How Can I Kill a Palmetto Plant?

Remove a palmetto palm along with its roots yourself.

You don't have to hire the services of a professional to kill and remove a palmetto palm, also known as cabbage palm (sabal palmetto), from your landscape. Although the attractive palm lends a tropical touch to the garden, its removal becomes necessary when it outgrows its growing space or serves as a threat to nearby structures or fixtures. Reaching up to 50 feet in height, the tree features a single trunk with large leaves that measure 4 to 6 feet in width.

Things You'll Need

• Chain saw or handsaw
• Drill
• Funnel
• Glyphosate herbicide
• Shovel
• Heavy-duty chain (optional)
• Tractor (optional)

Instructions

1. Walk around the palmetto plant to determine the direction in which it will naturally fall. Look for cues such as a subtle tile or excess growth on a particular side. Remove obstacles around the plant in that direction to provide it a clear landing area.

2. Cut a wedge through the trunk of the plant in the direction you want it to fall. Use a chain saw or handsaw to form a wedge that penetrates one-third of the trunk's thickness, positioned near the base of the plant.

3. Make another cut on the other side of the palmetto plant, slightly higher than the wedge. This narrow cut should stop short of the wedge, with several inches of wood intact in between to serve as the hinge. The tree pivots from this cut to the wedge before falling to the ground.

4. Cut the stump down to 10 inches above the ground using a saw. Smooth out the surface of the stump so it is level.

5. Drill 12-inch-deep holes through the exposed surface and sides of the stump. Using a funnel, pour a glyphosate herbicide into each hole. The herbicide is transferred to different parts of the plant, including the roots, killing it within days.

6. Dig the dead stump out of the soil or pull it using a chain connected o a tractor. If digging the stump, severe weakened or dead roots with a hatchet or shovel to loosen their grip on the stump, so it comes out of the soil easily when pulled. Alternatively, wind one end of a heavy-duty chain around the stump and insert its other end into the tractor's hitch. Bring the tractor in gear and push and release the accelerator continuously to release the stump from the soil.

Tips & Warnings

• Another way to kill the palmetto palm is to spray glyphoste herbicide over the foliage until completely covered. Avoid spraying too much herbicide, to the point of runoff, as it only leads to waste. Repeat application after one week. Cut down the dead plant with an axe, and grind its stump to a depth of 1 foot below soil level using a stump grinder.

References

• University of Florida IFAS Extension; Sabal Palmetto: Cabbage Palm; Edward F. Gilman, et al.; 2009
• University of Missouri Extension; Felling, Bucking and Limbing Trees; David E. Baker; October 1993
• University of Minnesota Extension; Removing Trees and Shrubs; Beth R. Jarvis; October 1998
• Washington State University Extension; Chemical Control for Woody Plants, Stumps and Trees; Scott W. Howard, et al.
• Family Handyman: How to Remove a Tree Stump Painlessly

Resources

• Penn State Extension; Tractor Overturn Hazards; Dennis J. Murphy, et al.