1586/5000 near the base of the target tree, point hammer in a copper nail at a slight angle downwards. There is no standard, as far as size when choosing copper nails, but usually the more surface of the nail in terms of length and width, the more effective the treatment. Even a longer nail means deeper penetration, resulting in a higher chance of the tree that becomes sick. Further hammer nails in a ring around the tree, about half an inch apart. This damages an increased number of growth cells and increases the concentration of copper in the tree. This higher concentration is better because this increases the chance of metal oxidation that poisons the tree. The idea that a copper nail will kill a tree only applies to very small trees such as seedlings. Larger trees can tolerate a single nail without problem and will easily grow over the nail in time without any negative effects. If necessary, cover nail heads with mud? The purpose of covering copper nails with mud is to hide the nails. Copper has a tendency to show clearly in the trunk of the trees due to its bright colour. Covering the nails makes the process less obvious with a casual look and can preserve the look of a yard as the tree starts to die. With mud to cover them, but will not completely hide anything has been done to the tree. After the tree is dead, remove the nails before removing the tree. Otherwise, the nails could fly and hurt someone, or they could damage the machines used to remove the tree as there are many nails.