# Should I kill my tree?



## llO0DQLE (Dec 4, 2017)

I am thinking of cutting this tree down. My lawn is tiny and I'm tired of mowing around it. Cutting it down will make it easier to mow and probably make my lawn look better. Thoughts?



Also, if I decide to go ahead, what's the best way of doing this myself as I do not want to spend money paying someone else to do it. I want to make sure the whole tree dies and the roots all decompose properly and I'm not left with a fair ring or something. I'm thinking of spraying the leaves with Round Up and then when it's completely dead, chop it down as close to the ground. I'm hoping the roots will be completely dead and easy to dig up as much as I can then back fill it then let the grass fill in.


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## Phids (Sep 24, 2020)

That looks like a nice tree, but if I had to get rid of it, I'd just do it myself by chopping it down at the trunk and then digging out the trunk as much as possible. You might need an axe to get some of the roots, but you could probably do this with a round point shovel as well. It looks like it's only a few years old and without a flair at the base so my guess is it's not well established yet. Spraying roundup on the leaves seems like a very unnecessary step to me since it's easy enough to cut down without doing that, and you could end up damaging that luscious lawn underneath.


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## llO0DQLE (Dec 4, 2017)

I'd cover the grass with a tarp if I do RU. I'm not gonna risk any over spray for sure. I read somewhere that spraying round up was a good method to ensure the tree was completely killed all the way to the roots.


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## ColeLawn (Nov 11, 2020)

Prune pretty much all of the brush and then chunk it down in 3-5ft sections (assuming you will be using a hand saw). If you had access to a chainsaw you could fell that tree in ~10 seconds. Digging out the trunk is the hardest part.


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## Retromower (Jan 28, 2021)

If you really want to take it out, just prune all the branches off and just cut it down in sections. You'll then need to dig out around the stump to where you can get at it with a sawzall and cut it as flush with the ground as you can or just grind the stump.
Personally, Id just leave the tree if it were me because its a nice looking tree and trying to remove it is going to be way more work than just mowing around it.


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## Mewwwda (Jul 15, 2020)

As someone who doesn't have any trees in their yard, I'm jealous of the tree you want to cut down lol


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## llO0DQLE (Dec 4, 2017)

Yeah it's a nice tree and it's a lot of work to kill it myself and dispose of it so that's why I haven't done it yet. But it's not just the work of mowing around it. I'm pretty anal about mowing directions and alternating them and trying to avoid ruts and laying the grass over in one direction only. The edging is another thing, more work and I get pretty anal about it lol. And all the mulch spilling out of the bed.

The biggest thing is I'm trying to determine which would make my front yard look better, at least to me as a lawn care nut, with or without tree. I do like trees and landscaping features but part of me feels that cutting it down will make this front yard look better as it will open up the space and make the lawn look better as it will look bigger and make it look like one big carpet of grass. I don't know. Not 100% sure. What do you guys think?


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## llO0DQLE (Dec 4, 2017)

ColeLawn said:


> Prune pretty much all of the brush and then chunk it down in 3-5ft sections (assuming you will be using a hand saw). If you had access to a chainsaw you could fell that tree in ~10 seconds. Digging out the trunk is the hardest part.


I may be able to borrow a chainsaw from a friend or rent one at HD. I'm more worried about the trunk. I don't want to pay someone to grind it with a machine if I can avoid it. Not sure what other methods there are.


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## dicko1 (Oct 25, 2019)

I never grind the stump. It creates a giant hole with wood chips everywhere. Then when you smooth everything out and replant the destroyed turf, in a few years all the wood chips will rot and the ground will sink and you're stuck doing it all over again to fill in the crater.

I always just cut the stump off flush with the ground so a mower will go over it without damage. In a few years the stump will rot and can be easily dug out and you're left with a much tinier hole to fill than if the stump was ground out.

Its a tiny tree. A sawz all should be able to cut it off flush.

BTW, what kind of tree is it? Little trees become big trees and it looks to be in an inappropriate location, too close to the house.


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## ColeLawn (Nov 11, 2020)

****o1 said:


> I never grind the stump.


You're more than welcome to come on over and pull out the 46"x41" stump I have in my front yard :lol: I'll provide the beer, pizza and gas money.


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## llO0DQLE (Dec 4, 2017)

****o1 said:


> I never grind the stump. It creates a giant hole with wood chips everywhere. Then when you smooth everything out and replant the destroyed turf, in a few years all the wood chips will rot and the ground will sink and you're stuck doing it all over again to fill in the crater.
> 
> I always just cut the stump off flush with the ground so a mower will go over it without damage. In a few years the stump will rot and can be easily dug out and you're left with a much tinier hole to fill than if the stump was ground out.
> 
> ...


Thanks for the info. Yeah I was worried about the rotting trunk if I ground it up. I was thinking of digging up as much as I could if I went that route then backfilling it with soil. Good to know I can just cut it flush. I think the tree is a Japanese lilac. Nice blooms but only lasts a month at most.


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## dicko1 (Oct 25, 2019)

Japanese Lilac can get to be 20ft wide and 25ft tall. You have to decide if that's what you want in that area.

Another way to handle it is to dig down arond the trunk to expose the trunk a bit deeper. Then cut it off with a saw below ground. Put the removed pieces of sod back and keep watered for a while.


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## llO0DQLE (Dec 4, 2017)

Yeah if they get that big then no, I don't want that. Thanks for the info I think I know what I need to do now.


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