Help me kill a crepe myrtle

ckDOG

All-American
Dec 11, 2007
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Background: had a mature crepe myrtle cut down recently. I wasn't at home when it was cut and didn't get any herbicide applied to the stump in time to be effective.

I'm tired of knocking back new growth on the stump and roots. Do I need to chainsaw a layer off the top before applying roundup or similar For it to be effective? Or can I drill holes or just scrape a layer off the top with a chisel or something? Guy did a good job cutting stump down low and I don't really feel like digging down to make it safe to get another cut on it. Don't mind the stump....I just want it to die off.
 

L4Dawg

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Oct 27, 2016
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Take a small nuclear weapon and blow your place up. When the radiation dies down you can weave the new crepe myrtle branches into a temporary shelter while you build a new house.
 

Xenomorph

All-American
Feb 15, 2007
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Chainsaw off a layer.. Drill several half inch holes in the stump (however many it'll allow). Fill with roundup concentrate straight out of the bottle.
 

FISHDAWG

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Dec 27, 2009
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Chainsaw off a layer.. Drill several half inch holes in the stump (however many it'll allow). Fill with roundup concentrate straight out of the bottle.

I've also heard diesel painted across a fresh top will do it
 

Shamoan

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Jun 27, 2013
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im 100% certain dales, yeti stickers, and mole crickets are part of the solution...im just not smart enough to put it together yet.
 

Go Budaw

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Aug 22, 2012
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Where is it located? If its out away from your house, cut the stump as low as you can with a chainsaw. You can drill a bunch of holes in top of stump, then pour vegetable oil in all the holes until it soaks in (do a few times to get good saturation). Then throw a match in there, get a 6-pack, and Have yourself an effigy.
 

Len2003

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May 13, 2018
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Those things are tough to eradicate because they send out runners and seeds that pop up little crepe myrtles a few feet away.
 

dawgdr

Redshirt
Feb 27, 2008
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I drilled holes in stump and poured roundup in it. May have been coincidence but it did job!
 

ckDOG

All-American
Dec 11, 2007
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Hmmm...about 10 feet.

Where is it located? If its out away from your house, cut the stump as low as you can with a chainsaw. You can drill a bunch of holes in top of stump, then pour vegetable oil in all the holes until it soaks in (do a few times to get good saturation). Then throw a match in there, get a 6-pack, and Have yourself an effigy.

I'm tempted. I mean...it's a slow burn, right???
 

EurekaDog

Redshirt
Nov 10, 2010
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Cut it down, drill holes in the top of the stump, and pour salt in the holes.

Fill the holes and put a thin layer on the top of the stump. Most of the time, you won't need the layer of salt.
 
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Dawgbite

Heisman
Nov 1, 2011
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I drilled holes in stump and poured roundup in it. May have been coincidence but it did job!
Roundup is a broadleaf herbicide meaning that it is absorbed by the plant through its leaves. You can soak a tree or bush stump In Roundup and it won’t hurt it because it won’t absorb it. I’ve been fighting about 5 crepe myrtles That I pulled up last year with the tractor. Round up won’t even kill the sprouts popping out of the ground from all the remaining roots.
 

was21

Senior
May 29, 2007
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or drill holes and fill with epson salt and put a bucket over it
 

SheltonChoked

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Feb 27, 2008
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Take a small nuclear weapon and blow your place up. When the radiation dies down you can weave the new crepe myrtle branches into a temporary shelter while you build a new house.

 

Mr Todd French

Sophomore
Mar 3, 2008
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Stop using “Roundup” brand name. They watered it down so much not it hardly even works anymore. Go to a co-op and get Ranger Pro or Eraser. I think it’s got 35 to 40% glyphosate. That’s killing power.
 

RocketDawg

All-Conference
Oct 21, 2011
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If it's so low you can't slice off a new layer, why not just cut vertical stripes several times? Should be as effective as drilling.

You could always just dig it up as well.

Crepe myrtle trees must be very hardy or else they'd not live through what many people do to them every year. Do that to a normal tree and it would kill the tree.
 

garddog

Sophomore
Dec 10, 2008
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Stop using “Roundup” brand name. They watered it down so much not it hardly even works anymore. Go to a co-op and get Ranger Pro or Eraser. I think it’s got 35 to 40% glyphosate. That’s killing power.

Yep, we use Eraser.
 

ckDOG

All-American
Dec 11, 2007
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That's what I'm thinking.

If it's so low you can't slice off a new layer, why not just cut vertical stripes several times? Should be as effective as drilling.

You could always just dig it up as well.

Crepe myrtle trees must be very hardy or else they'd not live through what many people do to them every year. Do that to a normal tree and it would kill the tree.

Think I'll drill holes, take off as much of top level with a chisel as I can (or chainsaw if I can get it to crank) and soak it with Eraser.
 
Aug 23, 2012
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I’ve cut down two 30 foot crepe myrtles recently. I did as others have mentioned. Drilled several half inch holes in the stumps. Poured ground clear concentrate on them
and in the holes at least once a week every week for about 3 weeks now. They are starting to look dry and dead now. There were a few sprigs coming off them the first week or two but they are dead now. I’ll burn them in the fall.
 

Go Budaw

Redshirt
Aug 22, 2012
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I'm tempted. I mean...it's a slow burn, right???

Pretty slow burn, helps to have a poker or shovel or something as it starts to really get going so you can keep good air exposure on the embers. Buddy of mine told me about that method a few months ago...he did it on some larger, more dense trees than a crepe myrtle, but I suppose it would still work. 10 ft may be OK as long as you have good clearance from adjacent shrubs and bushes, and you have room to isolate the burn area with some bricks or stones.
 

turkish

Junior
Aug 22, 2012
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Think I'll drill holes, take off as much of top level with a chisel as I can (or chainsaw if I can get it to crank) and soak it with Eraser.
That’s a bit of an awkward job for a chainsaw. Be careful!