The first and long-standing method of treating trees involves making your products available for the tree to absorb through the roots. This is done using a soil probe or needle that injects a finely-calibrated amount of fertilizer or pesticide directly to the root zone for absorption. Most commonly, trees are fed through soil injection (deep root feeding). Injecting products into the soil allows us to 1. treat the soil for better soil balance, and 2. it allows the trees to be fed more slowly by way of slow-release products. This is best for the tree.

Soil injection is an excellent way to take advantage of a naturally-occuring process that does nothing but help our trees thrive!

Tree injection is a very interesting, scientific approach to tree care that takes advantage of translocation, but in a different way. Get ready for the medical terminology….

Tree injection involves drilling holes at the base of the tree and literally injecting nutrients and pesticides intravenously into the sapwood of the tree for translocation. Much like you would receive a shot at the doctor’s office, tree injections are shots for trees. While tree injections can be dangerous for the unqualified user, there can be benefits to tree injections that make them the first choice for tree care professionals.

First, tree injections allow for very precise dosing that can sometimes be difficult to attain in soil injections.

Second, especially when discussing the use of pesticides, tree injections place the pesticide directly into a sealed port in the tree which protects the tree care professional, your family, the environment, and susceptible “good bugs” such as pollinators. We will say it again…Tree injection SEALS ALL THE POTENTIALLY HARMFUL PRODUCTS DIRECTLY IN THE TREE…which is exactly where they belong.

Lastly, tree injections are much faster and more efficient for getting products into the tree. When we are able, tree injection is often the first choice of the tree care professional.

Both soil injection and direct tree injection have their place in tree care. You can trust Holistic Tree know and understand the products that your tree needs, and which method of treatment is best for the situation. We like to think of ourselves as tree doctor’s. We take everything on a case by case basis.