|
QUESTIONS |
ANSWERS |
|
What is the Cost? |
The cost per 4 foot circumference
tree is $24 preventative and $48
therapeutic. |
|
Will it burn the tree if I
over-inject? |
No |
|
Can this injection girdled the tree? |
No |
|
Does it have fertilizer value? |
Yes |
|
How should I store my fungicide? |
Elm Fungicide has an indefinite
shelf life as long as it is stored
above freezing temperatures. |
|
What should Elm Fungicide look like? |
Fungicide should be the color of
apple cider, and does darken with
age. Occasionally, algae will form
on the top of fungicide. Simply
filter it through cheesecloth to
remove. |
|
How should I administer treatment? |
Begin by drilling holes in the root
flares of the tree, if they are not
exposed. Begin at the base of the
tree as close to the ground as
possible. Using a 5/16 inch drill
bit, drill holes at a slight angle
upward and continue until white
shavings appear. about 1-1/2 to 2
inches (this indicates that you are
through the bark and into the
cambium where you need to be for the
most efficient uptake of the
fungicide). Remove the sawdust with
a pen knife. Insert the nylon T's
and proceed according to directions
that come with the equipment. |
|
Should I use the same holes each
year? |
Emphatically, NO! Healing seals off
holes. Drill new holes 2-3 inches
higher and staggered to the left or
right of the previous year's holes
so that you have a zig-zag effect. |
|
Will injection holes girdle the tree
or cause rot? |
NO. When new holes are drilled
according to the previously
mentioned technique, each hole will
heal naturally. This technique had
been used for over 20 years on the
same trees with no visible damage.
We have lost no trees to rot, but
millions to Dutch Elm Disease when
left untreated |
|
What should be done about the holes
made by treatment? |
Fill each hole with grafting
compound to promote healing and seal
off potential moisture which
encourages insects and diseases. DO
NOT USE WOODEN PEGS. |
|
When should I inject? |
The optimum time is in the spring
before the beetles emerge, when
foliage is half-to-fully developed,
although injections can be made
throughout the growing season. The
success rate will be highest when
injection takes place during the
spring. |
|
How long does it take to inject a
tree? |
Depending upon weather, climate, and
trunk size, average treatment takes
2 to 24 hours. Some trees will take
it up in just 30 minutes. Trees will
be slower to take up the liquid when
the humidity is high, just after a
rain or if the tree is not in peak
condition. Under these conditions,
people have been known to leave the
injector on for up to a week. |
|
Is there special treatment if hard
water is used in mixing fungicide? |
Yes, precipitation may occur with
highly alkaline (hard) water. Where
this occurs, use distilled,
de-ionized or bottled water or add 6
oz. of phosphoric acid (85 percent)
per hundred gallons of water.
(Follow directions on label.) This
will reduce alkalinity. |
|
What are dosage and dilution rates? |
Label instructions contain both a
preventive and a therapeutic
treatment. Because of the scope of
DED we must assume that every elm
has been exposed to the disease and
therefore recommend the use of the
therapeutic treatment only: 1 quart
of Elm Fungicide to 4 gals. of
water. Use 2 gals. dilute solution
per foot circumference. Inject until
the tree will not take any more
solution, refilling the tank as many
times as necessary. |
|
Should I sterilize the tees between
trees? |
Yes. Wipe off the tees with alcohol
or bleach and water solution (1:5
dilution ratio) to sterilize tees.
This will kill any fungus and avoid
the potential of spreading the
disease from an infected tree to a
healthy tree. |
|
Are special precautions necessary in
handling these chemicals? |
No. Follow instructions on label. |
|
Is the gravity method using a bucket
or caps hung on the tree effective? |
In the view of our researchers, the
bucket or cap method does not insure
getting the chemical to where it
must go to be effective and should
be used only as a last resort when
it is impossible to use low pressure
injection methods. |
|
What amount of pressure should I
use? |
Ten to thirty psi is recommended.
Anything higher may destroy the
vascular system of the trees, thus
causing internal damage. |
|
What is the capacity of an injector? |
The Model 104 injector holds 16
gallons. |