how to kill a mulberry tree
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How Can You Kill a Mulberry Tree?

Despite their beauty and rather tasty berries, the Mulberry tree is not a plant you want in your garden. Because as strange as it may sound, these plants have no respect for the space and privacy of the other plants, which in turn will upset their neighbors. 

It may seem cruel, but this is a tree you need to get rid of for your other plants to live and grow healthy.

Thus, when you do notice this plant, it’s important to act fast and learn how to kill a Mulberry tree before it grows into a much bigger problem for your lawn.

Why Kill a Mulberry Tree? 

The most important reason why you need to kill Mulberry is that this is a very invasive plant that will cause a lot of stress on your other greenery. The root system of Mulberry is rather complex and spreads really far. And since they don’t like company, this tree will choke and kill any other plants that are near. 

So as you can understand getting rid of this plant is essential to protect the other plants you have and protect your garden from turning into an unkempt forest. Thus learning how to kill a Mulberry tree becomes essential, when you notice one in your garden.

What Tools and Equipment to Prepare?  

Before you kill Mulberry tree, you need to prepare and gather all the essential tools and equipment for the job. These are:

  • Gloves: Always use gloves before killing Mulberry trees. Herbicides are harmful to human health, and they also protect your hands from allergies and sunburns.
  • Safety glasses: It’s always essential to protect your eyes from any injuries. That is because during the process the small branches might fall off and damage your eyes. So safety glasses are a must.
  • Breathing protection: Herbicides have a lot of side effects on your body. Thus, it’s always important to follow proper herbicide safety rules and wear breathing protection.
  • Shovel: This is the most essential and best tool for killing Mulberry tree roots. With a shovel, you can dig out the saplings and roots.
  • Chainsaw: A chainsaw will help you cut big trunks or massive roots. However this is a very dangerous tool, so be very careful with it: follow the proper safety rules for working with a chainsaw or ask someone who has experience with it, especially if you don’t.

How to Kill Mulberry Tree Roots?

The general question that we have heard from several people is how to get rid of Mulberry trees once and for all? The answer is simple –  you need to destroy the roots. Here’s how:

  • Step 1: Use a shovel to dig out the young saplings and the roots that are lost in the deep interiors of the soil.
  • Step 2: Cut off the tree directly from the root region to prevent the growth of foliages. Plants grow foliages between May and September. 
  • Step 3: Use a watering can to mix water with glyphosate or triclopyr herbicides and spread them over the roots to destroy forever.

How to Kill Mulberry Tree Stump?

If you’re wondering how to kill a Mulberry tree from the stump, then here are a few steps to help you:

  • Step 1: Remove the protruding suckers from the collar of the trunk or root system. Frequently cut off the sprouts to prevent the tree from growing. But it’s a tedious process.
  • Step 2: Keep cutting the tree until you reach live wood. Then, cut the surfaces flat enough. If the stump is enormous, drill through the trunk’s outer rings to get the live wood region.
  • Step 3: Apply concentrated herbicides like glyphosate, triclopyr, or 2, 4-D to the trunk immediately after cutting down the tree. Cover the small stumps’ cut surfaces and edges of the large stumps with an old paintbrush or spray applicator. Pour herbicides to fill the drilled holes in the trunk.

And if you’re wondering how to kill a Mulberry bush, then we suggest spraying concentrated herbicides directly on the bushes, and eventually, the brushes will die. But, once again, don’t forget about proper safety.

Important Safety Tips

  • Wear gloves, goggles, and respirators before you go ahead to use those sharp tools and chemicals.
  • Seek professional help if you think you can’t kill a plant yourself.  
  • Protect your feet by wearing chemical-resistant shoes, or you can cover your shoes with plastic.
  • Keep your pets and children away from the work area, especially after applying herbicides.

Mulberry Tree Killer Products

If you’re looking for more products besides herbicides for killing the Mulberry plants, then here are some products for you:

  • You can use foliar sprays for plants below 15 feet. Glyphosate will work great for winter, Imazapyr for midsummer days, and Dicamba and Picloram are suitable for the spring seasons.
  • There are no separate products for large plants; you can just use the products mentioned above. Make cuts, drill holes, or you can use injections to send the chemicals deep into the trunks.

These will prove useful in getting rid of the inconvenient plant. You want to make sure that it’s really dead though. Now, you may be wondering: how to tell if a tree is dead? Just look at the trunks for peeling skins, barks, or splits. Also, pay attention to the branches of the canopy. If they do not have leaves, then they might have died.

Final Word

With that said, we hope that our article helped you understand how to kill a Mulberry tree. Now, you can now get rid of the inconvenient plant and don’t hesitate for a second. Your plants will feel a lot better once you do, and you will save yourself the trouble of tending to your garden because of the roots the Mulberry tree has. So it’s best to get rid of this unwanted guest and add some really useful and beautiful trees, that would be the best for your garden and near house.

So best of luck, and feel free to let us know if you have your own method of how to kill a Mulberry tree. We would love to learn from you!

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