www.landscapeirrigation.com August 2014 Landscape and Irrigation 27
your local extension agency are some of the best ways to learn the
key trees and their problems in your area.
Once you have learned a few trees and their issues, you can
learn how to manage them. Trees are sophisticated organisms.
They respond to environmental stresses, defend themselves from
insects and diseases, and regulate their growth through a balance
of hormonal interactions. They produce sugar through photosyn-
thesis, extract hundreds of gallons of water from the soil daily, and
have highly developed internal transport systems. They are also
prominent in the landscape, and when something goes wrong it
gets noticed. Because complex organisms tend to have more com-
plex problems, tree care is a profession based in science. The more
you know about trees, the more successful will be the endeavor of
adding tree health care services to your organization.
If your impression of tree care only consists of bucket trucks
and heavy-duty spray rigs, you may be surprised to learn that an
actual bucket can be as powerful a tree care tool as the bucket
truck. Treatments that are applied for tree health care related ser-
vices use a wide variety of techniques. Some are applied to the soil
at the base of the tree using basal drench. Others can be sprayed
or injected into the soil with a backpack rig. Still others can be
injected directly into the vascular system of the tree for systemic
activity. None of the equipment for these procedures will break
the bank. Effectiveness does not necessarily come from owning a
Top: Tree health is a great way to grow your lawn or landscape business. Above left: Building on your client's trust is the best
way to grow your business. Above middle: Emerald ash borer is an opportunity to start in tree health care. Right: Knowing a few
trees and their issues is a good place to start.
