# Killing rouge trees in my yard **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [August 18, 2011, 8:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/killing-rouge-trees-in-my-yard/593212 "2011-08-18T20:00:11Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 16\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Shadowfyre](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/shadowfyre/32/9972_2.png) [@Shadowfyre](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shadowfyre)\ **Post date:** [August 18, 2011, 8:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/killing-rouge-trees-in-my-yard/593212/1 "2011-08-18T20:00:11Z")
First of all, I’m not sure if this should be here or in IMHO. But I am looking for factual answers. Also, there are a couple of different questions here, but they are all related to killing trees and bushes, so I figure I should keep it all to one post. 1. I have some bushes with thorns that I hate. They are under a couple of trees. I like the trees. I tried cutting up the bushes, but the roots keep sending new shoots up. How do I kill off the bushes and their roots without killing the trees right next to them? 2. Similarly, I used to have a mulberry tree. Now I have about 8 of them all around my yard (birds eat the mulberries and poop out the seeds). Most of them end up right next to trees that I like. I’ve tried cutting them off at ground level and staying on top of them, but they keep growing back thicker and thicker. How do I get rid of them without killing the trees right next to them? 3. I have a concrete patio poured right up to my concrete foundation and I have woody trees growing between them. Further complicating the fact, that is right where my dogs like to lay. I can’t get to the roots with any tools, so how do I kill those off in a way safe to the dogs? Again, I’ve tried cutting them off at ground level, but they keep coming back. 4. The previous owners had put railroad ties down as borders of a garden next to the house. There is a tree growing straight through the middle of one of the railroad ties. This keeps coming back even after getting cut down. Anyway, thanks for reading and any suggestions will be appreciated. ---
**Author:** ![Ludovic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/7ab992/32.png) [@Ludovic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ludovic)\ **Post date:** [August 18, 2011, 8:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/killing-rouge-trees-in-my-yard/593212/2 "2011-08-18T20:08:26Z")
Hmmm, as far as I know, safflor and roses are not trees but bushes: correct me if I’m wrong! ---
**Author:** ![california\_jobcase](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/9d8465/32.png) [@california\_jobcase](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/california_jobcase)\ **Post date:** [August 18, 2011, 8:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/killing-rouge-trees-in-my-yard/593212/3 "2011-08-18T20:10:07Z")
Get some Round-up herbicide (active ingredient, glyphosate) and treat the sprouts as they re-grow. Don’t cut them off until they’re dead. Glyphosate won’t hurt nearby plants if you don’t get it on them, but it will damage or kill anything green it gets on. ---
**Author:** ![awldune](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/c77e96/32.png) [@awldune](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/awldune)\ **Post date:** [August 18, 2011, 8:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/killing-rouge-trees-in-my-yard/593212/4 "2011-08-18T20:28:38Z")
You can try applying Round-up directly to the leaves of the offending plant with a paintbrush. This is the safest way to avoid accidentally killing plants that you like. ---
**Author:** ![Johanna](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johanna/32/8318_2.png) [@Johanna](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johanna)\ **Post date:** [August 18, 2011, 8:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/killing-rouge-trees-in-my-yard/593212/5 "2011-08-18T20:40:31Z")
Rouge trees: [Red maple](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Red_maple) [Redbud](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Redbud) [Red-black tree](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Red%E2%80%93black_tree) [Red Barked Tree](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Red_Barked_Tree) [Red Sandalwood](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Adenanthera_pavonina) ---
**Author:** ![johnpost](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/f17d59/32.png) [@johnpost](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/johnpost)\ **Post date:** [August 18, 2011, 8:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/killing-rouge-trees-in-my-yard/593212/6 "2011-08-18T20:41:35Z")
put the glyphosate on the leaves of the unwanted spouting bushes and trees. paint it on or carefully spay only on those leaves. keep spraying sprouts until they stop appearing, it could take a long time. ---
**Author:** ![Derleth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b9e5f3/32.png) [@Derleth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Derleth)\ **Post date:** [August 18, 2011, 9:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/killing-rouge-trees-in-my-yard/593212/7 "2011-08-18T21:15:06Z")
> [@Johanna](#): > > Rouge trees: > > [Red maple](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Red_maple) > [Redbud](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Redbud) > [Red-black tree](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Red%E2%80%93black_tree) > [Red Barked Tree](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Red_Barked_Tree) > [Red Sandalwood](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Adenanthera_pavonina) Stop that or I shall sic the Hells Angles on you, and some of those guys are really obtuse. ---
