Money Can Grow On Trees: Tree Care

"Microinjection also saves contractors time by allowing them to make applications to trees in parking lots even if cars are present or to trees in areas with a lot of pedestrian traffic around," added Doolittle.

"We still spray some trees because sometimes only spraying works," noted Lance Schelhammer, president, Grass Roots, Lenexa, Kan. "But we would always rather microinject than spray. The residual of microinjection products is phenomenal on piercing, sucking pests. Plus, control can be season-long depending on the tree size."

Contractors noted that microinjection systems are less suited for applications to trees less than 3 inches in diameter or larger than 12 inches in diameter, as well as evergreen and needle trees where technicians cannot easily reach the tree’s trunk.

Microinjection’s affordability offers another key benefit over spraying.

"Now our tree technicians don’t have to pull a hose around a yard and they can make applications just as quickly with microinjection," added Schelhammer. "There’s no mixing of products or large storage of pesticides, and microinjection is less labor intensive."

Contractors have also found that despite the increased product prices for microinjection products, profits are consistent with spraying services at the same prices because microinjection is less labor intensive and one application often lasts an entire season that would require three spray treatments.

"There will come a time when the federal and state governments and agencies put so much effort into eliminating spraying trees that microinjection will essentially be mandatory," noted Schelhammer. "Contractors should start making the switch now."

ALTERNATIVE OPTIONS. Tree care is not just pesticide applications. Avoiding pest and disease attacks can be accomplished by proactively keeping a tree healthy.

"Trees in an urban environment require routine fertilization because they aren’t growing in a natural setting with regular plant decomposition into the soil that provides necessary nutrients," according to Barnard.

Options for tree fertilization range from injections via backpack systems or hand-held injectors to 18-inch-long plastic cylinders inserted into the soil to deliver oxygen, water and nutrients into a tree’s root system.

"Most liquid or powder products need to be mixed with water and injected under high pressure," noted Barnad. "But using a concentrated form of the product eliminates the mixing, and hand-held or backpack injection units can deliver the fertilizer deep enough into the root system."

"As with microinjection of pesticides, fertilizer injections also eliminate the need and expense for heavy equipment," added Barnard. "Plus, if a tree is 315 feet away from the spray truck and the truck is only carrying 300 feet of hose, the technician on that property has a problem. But that’s not the case with injection systems that can go anywhere."

Additionally, delivering the necessary nutrients to the root system encourages deeper, healthier root growth for trees.

"When important nutrients can’t penetrate overly compacted soils, the roots are forced to come up to the soil where they can get these nutrients," explained Dave Allen, vice president of marketing, RootWell, Waterford, Mich.

Barnard was quick to note, however, that contractors expanding into tree and shrub services often err by applying turf management practices to trees.

"A lot of contractors use too much nitrogen with trees, but nitrogen isn’t as important to trees and shrubs as it is to turf," he explained. "Instead, tree applications should feature low levels of nitrogen in a readily usable form that can be delivered over a long period of time when necessary. Otherwise, too much nitrogen promotes excess vegetative growth and can make the tree or shrub particularly appealing to insects."

The author is Editor of Lawn & Landscape magazine.