Tree Killers

I was having a cold beer with my neighbor the other day, when he started rambling about his oak tree dying. He’s lived in the same house for over 50 years, and is upset about this. Him being an older gentleman not fond of the younger generation (damn kids!) he started rambling on about methods they could have used to kill his tree.

He claimed they either hammered copper nails into his tree, which is apparently an arboreal plague, or drilled a hole and put gasoline in it. I suggested that a quick survey of the tree would probably disprove this, but he insisted that he knew. The other guys standing around seemed to believe this was possible as well.

So, a quick trip to Snopes turned up nothing for me, and I ask you: Are these really ways to kill a tree? And are tree killing urban legends a popular thing? This is the first time I’ve ever heard this.

Thanks,
The MeatBeast

Perhaps you should enlighten your neighbor about Sudden Oak Death.

FYI - The “living” part of the tree exists just under the bark. Generally speaking, unless a tree is girdled around the trunk, pounding (copper) nails into it or drilling a hole and filling it with gasoline will not kill it.

A large copper nail in the base of the tree can kill it. Initially there is the physical effect of the nail wound through the wood hindering the flow of nutrients and water through the xylem. This would effect the tree biologically through reduced photosynthetic activity in the leaves above the site of damage, and secondary attack of parasitic organisms from borer insects to fungi. As elemental copper is not toxic to trees, the copper in the nail would need to oxidise for it to effect the tree. A more effective way to do the tree over with copper would be to flood the root zone with a solution of copper sulphate, I do not recommend this.

As for the fuel in drilled holes, diesel has been used as a herbicide for some years now; usually illegally, but effectively. This would be very toxic to the tree, flooding its vascular system with a volatile oil-soluable liquid would disrupt the natural water based nutrient rich system.

If I am called to investigate the untimely passing of a tree, the first thing I check is the base for tell tale signs of arboricide; drill holes, disturbed soil, or empty bottles of glyphosate! I have found drill holes in the primary and secondary branch unions of a tree.

How quickly is it dying, how full has its canopy been in the last growth season?

Has he had any work (trenching, paving, concrete slab or even a pile of mulch/soil stored beneath it) done around the tree in the last 10 years?

So many factors, start with the signs!

Sarcophilus
Arborist

Hmmmm…well, first let me give you a poorly drawn diagram of the situation"
sssssssssssssss
s hhhh
s h h
s t hhhh
s
s
s g

s = sidewalk, t = tree, h = house, g = garage

Living in the midwest, they do tend to redo the sidewalks often, and it IS close, though he doesn’t seem to remember when the last time it was worked on was.

There is also a railroad directly across the street <---- that way. Don’t know if that could have anything to do with it.

He also works on old cars from time to time with his friends right outside the garage…could maybe oil spilt here and there close to it have something to do with it?

The only thing I can tell from looking at it is that there is no discarded bottles around it, and the smells coming from the railroad tracks (VERY FREQUENTLY used) and his garage would probably cover up the chance of me being able to smell diesel, if I could at all in the amount it would take. I haven’t seen any nails, and wouldn’t really know how to begin looking for a small drilled hole.

Thank you so far for the info! Oh, and as I said before, he’s quite the cranky old conspiracy theorist (other than that a very nice guy) and probably wouldn’t buy into any disease theories, even if it was obvious.

unless maybe I told him the Illuminati had something to do with it :wink: