| |
|
| |
How early can trees be treated in the spring? |
| |
As early as you can get the chemical to stay in the trunk. Even with the WedgeChek, you won't be able to get a chemical to stay in the bark until the bark is pliable enough to hold the product in the "bubble" created by injecting. In the continental United States, March to April is typically the time when the chemical will stay in the bark. |
| |
|
| |
How late can trees be treated in the fall? |
| |
Injections made in the fall are limited by how long the tree will translocate (absorb chemicals). This will differ for each part of the country, however it is usually a lot earlier than people think. As the tree starts shutting down for the year, the cambial zone starts to dry up. Injections made after this occurs may fail to control that year, as the cambial zone will not retain the chemical. You may also see some phytotoxicity by injecting late in the season that would otherwise not occur. As an example of this, we were doing some phytotoxic studies to see how phytotoxic different carriers would be to the tree. We injected several trees in August and then injected them again in mid September. The trees injected in August (Catalpa) had no signs of damage to the cambium, however those treated just 15 days later (Siberian Elm) showed some damage. Even though there was no sign of frost or cold weather, shutdown had occurred. Earlier injections are preferred. |
| |
|
| |
How small of a tree can be injected? |
| |
Trees that are very small and have thin bark will require special techniques. We have successfully injected trees as small as 2-3" in diameter. But to do this, we had to go down to the flare, set the gun at the 1/2 ml setting and slowly squeeze the handles to inject the tree. |
| |
|
| |
Where should the injections be made? |
| |
For most trees, injections made at the flare or base of the tree are preferable. Here are several reasons why:
| • |
Injecting greater volumes of chemical such as fungicides is done more easily. |
| • |
Allows for more even distribution. |
| • |
If any sap bleeding, chemical seeping, or damage occurs, it is less visible at the base of the tree. |
| • |
For tough-barked trees, such as Hackberry and Hickory, the flare offers a more pliable area of injection. |
| • |
Injection holes seal more quickly. |
| • |
When controlling cambial feeding borers, it is crucial that injection occurs in the flare so the entire trunk is treated. |
Among the easiest trees to inject are elm, ash, oak, cottonwood, linden and birch. On trees with deep fissures such as cottonwood and some oaks, it may be necessary to rotate the injector gun sideways to a 45 degree angle. On thin barked trees, you may find it necessary to insert the WedgeChek in only one-half as far as normal. You may also find it necessary to reduce the amount of chemical per injection and increase the number of injection sites.
Timing of the application is very important. Spring through summer is the ideal time for injection. Specifically, each tree needs to be inspected. The bark needs to be pliable and that depends on the weather in your location. Injections too early or too late in the season may cause the chemical to leak out anywhere in or around the WedgeChek. This is because the bark is not pliable enough to hold the chemical. Although some leaking is normal, if excess leaking occurs in the spring, wait another few days and try it again. If this happens in the fall, you will either have to reduce the amount of chemical to be injected and add more injection sites, or wait until spring to inject the tree. |
| |
|
| |
How often can trees be injected? |
| |
Since most of the chemistry used by ArborSystems is formulated for season-long control, this is usually not a problem. Repeated yearly injections may be made without harming the interior wood of the tree. However there are instances where an injection would be made to control both insect problems as well as disease problems. With the advent of the WedgeChek, this is easier than ever. Repeated injections in the same holes may be made in the same year. It would be advisable to wait several weeks between injections due to the different carriers used by the different chemicals. We have two Pin Oaks in our long-term trial study that have been injected over 150 times each. |
| |
|
| |
How long should the Wedgle Tip (needle) last? |
| |
Under normal use, a needle should last for 4-5 bottles of chemical. With the use of the WedgeChek, most of the wear and tear on the tip is removed. To prolong the life of the tip resist the urge to twist the tip in the tree as it is being withdrawn. This may separate the tip from the hub. |
| |
|
| |
How long does it take to show results? |
| |
This depends on what is being treated. If you are treating the tree with our IRON NUTRIBOOSTERS or other micronutrient, typically you will start seeing results in 7 - 10 days. Complete greenup may take two weeks. |
| |
|
