How to Kill Spruce Trees

Spruce trees are coniferous trees with whorled branches. They are very dense and hardy, which is what makes them difficult to kill. They flourish in cool to cold temperatures and can grow to be 60 meters high. Spruces can easily become infested with boring beetles or disease, making them an unsightly nuisance. The best way to kill spruce trees is a combination of chainsaw and chemicals. While removing the spruce trees, you must also be aware of any seedlings or pinecones. These must be removed as well to keep your yard free of spruces for good.

Things You'll Need

• Telephone
• Protective eyewear
• Heavy work gloves
• Long-sleeved shirt and pants
• Boots
• Hard hat
• Chainsaw
• Twine
• Drill with 3/8-inch bit
• Salt
• Stump grinder

Instructions

1. Call your trash removal service and ask how it prefers to pick up logs and tree limbs. You will be cutting down the spruce trees and need to remove the debris from your property. Usually the trash service prefers that limbs and logs be cut to a certain length and tied in small bundles for removal.

2. Put on protective eyewear, heavy work gloves, a long-sleeved shirt, long pants, work boots and a hard hat. These items will help protect you from injury while killing the spruce trees.

3. Cut down the spruce trees with a chainsaw. Start at the base of the trunk. Once the tree is down, cut it into the length specified by your trash service and tie the bunches together using your twine.

4. Pick up other remaining tree debris. Pick up pinecones and pull out seedlings by hand, then place them in yard waste bags with the other debris.

5. Drill 12 holes into each tree stump, using a drill with an 3/8-inch bit.

6. Pour salt into each hole you have drilled. This will kill the stump and roots in two to four weeks.

7. After the salt has killed the stump and roots, rent a stump grinder from a hardware store to remove the stump remnants. Follow the instructions provided with the stump grinder for successful operation.

Tips & Warnings

• Use extreme caution when operating machinery.

References

• United States Department of Agriculture: Forest Service
• Minnesota Department of Natural Resources: Forestry
• University of British Columbia Botanical Garden: Spruce