**Author:** ![ratatoskK](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ratatoskk/32/2987_2.png) [@ratatoskK](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ratatoskK)\ **Post date:** [August 18, 2011, 10:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/killing-rouge-trees-in-my-yard/593212/8 "2011-08-18T22:03:36Z")
Do you mean rouge trees or rogue trees? ---
**Author:** ![Blake](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/a9a28c/32.png) [@Blake](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Blake)\ **Post date:** [August 18, 2011, 10:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/killing-rouge-trees-in-my-yard/593212/9 "2011-08-18T22:52:02Z")
> [@Derleth](#): > > Stop that or I shall sic the Hells Angles on you, and some of those guys are really obtuse. Ahh, [Rouge Angles Of Satin](http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/RougeAnglesOfSatin). To address the OP, Glyphosate will work, but it will take many, many repeated applications for the next 12 months- 2 years. Glyphsoate is a really lousy way to kill woody plants. Got to your local hardware store and buy some arboricide, often labeled as"tree killer". Much more effective. ---
**Author:** ![Canadjun](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/76d3ee/32.png) [@Canadjun](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Canadjun)\ **Post date:** [August 19, 2011, 12:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/killing-rouge-trees-in-my-yard/593212/10 "2011-08-19T00:19:06Z")
Trees that produce makeup?! ---
**Author:** ![Shadowfyre](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/shadowfyre/32/9972_2.png) [@Shadowfyre](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shadowfyre)\ **Post date:** [August 19, 2011, 3:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/killing-rouge-trees-in-my-yard/593212/11 "2011-08-19T15:37:18Z")
I guess my “u” finger is faster than my “g” finger. That and my proofreading skills have severely deteriorated since collage. 😉 > [@Blake](#): > > To address the OP, Glyphosate will work, but it will take many, many repeated applications for the next 12 months- 2 years. Glyphsoate is a really lousy way to kill woody plants. > > Got to your local hardware store and buy some arboricide, often labeled as"tree killer". Much more effective. So I guess I will paint the leaves of the trees growing right next to desirable trees with glyphsoate and hit the others with some tree killer. I’ve also heard of copper nails doing the trick, but I’ve seen more stuff on the interwebs that say it is just a myth. ---
**Author:** ![Zeldar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/b77776/32.png) [@Zeldar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zeldar)\ **Post date:** [August 19, 2011, 4:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/killing-rouge-trees-in-my-yard/593212/12 "2011-08-19T16:08:53Z")
If you really want to investigate the do’s and don’t’s of tree killing, you might look into the Toomer’s Corner activities at Auburn University earlier this year. Made a big splash at the time and tree specialists, agronomists and botanists have been having a field day trying to resolve the damage to some old oaks there. There ought to be dozens of links to the stories, if you’re interested. You could get an overview at [http://ocm.auburn.edu/news/oaks.html](http://ocm.auburn.edu/news/oaks.html) ---
**Author:** ![Jackmannii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jackmannii/32/311_2.png) [@Jackmannii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jackmannii)\ **Post date:** [August 19, 2011, 4:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/killing-rouge-trees-in-my-yard/593212/13 "2011-08-19T16:58:47Z")
To avoid the risk of damaging nearby trees by treating the “rouges” with tree-killing herbicides, you can just keep cutting back sprouts of unwanted trees until they exhaust their food supply and die. The roots cannot keep sending up sprouts indefinitely. ---
**Author:** ![Ostrya](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/35a633/32.png) [@Ostrya](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ostrya)\ **Post date:** [August 19, 2011, 5:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/killing-rouge-trees-in-my-yard/593212/14 "2011-08-19T17:53:07Z")
Or you could create a girdle by making a ring around the tree(s) with a cutting implement - cutting just beneath the inner bark. This will cause the tree(s) to exhaust their energy, inhibiting them sending up any more shoots. (This might be my cue to explain in detail all about the cambium layer, but have told to save that schpiel for the “who gives a shit” thread in MPSIMS.) ---
**Author:** ![buckgully](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/eb9ed0/32.png) [@buckgully](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/buckgully)\ **Post date:** [August 19, 2011, 6:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/killing-rouge-trees-in-my-yard/593212/15 "2011-08-19T18:18:05Z")
I have these really annoying trees coming up all over my yard (I have no idea what they are. They’re really oily and stink to high heaven, but I don’t think they’re eucalyptus) and I can assure you, cutting them back over and over just makes them angry. You wouldn’t like them when they’re angry. Eventually I managed to kill them with fire. I cut them back, put a bucket over the stump and soaked everything around them with the garden hose for a while. Then I took the bucket off and blasted them with a blowtorch until the whole thing was charred black. They haven’t managed to come back from that (so far). ---
**Author:** ![AskNott](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/asknott/32/5790_2.png) [@AskNott](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AskNott)\ **Post date:** [August 19, 2011, 11:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/killing-rouge-trees-in-my-yard/593212/16 "2011-08-19T23:41:54Z")
By the way, the creosote covered railroad ties aren’t such a good idea for a garden border, especially if you grow food there.