roots. I did this with a few last year and never noticed any major foliage death. More like a slow poisoning.

[@courtneyschilperoort6069]

What if we have SEVERAL well established trees? I’m talking 80-90 feet tall. Will the same method work?

[@janetyoungwriter]

How often do 1:04 you need to follow up after initial treatment with the third method that involves making small cuts?

[@breannas5089]

I had one of these cut down, I wish my arborist would have told me it needed herbicide applied before chopping it down and grinding the stump. I am now battling so many starts all over my yard, any advice to help control it since it wasn’t poisoned prior?

[@zoyamargolis6889]

Me too. I have the same problem

[@alanmoreira7145]

What did you end up doing? I just cut 20 of those and discovered that I should not have. I am little scared :)

[@cynthiacheyney1028]

@@alanmoreira7145 i cut down 20 last year and have sprouts EVERYWHERE. I didn't know they had to be treated first. I'm freaking out a little too.

[@bluegrassfan7656]

We have the same problem, tree was cut down and the stump ground but now these demonic shoots from HELL are everywhere in our yard. Anyone have any luck controlling or eliminating them?

[@DanielleSmith-fc7cr]

I've had several tree companies argue with me about this. I sent them all the info and instructions, including this video, and they still just want to cut the tree down. I missed several windows for cutting these trees while waiting for these guys to apply the herbicide.

[@vkrol1970]

Can I use herbicide such as round up that Home Depot has or it has to be professional strength?

[@steveh8724]

HD is like 2%, you need ~40% for hack and squirt. Look for concentrate, but check the label to make sure it's concentrated enough for this technique.

[@cbf63]

I cut some logs and put them in the ground as a crude fence...they cut logs started sprouting and growing...after a month or so they died off...crazy trees are everywhere 😮

[@Exweerdo]

Hi, I purchased Tryclopir 4, which is Tryclopir Ester, by mistake. Is that suitable for Hack and Squirt?

[@DR007codm]

I did the same thing. Did you find a solution?

[@Exweerdo]

@@DR007codm No, I just got some roundup to use instead

[@DR007codm]

@@Exweerdo i got the Triclopyr 4 by Alligare on Amazon. It’s the one that compares to Garlon 4? It cost a good amount so I don’t want to open it if it’s not going to work. Did your method work?

[@Exweerdo]

@@DR007codm Don’t know yet, Roundup is Glyphosate, the other herbicide recommended in the viddie

[@shadowcrow51]

Yes. Be sure to mix it with diesel fuel or crop oil. 1 part Tryclopyr to 4 parts diesel or crop oil.

[@meteora8888]

Will diesel work?

[@Tomcat82]

That is a bad idea. Diesel will not kill these trees completely and all you will have accomplished is polluting the soil far worse than these trees do with the natural herbicide they emit. Don't do it.

[@someonesomeone8583]

Fire does not work

[@lerpoy]

ANY BENEFITS FOR TREE OF HEAVEN

[@Tomcat82]

3:00 You really should include a link in the description to your list of recommended herbicides. Why send all your viewers on a wild goose chase to a difficult-to-navigate university website?

[@Tomcat82]

I went to the Penn State extension website and found this same video but could not find a list of recommended herbicides. Although this video is extremely informative, it's failure to provide a link for me to investigate was a poor choice. Come on, you guys are a university. What would you do if one of your students submitted a well written paper but only gave vague descriptions of their works cited?

[@backtothepast1850]

Thomas, just do a google search for the basal bark method of controlling these trees. It's about the only effective method I've found of killing them along with their roots. I use triclopyr 4 (available on Amazon), mixed 12 parts of oil (like diesel fuel or vegetable oil to 1 part triclopyr. I paint it on with a brush or roller. Spraying works, but can contaminate the adjacent area.

[@Barbara-uw1ql]

@@backtothepast1850 do you think i could use this method this spring on my already cut heaven trees? they are a bunch of thin pokey very hard stumps.

[@backtothepast1850]

@@Barbara-uw1ql, my opinion is that you'll need to wait and watch for new growth this year. I have had some luck in cutting back stumps to live wood, if there is any, and then treating the open cut with tricolor or drilling into the stump and filling holes with Epsom salts. You can see what I did in episode 4 on my channel. I was in the learning stage, but what I did worked very effectively. There are Amazon links there to what I used. For new emergents, I've been using a paint brush to apply using the basal bark method, so as not to contaminate adjacent growth.

[@AgusTahe2643]

Amazing

[@J0nCoyne]

My trees have died, do I pull the dead trees out? Or should I cut them, does it matter?

