As a landscape contractor, trying to control tree pests is a major aspect of the job, but it is not as simple as it once was. The days of conventional blanket spraying are fast becoming a thing of the past because new environmentally friendly methods have taken over the market. Your clients not only want the pests taken care of, but they want your techniques to have as little effect on the environment as possible.

This need has led to micro injection becoming an effective alternative to spraying. The method applies pesticides and nutrients into the trunk of trees, thus delivering material directly into the vascular system where it can remain active for a long period of time. Just as important to your clients, it eliminates spraying of pesticides into the environment. For small and medium-sized landscape contractor firms, it is an effective, easy-to-learn technology that can be painlessly added to your line of services.

What is Micro Injection?

Micro Injection consists of a plastic closed capsule containing water-soluble chemicals and a short plastic feeder tube inserted into a pre-drilled hole at the base of the trunk or root flair and can treat both urban and rural trees.

Pros

In addition to being inexpensive, micro injection treatments are useful where environmental concerns mandate that sprays cannot be used. Furthermore, in contrast to conventional methods, when done properly treatments do not harm the applicator or the plants and animals that live around the injected trees.
Treatments have been proven to take affect in as soon as a few weeks and follow up treatments need only be applied every few years.

Just as in the human veins and arteries, trees with large-diameter vessels like oak, will allow injected materials to flow more rapidly.They should not be injected until the leaves have fully developed. photo: JJ Mauget

Cons

Be sure to let your client know that the micro injection process requires holes to be drilled into the trunk, causing some wounding to the tree. Only if you deem the tree strong enough to handle drilling, this method should be used. If your client does not want the trunk to be wounded, other options besides spraying are available. Examples include soil injections, soil drenches, and direct injection.

The Injection Processes

Determining the number of capsules to use per tree first requires determining the tree diameter at breast height (DBH), and dividing by two. A tree with a DBH of 20 inches would require 10 capsules. The dispensers should be placed in the root flares close to the soil (2 – 6 inches above the soil-wood line). It is very important not to place capsules in root flare valleys, as poor distribution of the material may occur. Once the tree DBH has been determined, place the dispensers on the ground around the tree in the root flare areas that will result in the best distribution of the material throughout the tree. If necessary, more than one dispenser can be placed in one root flare area.

Injections have been used successfully to treat mineral deficiencies as well as provide insecticide, fertilizer, fungicide and antibiotics. Trees often respond to treatment in as little as three weeks and follow-up injections are only required every few years. photo: www.treemasters.net

Activation

Activate the dispenser by hitting the top with a rubber mallet or by pressing between the hands. Using a battery operated drill with an 11/64 bit, drill a hole approximately 0.5 to .75 inches deep on a 45 degree angle to the main trunk where each dispenser is to be placed. The hole should extend just into the tree xylem area. Insert the dispenser tube firmly into the micro injection unit and seat snugly into the hole in the tree. Tap the barrel section lightly with a rubber mallet to firmly seat the micro injection unit in the hole. You should hear a popping sound if the unit is properly in place. Tap the dispenser tube to remove air bubbles and ensure that liquid is flowing into the tree. If not installed correctly, the material will not go into the tree and may possibly leak and cause environmental contamination.

Waiting Period

Once treated, a four hour wait time is required to ensure that the material has emptied out of the micro injection unit and into the tree. Time to empty can vary depending on the time of the year, weather conditions, and tree species. Moist soil conditions and bright sun with mild temperatures facilitate the emptying of the micro injection units. The soil under the trees should be watered prior to treatment to help increase its effectiveness. The micro injector units will remain on the treated trees for a maximum of four hours, but if empty before four hours they can be removed from the tree. If a unit or units have not emptied at the end of a four hour period, remove them.

When performing micro injection, measure the tree?EUR??,,????'?????< photo: JJ Mauget

Adding Micro Injection To Your Business

With minimal start-up costs of purchasing treatment capsules?EUR??,,????'?????<

(Rules vary depending on the chemical used?EUR??,,????'?????<www.realgreenlawns.com and www.aphis.usda.gov

Maintenance Details

8: Months, the length of time it takes for poly-methylene urea to deliver its full complement of nitrogen to a tree. In addition, this material is completely soluble in water.

1/10: Ounce, the amount of ammonium nitrate used by a tree from the four to six pounds of fertilizer per 1,000 square feet delivered to trees. Micro injection prevents the rest of the material from leaching into the water table.

Source: The Tree Doctor