If you kill the root you may kill the tree. Then you're legally liable for damages.

I doubt that, Jean... Killing one ailanthus root is very doubtful to cause much harm to the tree. And if it does... well, good riddance!

Oh, those are nasty buggers! I am constantly fighting those little stinkers.

I would recommend hacking off that big root that comes from your neighbors once during early spring. Then, check it every single week and cut off any new growth from the root. This may be what you will have to do to keep it in check. They are very very invasive.

I know some on here may say no, dont cut the root, it sends up shooters. Well, there's no other choice. Just cut the root as far away as you possibly can and monitor it. Killing off one root will NOT kill the tree. I'm pretty convinced that if a nuclear bomb went off, ToH would be there within a week to colonize.

how do you know that that root comes from that tree... 3 houses away????

are they that distinctive???

ken

I'll be removing an Ailanthus toward the end of summer...
and I'll continue to remove it for the next several years!
The roots travel under a neighbor's driveway, and under my garage, too. Plus, the seeds....

I'm one of the few folks who likes Ailanthus, The Tree of Heaven - but even I don't recommend
it near houses.

Josh

Ken, in my experience with tree of heaven, the roots are fairly distinctive. Also distinctive is how fast they grow and how terribly invasive they are. I have experienced those kind of roots with only two trees...mulberry and tree of heaven, both trash/weed trees. Their roots will grow under two/three car driveways and continue growing past the driveway and I guess maybe just stop where they see fit!!!

Some people here in the city let them grow where they come up because they are so easy to grow and are perfectly happy in urban conditions. I kind of wish they wouldn't due to the fact that they are an invasive species, but, I can see why they would leave them.

They are a never ending battle.

I wonder if you could apply some of that root killer on the root when you chop it in the Spring? It's used to kill roots when they are invading pipes and septic systems. I recently purchased some for my septic tank, the root was quite obvious when it was being pumped (from a huge Silver maple). The septic guy applied it directly to the root thru the cover after he was done pumping the tank.

The active ingredient is Copper sulfate and you can buy it at the hardware store or online. There is granular and a foaming type. It supposedly also retards the new root growth for awhile anyway. Unfortunately in your case, I don't think it will kill the whole tree! ;)

Ailanthus is my blood enemy - I *loathe* that tree. I spend several hundred dollars to eradicate it off my property.

If I were you, I'd sneak over there and basally spray it with a triclopyr-based herbicide (e.g. Ortho Brush-B-Gone). The fewer of those vermin trees there are around, the better.