Micro Injection Systems for trees

[Stinger]

Does anyone use Mauget or other brands of micro injection for improving the health and dizease resistance in trees?
I've heard this is a good add on business and my arborist doesent even offer it. TruGreen/Chemlawn is suppost to do this, but I've never seen it here in Texas.

 

[Samurai WeedWacker]

The injection system from Arborsystems LLC works well for me. One set of injections is effective for at least a year. The c ustomer pays more for injections than for spraying, but it's worthwhile. It's much safer for people, pets & the environment than is spraying.
I posted concerning this about 2 months ago, got NO replies.
I suspect the people with a heavy investment in spraying trucks will do their best to ignore it or maybe even suppress it.

 

[Toddppm]

I don't offer it at all. I've used them for another co. i used to work for, a hack. They can cause shakes in the wood, repeated applications can do more damage than good. You can use a soil drench or soil injections instead.Or just spray? I wouldn't damage a tree just to fertilize. The other co. was using them to control aphids and pests like that which only do cosmetic damage to objects under the tree and not the tree itself. Might as well top the trees because people want it right?Not.

 

[Eric E.]

I agree with Todd. Trunk injections cause damage!!! Think about it, you are drilling holes through the cambium and then injecting chemicals/fertilizers. These chemicals/fertilizers will impeded the natural setting of boundaries of the tree thus causing increased decay. It should be done only when there are no other options. Eric

 

[Samurai WeedWacker]

The Wedgle system from Arborsystems LLC works VERY well against aphids & lefminers. I haven't reached a verdict yet concerning pine needle scale.
Trees I injected more than a year ago have VERY few aphids & leafminers. They are thriving.
The holes are 1/8" diameter and only about 3/4" deep. For repeat applications one can stagger the holes at different heights on the trunk. If major pruning doesn't have a negative impact on trees, I doubt that a few little holes would.
You don't know how bad an aphid problem can get until you can no longer open windows located near a tree because the house will get over-run by aphids falling from the tree. Aphids are so small they easily make their way thru screens.

[Edited by Samurai WeedWacker on 09-20-2000 at 03:39 AM]

 

[Toddppm]

Pruning cuts are made at a natural branch collar where the tree readily heals if done right. All those little holes eventually block the flow of the tree, even staggering the injections will cause permanent damage if done repeatedly, we did one tree that had been injected bout 3 times before, pretty much ran out of room to inject? I've got a 90ft poplar and oak not 10 ft from the front of my house , aphids from april to june, i just keep the cars washed. Funny how the lawn mags always look at adding injections as a great add-on service. No i don't have a spray rig , not till next year.

 

[Eric E.]

"Major" pruning always has a negative effect especially when done wrong. Look up the current industry standards, ANSI A-300. Any pruning cut that breaks cambium causes an injury. If the cut is properly made at the branch collar (as Todd mentioned)the tree will better compartimentalize the injury. Drill holes and other injuries do not compartimentalize as well as a proper pruning cut. This is worse when we start adding chemicals into the injury. We should understand what we are doing to the trees before we run around causing injuries. Trees do not heal, all injuries are permanent. At the time of injury a boundary is set in the tree to compartimentalize decay. This boundary also "locks in" stored "food" reserves which the tree needs. This is far to complex to explain here. My point is we don't fully understand what we are doing to the trees we treat. For more info on this read some of Dr. Alex Shigo's books. Eric

 

[Samurai WeedWacker]

What the heck is meant by "shakes" in the above post?
I observed that the trees I injected last year lost their leaves later than did other trees. I take this to be an indication that the injected trees were more vigorous & healthy than the noninjected trees. Could be they were more vigorous & healthy because because they were unmolested by insect parasites.
When I asked the pesticide specialist at the local University about injecting pesticide into trees he said it worked well, and he mentioned no downside. I'll have to call him & ask specifically about possible damage.

 

[Toddppm]

Shakes are seperation of the wood at the rings or radially into the wood, sort of like when you split wood how it splits along a certain line, except this is while the tree is alive!not good. Check with your county extension agent or forestry dept. they usually keep up pretty good too if you can catch them. The leaves stayed on longer?Don't know about that, did you apply fert capsules at same time? Around here with all the rain we've had this year alot of trees are dropping their leaves early, guess they had their fill of growing for this year and don't need them anymore?could be, ya got me?

 

[Andrea]

i have used maujet alot, it is not something you should do unless you have been shpown how, although it is very easy. It is googd in some situation but cant be used over and over in the same tree . it has to be applied in the root flare in order for the corect uptake to occure so stagering as sugusted will not work. It is not really intended for the contol of aphid but more for fertilization of tree whos root systems are covered , or tree with borers, or trees that are to large to efectivly spray, or are difficult to spray due to the location. I would suject getting the info on the product , i have had great luck with it , but it is more of a last resort then an add on , the hole are not good for the tree , i thing it great for spicific circumstances but not for ever tree. i would really consider it for pine borer, for that it is the best solution i have found.
Andrea