How to Kill a Palmetto Tree
The palmetto tree, also known as the cabbage palm. Is a tall palm tree with fan shaped leaves. This tree is so iconic that it is featured on the state flag of South Carolina and is the official tree of Florida. Palmetto trees grow equally well in swamps and coastal marshes as they will in dry upland areas. Palmettos are frequently planted in tropical areas as a landscaping tree. If the tree is cut down, it must be killed immediately, or it will resprout. Does this Spark an idea?
Instructions
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1
Hold up a yardstick to judge the straightness of the tree's trunk. Most palmetto trees have a perfectly straight trunk, although some can develop a trunk that leans. If the trunk leans, it will fall over in that direction.
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2
Remove any obstacles around the tree in the direction that you will fell the tree so that your palmetto does not crush the tree in the direction where it falls. Observe the soil around the base of the tree to remove any obstacles beneath the tree that can trip you.
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3
Cut one-third of the way through the trunk on the side of the tree in which you want the tree to fall. The cut should open at a 60-degree wedge shape, and should be near the base of the palmetto.
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4
Make a second cut in the trunk of the palmetto on the other side of the tree cut. This second cut should be located slightly higher than the point of the first cut. It should be a narrow cut that extends two-thirds of the way through the tree. Step away from the tree as it falls.
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Spray the trunk of the palmetto with a broad spectrum herbicide such as glyphosate. The glyphosate is a systemic herbicide that will be pulled down into the roots of the tree and will kill them to prevent re-sprouting.
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References
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