Johnsons's Garden Centers Text File document - copyright 2006
PDF file available at http://www.johnsonsgarden.com/newsletter/nurseryplants.html

Iron "Shot" For Chlorotic Trees
September 2006
Jeremy Johnson, Nursery Buyer & Kansas Certified Nursery Professional

    Trees are, in some ways, very much like people. While they cannot
show human emotions, they can get sick like us.

    When we get sick, we go see a doctor who then either prescribes
medication in the form of a pill, or gives us a shot. Previously our
only options on trees have been to either spray the entire leaf surface,
which can be very difficult on large trees, or a soil treatment, which
can be very beneficial in some cases and impractical in others.

    We have performed iron chlorosis soil treatments for several years
now, but have found that certain trees respond better than others.
Severe cases of iron chlorosis have always been a challenge, as the tree
is doing about all it can to simply survive. There have been other
options, such as hanging an "IV" bag on the tree and iron trunk
implants, both requiring drilling into the trunk. This drilling process
then opens up the tree to disease and insect problems and can damage the
vascular tissues of the trees, reducing its ability to move and store
nutrients.

    We now have a better option! Just like your doctor would give a
shot, we now have the opportunity to give chlorotic (yellow) trees a
"shot" to get them green again--often with results in as little as a
week!

    Our new system simply removes a small core of the BARK ONLY. A small
plug is inserted to prevent backflow and the chemical is injected
directly into the tissue which carries it to the leaves. When possible,
the treatment is performed near the root flare at the base of the tree
to maximize uptake. The iron treatment goes into effect instantly! No
waiting for rain or dragging hoses to water in the treatment. Treatment
timing is also quite flexible with this system, as temperature, wind and
rain do not affect our ability to treat.

    Many of our Ridge Rd. store customers may have noticed the two very
chlorotic Pin Oaks in front of our landscaping office. One of the trees
was at the point that we were thinking of removing the tree, as it had
massive amounts of limb dieback, severely stunted and yellow leaves, and
was pretty much an eye sore. As a last-ditch effort, we treated this
tree on August 8th. By the 14th, only six days later, we were seeing
marked improvement in foliage color. A check on the 17th (nine days
after treatment) showed signs of new leaves emerging from what looked
like dead branches! While this tree is a very severe case, and it
remains to be seen whether or not it may be completely saved, the
treatment definitely greened up the tree and it is showing huge signs of
improvement in just a few short weeks.

    As mentioned above, we are still performing our soil chlorosis
treatments, which are a great choice for many trees. If you would like
an estimate for either of the treatments, please stop by any of our
stores, or give us a call at 942-3751.