Have you ever had a bacterial infection that was so severe your doctor bypassed pills altogether and jumped straight to the injectable antibiotics treatment?
Come to think of it, those injections are typically delivered right in your trunk…or bottom, if you prefer.
The same idea holds true for Arborists, who often choose to use tree trunk injections to quick-stop serious diseases or pest issues before they get any worse.
Trunk Injections Can Improve Tree Health and Sustainability
In addition to preventing or treating diseases and pests, trunk injections can be used to treat trees with nutrient deficiencies.
Just like nutrient IVs that bypass the slower-acting digestive tract, placing nutrients directly into the body’s circulatory system, trunk injections get much-needed nutrients directly into the tree’s circulatory system so the tree body and foliage don’t have to wait.
The idea is to get essential nutrients into the tree now, and then use regular fertilization and healthy soil practices to prevent the need for nutrient injections in the future.
There are No One-Size-Fits All Trunk Injections
Now that you know what tree injections are, it’s important to note that just as there are no one-size-fits-all fertilizers, there are no one-size-fits-all tree injections.
Some “tree specialists,” acting as arborists, will try to sell you the idea that a single injection can solve multiple issues. This is not the case.
An experienced and knowledgeable arborist will diagnose a specific problem or abnormality and then administer a diagnosis-specific treatment.
Some tree injection products are applied annually, while others are only used every two or three years. This is one of the reasons why we maintain professional tree inventories for all of our clients.
Even if you opt not to take advantage of one of our Plant Health Care Programs, you can create tree inventories of your own.
Just like your doctor maintains (we hope) meticulous medical records, charting your personal medical history and treatments, we like to know what was administered to whom and when so your trees and shrubs are never falling behind.
Advantages to Tree Trunk Injections Over Topical Applications
There are several advantages to using tree trunk injections as opposed to topical or soil-applied treatments, here are just a few.
1. Tree injections provide the quickest opportunity for healing
It can take a long time for a tree to become so diseased, pest infested, and/or malnourished that it begins to demonstrate physical signs or symptoms. That means it can take almost as long for soil, or topically-applied treatments, to be absorbed and work their way through the tree’s natural “digestion” process.
In worst case scenarios, it’s already too late for a non-injectable to work, and that leads to the unnecessary removal of beautiful trees.
When we inject the treatment or nutrients directly into the trunk’s root flare, it is delivered in micro-nutrient form so it is immediately available to the tree. This provides the quickest opportunity for healing.
2. Tree injections are weather proof
Any rain, snow or persistent moisture will dilute the potency and quality of topically applied treatments or solutions. That holds true even a few days or a few weeks after a product is applied.
Injectable tree treatments are completely weatherproof, so we can stand in the rain and wind and still have confidence that your tree will receive every single prescribed drop.
There is very little residue left over after the injection(s) are complete, so you don’t have to worry about dilution, runoff or product erosion. Plus, you know that both you and your tree got every penny’s worth out of the treatment.
3. Tree injections are better for the environment
We try to be as environmentally friendly as possible but the reality is that some of the best remedies for pests and diseases aren’t that great for the environment as a whole.
For example, we’re only interested in eliminating the pests in your particular trees, but we aren’t keen on harming the larger insect population. By injecting specific treatments, the solutions go where they need to go, without hanging around to negatively affect the environment, surrounding soil, the people applying the treatment – not to mention your pets, kids and selves.
The Importance of Using Professional Tree Services
When it comes to injecting trees, it's important to use a professional arborist. Unlike topical or soil-applied treatments, tree injections provide the quickest opportunity for healing, which is essential in worst-case scenarios.
It's important to note that there are no one-size-fits-all injections, and an experienced and knowledgeable arborist will diagnose a specific problem and administer a diagnosis-specific treatment.
By using a professional arborist for tree injections, you can ensure that your trees and shrubs are receiving the most effective treatment possible.
With the right care for your trees, you’ll gain valuable peace of mind. If you’re interested in having your trees inspected and their health assured, contact us for a free consultation or give us a call at 833-JTE-TREE.
