Cutting around Cedar to kill it

[herofan]

How deep and how wide of a gash would I need to cut around a Cedar about 40' circumference to kill it? Thanks.

 

[herofan]

Just to be clear, I want them to die while still standing so the trees will be lighter and more manageable when cutting and removing.

 

[highgrit]

How tall are those cedar trees?

 

[dun]

An inch deep maybe even just a half inch dependingon the bark and the cadmium layer. I usually just cut them the width of the kerf of the chainsaw. I usually cut 2 about 2 inches apart just to make sure.

 

[Workinonit Farm]

I would think that about 3 or 4 inches would do it.

 

[herofan]

How tall are those cedar trees?

Just a guess, but maybe 20+ feet. They are just big enough that they are a dread to fool with.

The situation is this; for some reason, my father let a line of cedars grow along the length of a hillside in a field. I believe he thought it would help with soil erosion; I'm not even sure if that was a problem. Anyway, they are very annoying to mow around when mowing the field. I have cut some cedars in places and drug them off, but like I said, these are just big enough that they are a dread to fool with.

 

[MudHog]

Find someone locally who cuts lumber and let them cut and have them. Nothing like Cedar wood.

 

[M5farm]

They make excellent fence post

 

[Bigfoot]

You may find, that your tractor will pull them over. I have dealt with some pretty big cedars that way. I hate a saw with a passion, and avoid them at all cost. Hook your chain, as high as you can reach. I sometimes stand on a front tire.

 

[dun]

If you girdle them or cut them off below the lowest branches they won;t grow back. Above the lowest branches and they;ll resprout.

 

[D2Cat]

How do you grow a Cedar 20 feet tall and 40 feet around?

 

[herofan]

How do you grow a Cedar 20 feet tall and 40 feet around?

That's another reason I want to get rid of them; they look really weird. :lol:

Actually, I meant for that to be 40 inches around.

 

[D2Cat]

herofan, I figured it was a typo! We grow people to that proportion (half as wide as they are tall) here in Kansas!! :lol:

 

[dun]

herofan, I figured it was a typo! We grow people to that proportion (half as wide as they are tall) here in Kansas!! :lol:

Seems like around here we grow them just the opposite!

 

[Dave]

How do you grow a Cedar 20 feet tall and 40 feet around?

I have fell cedars that were 40 feet around and only 20 feet tall. They were what remained of what was once a big old growth cedar. We call them snags. The next tree over might be 40 feet around and 250 feet tall. That old growth cedar was fun to cut.

 

[greybeard]

Frill cut them with a hatchet and squirt some 50/50 Diesel Remedy mix or straight Tordon RTU in the cuts--they'll die pretty quickly this time of year. 1/2"-3/4" deep frill all around will be plenty (cut into the and you'll only need about 4 oz of herbicide squirted in the cut for each tree. Right now (fall) is the time to do this, even with evergreens.
Frill them below lowest branches or about knee to waist high if the branches are pretty far up the tree.
You want to cut just deep enough to get the herbicide into the cambium, phloem and sapwood area.

Eastern Red Cedar: