# "Tree of heaven" Take down



## Junkrunner (Apr 17, 2010)

Here's one of the larger, Ailanthus I've ever cut. Had me concerned for my power-line. It was 18" in diameter and about 60' tall, and close to 70 yrs old.


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## Junkrunner (Apr 17, 2010)

Here's acouple more photos.


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## BlueRidgeMark (Apr 17, 2010)

Nasty stuff! That "Tree of Someplace OTHER Than Heaven" is brittle. Add the extensive rot to that, and you have a dangerous takedown. Glad it went where you wanted it!


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## electric saws (Apr 17, 2010)

*nice*

Thanks for sharing, esp. 11&16.
Honestly, how much luck & how much skill did you have on that one?
(IMHO it looks like mostly luck with that much rot.) 

Did you make some exploratory cuts before falling to figure out what was inside?


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## Junkrunner (Apr 17, 2010)

Yes, I did a little "exploring" with the saw. And havin a good pull-man helps. I had my escape route. I didn't a half bar in, on the back-cut, when it "cracked"! Cut-n-run!


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## brandonc77 (Apr 18, 2010)

Yeah those Trees of Heaven are a pain, I lead an invasive plant management team in KY and thats is our primary mission to remove all Ailanthus trees in our area. We have ran into some pretty nasty trees that were near roads, electric lines, and houses. Here is a couple of pics of the largest one that I have cut it was 29 in. DBH and only 34 years old. We had already cut about 100 smaller ToH to have a place to drop the two biggest. The largest one is the on closest to the freeway.




Pretty hairy cutting area since we could not close lanes on the freeway to get the trees down.








Me with that monster ToH after I stumped it.


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## Junkrunner (Apr 19, 2010)

Good deal! I've Bin at war with these things, since i moved into this area. They've bin let go, for so long.


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## BlueRidgeMark (Apr 19, 2010)

brandonc77 said:


> Yeah those Trees of Heaven are a pain, I lead an invasive plant management team in KY and thats is our primary mission to remove all Ailanthus trees in our area. We have ran into some pretty nasty trees that were near roads, electric lines, and houses. Here is a couple of pics of the largest one that I have cut it was 29 in. DBH and only 34 years old. We had already cut about 100 smaller ToH to have a place to drop the two biggest. The largest one is the on closest to the freeway.




Good work. The only good Ailanthus is a dead Ailanthus.



But, what is that big ugly greenish growth in the third picture?


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## brandonc77 (Apr 19, 2010)

LOL, yeah that greenish growth is just one of a few native enemies of the dreaded Tree of Heaven here in KY


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## forestryworks (May 15, 2010)

whoever imported those trees needs to be shot.


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## brandonc77 (May 28, 2010)

*One of our sites finally able to get the big tree down*

My crew and I have been fighting this site for about 3 weeks. Dodging phone lines, rock bluff and extremly busy road below.Finally after about 1,000 trees we were able to drop the big boy. Here are some photos of the largest tree in the site which when stumped was 29 3/4 in diameter and only 23 years old. Our crew has minimal equipment since we work for a non-profit in our area so the only thing they provide us with are some chainsaws( Stihl 260,361,440 ht101 polesaw) 30 ft manual pole saw,and some rope.



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## brandonc77 (May 28, 2010)

*More pics*

Here are some more pics of the site and stump.


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## IllinoisJim (May 29, 2010)

*ToH*

We have been fighting these on our place. Didn't even know what this was a couple years ago but now I see it all over. I just took down about 6 this morning from 6 - 12" all in one area. Left the two biggest for another day. I noticed that there is a big one nearby on the neighbors place too. And zillions of seedlings in the field around them. 

I try to treat the stump as soon as it is cut and haven't had much trouble with regrowth although I have heard that's a problem. Most of the seedlings look like they resprouted - must have mowed them off with the brush hog early last year when I last mowed. Field is in conservation program so I let it go last fall. 

One small tree had very similar leaves in the bunch that wasn't ToH. So be careful you don't whack some similar looking good trees. Here is a very helpful page I found about the differences:
http://www.cas.vanderbilt.edu/bioimages/pages/invasive-plants.htm

And a tool good for pulling the small stuff is the "weed wrench" - this tool works great! (no connection to them - just a satisfied customer).

http://www.weedwrench.com/


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## ct greenman (Jun 4, 2010)

*P.O.S. trees*

I rarely say this but the best thing for all of those nasty Alanthis trees is a :greenchainsaw: and chipper. Tree of heaven my :censored:kill um all.


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## Junkrunner (Jun 23, 2010)

:spam::spam:


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## woodbug (Jul 1, 2010)

Hey Brandonc77, drove by your site out on hwy 90 the other day and it looks good. Keep up the good work.


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## computeruser (Jul 1, 2010)

No good bastard root-sprouting junk trees. And as an added bonus, they apparently root-graft with cherry trees, so when you hit the freshly cut stumps with Garlon...dead cherry trees!


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## deeker (Jul 2, 2010)

forestryworks said:


> whoever imported those trees needs to be shot.



That is the worst tree on the planet as far as I am concerned.

Only taken down a half dozen. Eyes swell almost shut if I don't wear a respirator.

The only tree to make me that miserable. I wear a dust mask on red cedar, but the tree of hell is a #####. And a mask on a few of the real dry logs. I should add, when I mill them.


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## BlueRidgeMark (Jul 2, 2010)

IllinoisJim said:


> And a tool good for pulling the small stuff is the "weed wrench" - this tool works great! (no connection to them - just a satisfied customer).
> 
> http://www.weedwrench.com/





+1 on the Weed Wrench. Works very well. I find I need a board under the foot on really soft ground. I have a about a 14" length of 2x10 that I use.


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## TrillPhil (Jul 4, 2010)

1. Hell yea drop that ####!

2. I ####in hate stink trees... hate hate hate


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