Plant characteristics
The light-loving maple originated from North America. There it is widespread, grows up to 20 meters or more in height and can live up to a hundred years. In street plantings, trees live shorter lives, up to 30 years. The tree has a short trunk, branched at the base, with dark bark and cracks, which turn into deep grooves as the tree ages.
The crown of the tree is spreading, the leaves have jagged edges and a dark upper surface. In autumn the leaves turn yellow and reddish foliage may appear. Because of the leaves similar to those of an ash tree, this type of maple is also called Ash-like. The winged fruits ripen at the end of summer and remain on the branches until spring. The tree tolerates frosts of 35 and 40 degrees well, so it feels good even in the Urals and Siberia.
Source: Depositphotos
The characteristically shaped leaves and winged maple fruits are recognizable
Alternative Methods
There are also several alternative ways to make the tree dry out quickly. Let's look at the most effective, and therefore popular, ones. For the convenience of visitors, the information below is presented in table form.
Table. How else can you treat wood to make it dry?
Method No. 1. Using salt
Method No. 2. How to cover roots
Method No. 3. Shutting off the air supply with mulch
Note! By the way, if the roots are blocking the sewer line, you can use Root Destroyer (if you can find it), which you just need to flush down the toilet. This way you will only kill the roots that have penetrated the network, but will not harm the tree.
When the tree dries out, it is cut down and burned. But after this, roots remain in the ground, which can also cause a lot of trouble. Below is a short guide to mechanically removing a stump.
Video - How to remove a stump using a chemical method
| It has long been known that salt destroys vegetation when it enters the soil. Therefore, salt can easily destroy the roots and the tree itself. It is advisable to use a salt solution if you are concerned that the vegetation near the tree may also be destroyed. Water the soil with the solution while it absorbs it. The salt concentration depends on the size of the tree (the larger it is, the more it should be). | You can block the flow of moisture and oxygen to the roots - to do this, you just need to fill them with concrete to the very base of the trunk. After 2-4 weeks, the roots will die, and the tree itself, accordingly, will begin to dry out. This method is advisable if a path is planned to be built in place of the tree. | The method resembles the previous one, but is more attractive and environmentally friendly. Place a layer of mulch (from 15 cm) over the roots and up the tree itself. This will partially block the supply of nutrients, and the tree will slowly begin to die. |
Why does the American maple need to be destroyed?
Wood is a strong allergen with a wide distribution area. In addition to rapid spread, it has a number of disadvantages:
- It grows quickly and crowds out other plantings. At the same time, it is not the best neighbor for residential buildings - the branches and trunk are quite fragile and can fall on the roof in a strong wind. Fragile branches and trunks can fall on your home or other plantings at any time.
- During flowering, it releases a large amount of pollen, which can cause allergies in people.
- The crown grows very widely and is difficult to correct. The plant is not suitable for landscape design. The wide crown also shades other plantings.
- The root system and shoots spread quickly and widely, breaking the asphalt and preventing other plants from growing.
- Roots and decaying leaves release toxins that inhibit the growth of other plants.
- The wood is brittle and therefore not suitable for construction. Only wooden boxes or household items are made from American maple wood: vases, sculptures, knife handles.
The tree has its positive aspects, but they are more suitable for its growth in the wild. Spreading crowns often attract residents. Birds build nests on the branches and eat the fruits of the tree. Lionfish and squirrels love to eat. Scientists use maple to breed new varieties of wood. For example, as a result of selection, the decorative maple Flamingo appeared.
If you do not want to destroy the tree and still decide to leave the maple on the site, it will not require special care. In the spring it can be fed with potassium and sodium fertilizers and watered periodically. The watering rate is 15 liters for old trees and twice as much for young trees. In summer, it is advisable to weed and loosen the soil around the tree and remove side branches.
We still recommend destroying the surrounding shoots like weeds, if you do not plan to propagate maples over the entire area of the site.
Source: Depositphotos
Maple seeds take root well in the soil, many of them germinate
Prevention - how to remove maple roots and shoots from the garden forever
It is extremely difficult to prevent the appearance of a thicket, because already in the sixth year of growth, winged seeds ripen on a young tree. It is impossible to predict when the wind will bring them to your site, so it is better to regularly inspect its perimeter for an uninvited guest.
Maple loves well-moistened soil in lowlands, so the best way to protect itself from its growth is to use the entire usable area of the site, avoiding empty spaces. In addition, you should not wait for the young shoot to fill the entire territory, but immediately begin to eradicate it.
Another problem can be whining, but how to get rid of whining in a short time is described in great detail at this link.
Maple likes to settle in abandoned areas and fields, where it will be even more difficult to fight it. If it has appeared on your site, do not lose heart; you need to know exactly what to do, otherwise the weed will quickly spread and drown out cultural plantings.
How to get rid of American maple
One of the methods of dealing with maple is prevention. The plant easily takes root in empty areas where the wind can blow lionfish, so plant the entire area with useful plants. If you have desert areas, check them regularly and eliminate any strange weeds or growths.
