Tree details
The American tree is found in many countries on all continents, especially in our country. In general, maple trees have several types, almost identical in their properties. A distinctive feature of the vegetation is a wide, spreading crown, which consists of beautiful leaves.
Another property is numerous roots that grow in all directions. Among the advantages, it is worth noting the rapid germination - within a year, the tree becomes a meter or more taller.
In addition, maple is not picky about the environment and thrives in low temperatures and infertile soil. But this does not eliminate the question of how to destroy the maple on the site. What are its harmful features?
First of all, this is rapid growth, as we already mentioned. Since not many farmers allow the tree on their property, getting rid of maples can be difficult. Let's take a closer look at the harmful properties.
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.
Mechanical methods for removing maple from a site
Ash-leaf maple wood is loose and contains up to 78% water. This type is not suitable for construction or furniture making. Even as firewood, its use is not justified; high moisture content reduces the lower calorific value.
Fragile branches break easily with little force. It is easily chopped with an ax (you need to strike at an angle of 30...45 ⁰ to the axis of the trunk). It is convenient to use circular and chain saws for cutting.
The wide crown creates certain inconveniences for clearing the area. The branches have to be cut down to make it easier to carry the tree to the burning site. The wood itself can be used to shred and turn into mulch. Upon contact with soil, such mulch rots within two years and forms humus.
The roots are located quite deep, two to three year old trees penetrate to a depth of 1.5...2.0 m. In older trees, the roots penetrate up to 3.5...4.0 m. The root itself branches quite widely. Occupies an area 3...4 times wider than the crown of the tree covers.
Research has been conducted to determine the labor intensity of uprooting roots. It turned out that if you have the necessary tools, you will have to spend at least 3.0...4.0 hours.
The use of mechanization means reduces labor costs by approximately half. The force on the crane boom for uprooting a tree aged 3...5 years is more than 50 kN (5000 kg).
It is advisable to remove annual plants before the formation of a strong root. Already in the first year of life, it penetrates to a depth of 30 cm and forms side shoots. They try to gain a foothold in the soil.
When mowing with a regular or disc scythe, root suckers may emerge from the remaining root. They will form next spring. Therefore, when clearing an area of annual seedlings, it is advisable to dig out the roots.
Attention! Branches left behind can form a new root under suitable conditions. A new plant will appear that you will have to fight.
Stopping light from reaching the stump
Among the mechanical methods of fighting there is a rather original one. It was described in an 18th-century French pamphlet. After cutting down the trunk, it was recommended to completely cover the remainder with straw.
Tie tightly with straw strands to hold the shelter over the stump. Sprinkle soil on top to prevent sunlight from penetrating the plant.
According to the author, after a year the stump loses its ability to form new growth. Putrefactive processes begin in it. To enhance effectiveness, it was additionally advised to water the stump with sea water or wine vinegar.
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Advice given more than two hundred years ago can still be used today. Use black plastic garbage bags to cover the stump. You will need to secure the bag firmly so that the wind does not blow it away. In a year, each site owner will be able to see how effective this method of combating weeds is.
Preventing maple growth
To correctly answer the question of how to remove maple from a site, you should start with preventing its appearance. To begin with, preventing the tree from sprouting is carried out by occupying the entire usable area in the garden, so that there are no “wastelands”.
You shouldn’t put the brakes on caring for the area - if you notice shoots from such a tree, immediately start getting rid of them.
Weed tree destruction
If it was not possible to eradicate the maple in the bud, it is worth moving on to the next step - eradicating the shoots. At the moment, there are several main ways of this event.
Salt, for example, is not always effective, but it is a cheap option and we recommend trying it. The fact is that with the help of this substance you will slow down growth, and if repeated frequently, you will completely destroy the plant. To do this, cover the top cut with salt and cover it with something to keep out the rain.
You can also wrap the same cut with an opaque film, thanks to which moisture and nutrients will not reach the tree.
By combining this method with the previous one, you will most likely destroy the plant. You can’t leave fire aside - burning often helps even in advanced cases.
With the help of mechanical destruction, you will definitely achieve the desired result, but you will spend a lot of effort. The thing is that regular plowing of the rhizome and destruction of the upper parts will not allow the tree to develop and grow. It’s especially good if you have agricultural machinery at your disposal. To clear a larger area, use herbicides.
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Using the suggested tips, you will certainly destroy the annoying plant, and you will be able to answer the question of other gardeners - how to get rid of maple on the site.
“We took pictures of ugly places and hung them on a banner”
“To cut down the American maple and cultivate the place where it grew, the villagers all go out together and work as a large team. Deputies are also very active in this direction; they organize initiative groups and act together with them. We reward activists with diplomas and certificates,” said Sergei Dimitriev.
District authorities conducted an inventory and determined which areas needed to be cleared of American maple. The heads of rural settlements were instructed to clean up the territories of abandoned buildings and eliminate unauthorized dumps. Each head of the settlement provides a quarterly report on how many abandoned houses there are and in what condition they are.
“If rural settlements don’t have an excavator, we provide it ourselves, but they provide diesel fuel on site,” said the head of the executive committee.
He also said that at the very beginning of the fight against the American maple, the territory of the railway was photographed, then the leaders were gathered and the photos were shown to them.
“So they saw the whole mess and got to work. In the same way, they gathered representatives of organizations located along the railway and showed them the inside of their farms. “Everything is beautiful from the front entrance, but the back is such a mess.” After we showed them this evidence, they agreed with us.
"You're right. We will eliminate this with the help of our people,” they promised us. The district cannot cope with such a volume of work on its own without the help of local organizations; the budget does not provide funds for this,” explained Azat Garifullin.
Among the villages there were those who refused to cut down the American maple and clear the territories. In such cases, “educational measures” were used. The management took photographs of places overgrown with maple trees and displayed the photos on large banners in front of Sabantui. After this, the villagers apparently felt ashamed and began to renovate abandoned places.
