Rock Salt

Let the compound work its magic for 8 to 12 hours, avoiding flushing your toilet or running any water that will drain into your affected pipe. Although it takes longer than chemical herbicide, rock salt can effectively kill tree roots by robbing them of water.

Option 2: Rock Salt Although it takes longer than chemical herbicide, rock salt can effectively kill tree roots by robbing them of water.

1. Drill holes into the stump.
2. Pack the holes with rock salt.
3. After all of the holes are packed and the stump is covered in salt, pour soil and mulch over the stump.
4. Then, pour water over the mulch—this will dissolve the salt, help the roots absorb the solution, and pack the soil.

Insert a tree stump chemical into each hole in the stump. This will kill the roots and prevent the elm tree from regrowing. Reapply the chemicals once a week to speed the process and wait several weeks for the chemicals to take effect.

Your newly planted elm tree will need frequent watering as it becomes established. Elms prefer full sun or partial shade and moist, well-drained fertile soil. They adapt to wet or dry soil as well.

The easy to grow, very hardy and tolerant tree will live for 300 years or more. American Elm is a highly desirable shade tree with moderately dense foliage and a symmetrical crown in a broad or upright vase shape.

Other trees with similar habits include cottonwood, aspen and any other poplar trees, silver maple, Norway maple, black locust and American elm. These trees should be planted 100 feet from any buildings, drain pipes, sewers or swimming pools. Don’t forget to consider your neighbors home and pipes too.

Summer and Fall Planting Lily turf thrives in the same consistently moist soil that best supports elms and tolerates the tree’s shade. Traditional hostas, or August lily (Hosta plantaginea), which grows in USDA zones 3 through 9, will also perform well next to or under elms.

Before choosing plants, observe the amount of shade under the tree at different times of the day. Deep-shade plants such as ferns and hostas can thrive nearest the trunk, while semi-sun varieties like lily of the valley and coral bells can grow under the perimeter of the tree’s branches.

This process is relatively simple and is well worth the effort.

1. Step 1: Prepare Soil around Tree.
2. Step 2: Prepare a Barrier for the Flower Bed.
3. Step 3: Add Topsoil.
4. Step 4: Plant Flowers and Plants.
5. Step 5: Add Boarder to Flower Bed.
6. Step 6: Water, Water, Water.

If one adds soil to the area under a tree, as is often done when creating a flower bed, this blocks the flow of oxygen into the upper layers of soil, resulting in injury due to suffocation. It may also promote diseases.

Do make the area of mulch as large as it needs to be to completely cover the exposed roots, even if that means covering an area of lawn. It’s healthier for a tree to be surrounded by mulch than by grass. Don’t pile mulch against the bark of a tree; that can lead to rot or disease. Always spread it evenly.