Landscaping can be emotional work. After spending hours at your local nursery tracking down the perfect tree variety for your yard, you might painstakingly water your investment and track its growth. Unfortunately, pests and unwanted animals can damage your tree—eventually leading to its early demise. Fortunately, you might be able to protect your trees from foreign invaders by doing these two things:
1: Having Your Trees Injected With Pesticide
Chewing insects, such as beetles and caterpillars, can infest a tree, munch away the leaves, and leave your tree without a way to make its own food. Eventually, the trees in your yard might die—leaving behind a leafless, sad-looking shell of what once was. However, you might be able to fend off bug problems by having your tree injected with pesticide.
Although tree injections might sound like something out of a science fiction movie, they are an incredibly effective method of pest control. By injecting tree-friendly pesticides into the xylem through the base of the trunk, pesticides will be moved throughout the tree via naturally occurring sap lines. Here are a few reasons tree injections are superior to traditional pest control methods:
- Full Exposure: When trees are injected, the pesticide will spread throughout the entire structure—including each branch and into the leaves. This means that you won't have to worry about missing a section with that pump-sprayer, or pesticide being washed away by a sudden rainstorm.
- Animal Safety: Because tree injections involve planting pesticide inside of the tree instead of spraying the entire structure, the treatment is also safer for small animals and family pets that could be injured by pesticides.
- Cost Effective: Since tree injections are so effective, less pesticide is needed to do the same job. In addition to protecting your tree, this also makes injections more cost-effective than other methods.
To inject trees properly, the user needs to have a thorough understanding of tree anatomy. If the pesticide is placed too shallowly into the tree, it won't be able to make its way throughout the entire structure—rending the treatment ineffective. To ward off problems, always work with a professional from a place like Schulhoff Tree & Lawn Care, Inc.
2: Installing Tree Guards
Living in a rural area can be beautiful, but you might also have to deal with wandering deer, curious birds, and mischievous raccoons. Although wildlife is always fun to watch, it can be frustrating to discover missing fruit, damaged branches, or gnawed bark. Woodpeckers can burrow into tree trunks, paving the way for disease and pest problems to take over your tree. Deer can rub against trees to mark their territory or attract a mate, breaking off branches and destroying your landscaping. Fortunately, you can protect your trees by installing tree guards. These guards are typically made from sturdy wire mesh, which can be custom-formed around each tree. Here are a few things to keep in mind before you install tree guards:
- Height: It might seem fun to start trimming mesh, but before you get started, take the time to research the animals in your area. Most people don't realize it, but White Tail Deer can actually jump about 15 feet high. Try to enclose the tree with mesh tall enough to ward off any trouble.
- Top Enclosures: If you are worried about birds, consider adding tree netting to enclose the top of the tree. If you are worried about how the tree will look after it is completely incased, you shouldn't be. Mesh is easy to see though, and tree netting is typically green so that it blends in.
- Accessibility: What good is a fruit tree if you can't reach the goods? Make sure to leave an access point within the enclosure, so that you can open the mesh whenever you see fit.
By protecting your trees from surprise visitors, you might be able to develop a healthy arbor—without losing sleep over your yard.