11-23-2012, 07:29 AM
Re: dealing with albizia - to avoid chemicals, seedlings can be pulled. It's labor intensive but foolproof.
Saplings can be girdled. If you just lop them they will send up new growth with multiple trunks, so don't bother with that unless you poison the cut. If you go that route, get Ortho Poison Ivy Killer and dilute per label instructions; then put in a dish liquid or other squeeze-type bottle (NOT a spray bottle)and apply to the cut end while it is still fresh. You can even up-end a plastic bag or container over the stump to prevent the herbicide from washing off when it rains.
For larger trees: if the fall zone will cross a property line or if there is a structure within the fall zone, you will have to have the tree cut in order to prevent expensive accidents. However if the tree is not that tall or is isolated, you can girdle it (i.e., remove a band of bark all around the circumference). Estimate the diameter within 12" of soil level and add 50% to that measurement to determine the width of the band - so if the D is 20", girdle a band of 30" as close to ground level as you can. Sometimes this works without anything else, but not always, so better to assume it won't and then use the squeeze bottle of herbicide to apply to the de-barked area. A benefit of using the herbicide is that if the tree is in flower or seeding, the seeds will be rendered non-viable.
Saplings can be girdled. If you just lop them they will send up new growth with multiple trunks, so don't bother with that unless you poison the cut. If you go that route, get Ortho Poison Ivy Killer and dilute per label instructions; then put in a dish liquid or other squeeze-type bottle (NOT a spray bottle)and apply to the cut end while it is still fresh. You can even up-end a plastic bag or container over the stump to prevent the herbicide from washing off when it rains.
For larger trees: if the fall zone will cross a property line or if there is a structure within the fall zone, you will have to have the tree cut in order to prevent expensive accidents. However if the tree is not that tall or is isolated, you can girdle it (i.e., remove a band of bark all around the circumference). Estimate the diameter within 12" of soil level and add 50% to that measurement to determine the width of the band - so if the D is 20", girdle a band of 30" as close to ground level as you can. Sometimes this works without anything else, but not always, so better to assume it won't and then use the squeeze bottle of herbicide to apply to the de-barked area. A benefit of using the herbicide is that if the tree is in flower or seeding, the seeds will be rendered non-viable.