Removing invasive tree from asphalt driveway

last year

last modified: last year

Hi! I have a small tree that's growing up through our driveway and I'm wondering what the best approach would be for removing it. The tree is small in diameter so cutting it won't be a problem. But it's the growing roots I'm worried about. Is it possible to cut it down to the asphalt and then kill the roots with a chemical application (preferably something naturally-occuring that willl be least harmful to surrounding plants and critters)? Is this something that I could tackle myself? Or will this involve ripping up the asphalt and digging into the ground to uproot the roots? Thanks for any tips!

Featured Answer

krnuttle

last year

Since it appears that it is in the gate area, if you put a plastic bag over it the bag will end up in the back yard. A block would also exclude the light then you have the doctors cost when you trip over it.

SO if it were me I would cut it as close to the asphalt, and each time you walk through the gate break of any suckers with your foot. After a while it will die, and no chemicals.

In the future if something comes up that looks like it is worth keeping, pull it out and plant it somewhere else. This is from experience. About 11 years ago we were helping my daughter clean up her yard. We found a magnolia that had sprouted from a seed and was about 14" tall. It was growing at the edge of the Air Conditioner pad. My wife worked it out with as many roots as possible and planted it in our yard. Today the tree is about 10' tall and flowered for the first time a couple of years ago.

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Comments (7)

mojavemaria
last year
I’ve killed small trees with no chemicals by cutting down and then covering with a black trash bag. Any new growth receives no light and the tree should be dead by the end of the season.
floral_uk z.8/9 SW UK
last year
Yes. Cut it down and exclude light. While you’re in that corner I’d prune the rose before it gets any wilder. That will make cutting the mulberry a less painful experience .
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Nice looking raised beds. I hate to be the bearer of bad news but there is little that you top off the asphalt with that is inexpensive and have it wear well and look great. The least expensive material would be mulch and that would just wear too messy . Then you step up to crushed gravel and it would have to be retained to keep from spreading out , so it too would wear messy and there would need to be some construction accommodations made for the elevation levels. Personally I find asphalt a benign product that is inexpensive to install and maintain. But if you do not like it you might think about removing it or parts of it . It usually is very easy to remove. The amount shown in the photo would come out in a matter of minutes after the edges and borders were cold cut. If it were my property I might cut out a ribbon and lay in a mosaic band or matching brick or tile band at the entry to the raised bed courtyard and leave the field of the asphalt. Next to the house I would probably have 2 or 3 raised narrow boxes built so to soften the field of the asphalt where it meet the side of the house. I'll attach a photo of a project that we did a few years ago where we removed the asphalt and installed an exposed aggregate concrete and stone mosaic band. It might pique your imagination to some ways that you could work with your own asphalt challenge.
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Another point to consider, if this is a true "easement", then your neighbor still owns the property your drive is on, and therefore you would not have a "right" to plant anything at all without their permission. This "easement" almost certainly an access easement that allows for a road/drive and utilities, but gives you no other rights whatsoever. I don't know if this is a true easement, or if you in fact own a strip of land to the road, but you need to keep this in mind. You can find out from your "plat" that either you will have a copy of, or you can find at the county courthouse. IMHO I would say don't risk ticking off the good neighbor, and live with it especially if you don't actually "own" the stripe. JMHO Artrees
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For the trees/saplings you cut, you can apply full strength triclopyr to the cut stump immediately after cutting. If the stump is more than a couple inches, it's only necessary to apply herbicide to the perimeter of the stump. I usualy use a small squeeze bottle with concentrated Brush-be-gone or other herbicide for woody plants. You can also use a basal bark application of herbicide by coating the stems with the triclopyr. You can read more about that here. I have a root-pulling tool called the Weed Wrench. I bought the 2nd largest size, that pulls up to 2 inches. For really tough plants like Glossy Buckthorn or Norway maple, it works better up to 1 inch. Not sure how it would work with the white mulberry, but if they are extremely difficult to pull and have an extensive network of roots, it might be easier to cut and use small application of herbicide.
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ken_adrian Adrian MI cold Z5
last year
cut it as flush to the ground as you can .. and then apply a stump killer labeled for such use ..

round up used to labeled as such ... 100% .. and drip or painted on ..... its not a spray thing ... read the label

cutting down.. or pruning it.. will not kill an otherwise healthy plant ...

if any green reappears.. treat it again with the killer ...

dont make this harder than need be ...

ken

ps: the color of the bark suggests mulberry.. but the pic is so washed out.. im not even sure about that ...
beesneeds
last year
Cut it down flush to the ground. Then heavily paint it with black paint, black rubberized paint, or best would be a bit of driveway coating or paint. The coating will smother/kill the stump along with potential suckers and also blend that spot into your black drveway.
Linda M
Original Author
last year
Lots of great tips, thanks everyone! Looks like cutting it down close to the ground and then painting is the best option. Will the black rubberized paint be enough, or do I need to use herbicide? I was worried about the consequences of having to pour or spray the herbicide all around the tree, but if it's just dripped or painted onto the leftover stump, maybe that option isn't so bad...
Linda M
Original Author
last year
@kmuttle that's a great suggestion! Will definitely keep in mind for the future. I use an app to try and identify weeds, flowes, trees, etc that I come across, so will keep an eye out for anything worth relocating snd replanting.

Removing invasive tree from asphalt driveway

krnuttle

Comments (7)

mojavemaria

floral_uk z.8/9 SW UK

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Removing invasive tree from asphalt driveway

krnuttle

Comments (7)

mojavemaria

floral_uk z.8/9 SW UK

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ken_adrian Adrian MI cold Z5

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