[@meteora8888]

What about killing saplings?

[@Tomcat82]

Same thing.

[@raciovillagechannel4950]

Good, sir.

[@lcglazer]

Can you kill a ten foot tree using this method to squirt concentrated 18% glysophate roundup?

[@PennsylvaniaPrepper]

Is Imazapyr effective for Ailanthus removal?

[@ALeeC-tk4gx]

So I have a 2" diameter stump left of a Tree of Heaven that I just cut down (very close to my favorite hydrangea) before I knew what it was. It's almost June in NH. What can I do now?

[@langlebl]

I have one growing right up against the foundation of my garage. They grow fast! I have to get rid of it immediately!

[@brandonwood3442]

treat the stump with herbicide in a couple months, just for good measure. Then, if it sprouts suckers next year, use the control methods outlined in this video to hopefully be rid of it forever.

[@NNJPRGreg]

I made the same mistake, left the stump last fall, and now this summer the stump started sprouting and suckers ALL over my backyard lawn. Treating it with herbicides now. I keep pulling out anything that grows on the lawn

[@beverlyzabik9887]

Just wanted to let you know that you aren’t alone. I am in the same boat. This is a tree from hell.

[@stacyk.3402]

Can you move the hydrangea? I didn’t know either and tree of heaven is allopathic so it’s now sending out more suckers and it is killing the plants around the suckers. I am loosing an old rhododendron, rose of Sharon and I think the lilac just punched the suckers back because it sent out its own suckers in defense 🤦‍♀️

[@kaydclark]

Where can you purchase Triclopyr 4?

[@maripatvoellmecke7572]

I bought the Hi-Yield brand from a local independent garden store. Also available on Amazon. They Carry the bark oil too, called Basal Blue

[@Glo0206]

what if we already had cut the tree 😭

[@tvviewer4500]

Cut up some roots and then mix reishi spawn along the cut roots. The tree won't last long.

[@js-hk6xs]

So you want me to wait till July when it's filled with lantern flies? I can do it now before it gets filled with them. I dint think it is ideal to wait till July at all. Lantern flys will take it over then. It will be covered with thousands of them.

[@abydosianchulac2]

Wouldn't that be a great time to attack the lanternfly population?

[@js-hk6xs]

@abydosianchulac2 how it will be covered with them and you won't be able to get close. Without bieng covered with them.they will all thebthousand of them come at you and sit on ou like your thebtree.all over your face eyes etc.

[@govols1995]

How short sighted. If you do it properly, you won't have to worry about lantern flies ever again, but you're only concerned about this one year.

[@js-hk6xs]

@govols1995 well it would have been impossible when you have thousands on the tree swarming you. But this comment it's been a while they never came back to that tree didn't see then last year This year starting to see nymphs but not on the tree.

[@T25de]

Have 2-3 beers next time before presenting. 👍

[@robertoc.j.5563]

👍

[@rlud304]

Glyphosate doesn’t work

[@intothewrx]

what works?

[@Loogiemistress]

@@intothewrx triclopyr

[@govols1995]

If you're using regular old roundup, yeah because that stuff is only like 2% strength. You gotta get the 40-50% strength stuff.

[@rolandpalatino5934]

Tree of paradise? It is rather the tree of hell!

[@liannehepler9601]

Is there a way to keep the tree but control the shoots?

[@Tomcat82]

No! Do not try to keep these trees alive, especially if it is mature enough to reproduce. They are terrible. The leaves and sap are toxic, they emit a natural herbicide into the soil that poisons other trees and plants, and their roots are particularly adept at destroying sewer pipes and house foundations. You do not want one of these things growing on your property.

[@karenmarkschnitzer6134]

Also, you don't want to keep the tree because it is the favorite host for the Spotted Lanternfly, a non-native pest from Asia that is very destructive!

[@robertmosher772]

He recommends Triclopyr amine, but all the products I find are ester. Can anyone recommend a product that has Triclopyr amine?

[@spaghetty007]

i really like this tree because it looks like a palm tree

[@abydosianchulac2]

I'm sure there are other trees you can find to offer a similar effect without endangering your local ecosystem.

[@spaghetty007]

@@abydosianchulac2 yess, Rhus Typhina, looks amazeing

[@stellarart3444]

No. Why always pesticides? No. Do more research. I deal with these trees every year. No.

[@blakespower]

that Invasive tree has been here since 1784 I think its a native by now

[@abydosianchulac2]

There are many places it's only just arriving.