killing ivy roots around apple tree

Hi everyone,

I'm new here. My wife and I have just moved into a new house with large garden. I have a lot to learn so think I might be on here fairly regularly I think!

So, our new house has an apple tree. I don't know what kind of apples, we only moved in late December and the previous owner had picked them all by that point. I'm not savvy enough to work it out from the tree yet...

The tree is covered in ivy. So far I have cut it back to around a foot above the ground, all around the tree, so the ivy is now completely disconnected from it's root. The stump is now poking out of the ground by a few inches.

How do I go about killing off the root? I have got some root killer. I tried to buy some that doesn't require applying by watering can, it can be applied as a gel to the top of the stump (it's called Deep root ultra tree stump and weedkiller, by Growing Success). I was intending to drill some holes into the ivy stump, which is about 4 inches in diameter, and pouring in the stump killer.

But, I am still worried about killing off the apple tree. Surely some of the root killer will leech out from the ivy root and affect the apple tree immediately next to it? The two are adjacent to each other so the roots will be all intertwined.

Should I be worried?

Thanks
James

 

Hi James

I think its the 1st time we have a " Professor" on GC so welcome.

I should imagine that the "root killer" is based on Glyphosate which when in contact with soil become's inert so shouldn't pose a problem to the apple tree , I personally think doing what you suggested would be fine to do.

We will wait and see what the other members on here have to say.

Spruce

 

Yes, the packet does say it contains glyphosate.

Thanks
James

 

Hi James

I would go ahead and do it but dont go over the top little and often , just be careful when applying , you can always top it up over the weeks as it gets absorbed in , at least the sap shouldn't be rising in the ivy which will help , I would cover with a plastic bag with a elastic band to keep it dry and safe for animals and the like once completed.

Spruce

 

That makes sense, at least if I apply little and often and there is a problem I won't have overdone it. The plastic bag is a good idea, I was thinking of doing the same thing.

Thanks
James

 

, "I was thinking of doing the same thing"
of course you was

any photos would be great to see , and putting roughly where you live helps us all answer questions as different parts of the country have different growing conditions.

Hopefully see you around on here , lots of helpful members at the ready

Spruce

 

Welcome to GC, James Um, going against the flow a bit here, but glyphosate only works by translocation from green, growing material to the roots, so although it will eventually work as a weedkiller when applied to the leaves of ivy, I don't see how it would kill off a stump. Perhaps there is another active ingredient?
"
Several stump killing products are available that are applied directly to freshly cut stumps (ready to use) and others require dilution before application. Some common active ingredients in these products are 2, 4-D, dicamba, imazapyr, picloram, and triclopyr. Herbicides containing these active ingredients are available from several manufacturers and carry many different product names. Herbicides containing the active ingredients 2, 4- D, dicamba, and picloram may be subject to "flashback". Flashback is the passive loss of herbicide from treated root following treatment and can result in unintended injury to adjacent vegetation. "

At least if the stump re-sprouts, the glyphosate will come into it's own.

 

Deep root ultra kills Tree stumps (hard and soft wood),brambles and controls annual and perennial weeds such as grasses,nettles,willowherb and dandelions around the garden.

Deep root ultra is carried throughout plant systems by the sap.After absorbtion through foliage or cut stump,the ammonium salt of Glyphosate is carried to the outer extremities of the plants root system where it begins to work.


this is what it says about the product James has bought

 

Thanks for all the replies. We've been out for the day and it's dark now but I will try and get a photo of the tree in the morning. We're based in Cheltenham, so south west.

The instructions for the stump killer indicate that you can either use it diluted to pour over a general area for weed treatment or that you can apply it in more concentrated form to the stump itself.

I'll give it a go tomorrow and see how it goes!
Thanks
James

 

Let's hope that it lives up to it's promise!

 

Ok, here are a few pictures. One is a close up of the stump. You can sort of see where I have cut the ivy on the tree from the stump. Then there is a mid range shot just to show the extent of ivy coverage and then a full shot of the whole tree.

The whole tree will need a lot of attention I think. Quite a bit of pruning to be done! First thing would be to kill the stump then try and pull off the ivy though right?

 

not sure why the pics have been rotated! I have just rotated a pic 90 deg on my computer and retried uploading it but it rotated it further,making it 180 deg out, but still on it's side... Not sure the uploader is working quite right there

 

I now have 4 copies of one of these photos, each one a different orientation after having rotated them and saved (one of them correct). When I try and upload all 4, not one of them is the right way up! The one that is correct on my computer is rotated and the other 3 stay as they are.

 

Hi James

Great big tree and I could still get a good look at the photos if I twist my neck around , I would be careful pulling the ivy out as with it being attached you may break the branches so just prune out what you can the rest will fall off eventually or the wind will blow it out .

Do you know how to prune ? , cut out all the dead branches (if any 1st) .

I would probably give it a good feed in the spring
I always use Blood fish and bone or a a whole box of rose food sprinkled around the tree as far as the branches reach out , and if you have grass growing under the tree is to put a circle of garden membrane down 1st and peg it down and then cover with bark it lets all the rain through and so much easier that digging out the lawn which can damage the tree roots close to the surface and especially with such an established tree as yours