Dealing with weeds and small trees is, of course, easier than with plantings that take up half the garden. So if the trees are small, you can try simple gentle methods first:
- Apply salt to the cut piece of wood. The layer must be thick - salt inhibits the growth of the tree and inhibits the root system. Cover the cut with plastic to ensure a seal. You can cover the cut with light-proof material. The method does not harm other trees or soil.
- Bury the tree stump with plenty of crushed stone or soil. If possible, concrete the area.
- Remove the rhizome and above-ground parts of the tree from the ground. If the root is deep, it may be worth using agricultural machinery. (Read about how to remove tree stumps on your property here).
Ways to combat ash-leaved maple
To remove maple weed from the site, you will have to do systematic and labor-intensive work, designed to last more than one year. It is important to take into account the biological characteristics of this species and direct efforts to reduce its spread. It is necessary to use the entire arsenal of control methods : physical, mechanical, agrotechnical and chemical.
Physical (mechanical)
The effectiveness of this method is clearly visible in small garden plots when uprooting single specimens. The most budget-friendly, but also the most labor-intensive process is manual removal of trees, root shoots and above-ground growth. In this case, the simplest tools are used: saws, shovels, axes, crowbars, etc.
The older the tree, the more difficult it is to uproot.
The workflow for removing maple trees includes the following steps :
- the tree is cut down at a height of about two meters from the ground, thus leaving a lever for physical influence;
- they dig up the rest of the trunk and chop off the horizontal roots with an ax (within a radius of up to two meters);
- the deep main taproot is broken by rocking or rotating the stumped trunk.
To facilitate uprooting on clay or sandy soils, the soil on the rhizomes is washed away with a strong stream of water from a hose, having first dug a hole near the stump into which the water flows. After removing maple stumps, it is necessary to monitor the emergence of new shoots in the area and eradicate them for at least two seasons.
Agrotechnical (mulching)
The method is most often used after cutting down or mowing shoots of maple plantations. The dug up area is covered with a dark dense film or canvas for a long period, at least for a season. Every two weeks, the covering material is lifted and checked for new growth, which requires constant eradication.
Chemical
The use of chemicals based on glyphosate (Roundup and its analogues) is effective in the following activities:
- spraying with a solution of herbicide diluted with water in a ratio of 1:1, growth from stumps, as well as the vegetative part of trees and shrub forms;
- treating fresh cut or felled stumps with a solution of the same concentration using a brush (within half an hour after cutting down the tree);
- injections of undiluted drug 1 ml into notches (about 1 cm deep) or drilled holes in the lower part of the trunk. The results will be visible in a month, but the reduction in the number of shoots on the site can only be judged after a year.
Injections of glyphosate-containing preparations are considered one of the most effective methods of destroying weeds.
The practical experience of many gardeners confirms that it is advisable to treat the Roundup herbicide solution along the periphery of the maple stump cut using a soft brush.
You can learn more about the disadvantages and advantages of the chemical method of destroying stumps without uprooting in an article on our website . The “burning” method is not applicable for maple stumps due to the high moisture content in the loose wood. The heat released during combustion will eventually be used to evaporate water, and the process will stop, therefore, deep burning of the root remains will not occur.
How to defeat young shoots
If young growth of American maple has appeared on the territory, and you are not a supporter of the use of chemicals, you can use mulching. Soft types of mulch will not help in this case - you must use bark or sawdust, and the mulch must be at least 5 cm thick.
A good result can be obtained by covering the ground with a covering material - spunbond, lutrasil or any dark-colored geotextile will do. Ordinary cardboard will do the job well. Cover the ground and reinforce the covering around the perimeter, as well as in several places in the center, and leave for at least a month. This method is best used after harvest or in the fall. But here it is necessary to take into account that in addition to the maple, other plants will also die, so if it is, for example, a lawn, then it will have to be re-sowed.
Good results can be obtained by using EM drugs, for example, “Shine-3”. Sprinkle the area with overgrown growth with the preparation, carefully reading the instructions. Cover this area with covering material. Be careful with nearby plantings; if they come into contact with them or the soil next to them, the plants may die. The drug is harmless to the environment; moreover, after the period of its influence ends, you will receive a wonderful area ready for planting any plants.
Maples have a large crown that can shade most of the area
Disadvantages of maple
The American tree has quite attractive foliage and wood that is used under certain conditions. But in our conditions, the question increasingly arises of how to destroy maple trees in the garden. First of all, its rapid spread due to natural sowing - leave the area for a couple of years, and, with a high degree of probability, this plant will appear there.
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The tree actively produces pollen, so allergy sufferers often begin to feel discomfort in the presence of maple. And given its widespread distribution, it is almost impossible to hide.
As already mentioned, maple is not whimsical, which means it will find the strength to germinate in any conditions. Regular cutting down does not always help.
Also, it is worth mentioning about the fragile structure - the presence of any buildings nearby is categorically not recommended. Finally, it is worth mentioning the crown of the tree - it grows chaotically, and frequent pruning will be required for a neat appearance.
