How do I kill a tree?

Question

I'm looking for a way to kill a tree in my back yard. It is fully grown and I don't want to cut it down yet. Is there any way to do it without hard to find chemicals?

Answer 1

If you kill the tree and don't remove it, and it then falls on someone else's property, you are liable. Professional tree cutters don't like working on dead trees because they don't know where the weaknesses will be and it becomes much more dangerous. If you want the tree gone, have professionals remove it.

Edit:  Unless, of course, it is not your tree, but a neighbor's tree that is encroaching on your property. If THAT is the case, you will be liable for removal of the tree AND replacing said tree.

Answer 2

You can try girdling the tree. Take a small saw and cut into the bark and through the cambian layer and remove the bark for about 2 inches all around the tree . This stops the tree from getting nutrients  up into the canopy and eventually death. In heavy snow storms we have a problem with deer looking for food and they will eat the bark right off the apple trees as well as other trees and causing them to die.  

Answer 3

I wonder about your question.  It sounds suspect.

Answer 4

Drive copper nails, or pieces of copper into the tree.  It will kill it slow w/o chemicals.

as copper oxidizes it creates copper sulfate that kills the tree roots.