Killing Trees using Copper Nails?

I have heard that driving a number of copper nails around the trunk of a tree the nails will kill the tree, presumably by some chemical reaction. Anyone had experience of this method, - does it work?
I am not intending to kill off any of my trees, but interested in any information.

a-a

 

My Local Authority's arboriculturalist used to find copper nails in protected trees that were in the way of proposed developments and some of them were in a bad way, but the perpetrators could well have been using additional means such as concealed drilling, Glyphosate/Copper Sulphate/Ammonium Sulphamate/Etc., then plugging the hole and that could have been responsible.

But that was large trees and I've tapped a small copper nail into the likes of very small ash/elders growing in awkward places such as the junction between walls and paving that made grubbing up the roots impossible, and it worked.

 

So you could reach to bang a nail in it, but couldn't cut it off with a hammer and chisel??

After this I would be suspicious of anyone who owns copper nails.

 

Blimey, that was a big one.

 

By way of an experiment I have driven copper nails into a small unwanted piece of ivy growing againt the fence - results will of course be posted here.

a-a

 

Yes copper nails do work on smaller trees/plants.

 

But if you kill the tree then what? You have a dead tree that is a liability in wind etc, and also if the nails have been grown-over, or are not easily seen, they can cause risk to life & limb when cutting the tree with a chainsaw.

If the tree has to go then chop it down would be my advice

 

what else can be used instead of copper nails?

 

Well, you could drill into the trunk at an angle, and then with a funnel fill the holes with SBK weedkiller, stop up the holes afterwards with putty or similar.
But agree with Marley, just cut it down if you dont want it.