Looking For
Root Flare
For The
Kestrel® Propiconazole
14.3 MEC systemic Fungicide for Oak
Wilt Injection
Note:
We have included many detailed photos on this
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Healthy Trees
With Healthy Roots. The correct location of the
root flare is the portion
of the tree where the trunk widens at the base as it
transitions the root system. |
Directions For
Use of KestrelR
Propiconazole 14.3 MEC
Systemic Fungicide
Read the complete label
instructions before attempting to treat your trees.
Correct
location for Injector Placement
Uptake and
distribution of "Kestrel" is more effective when
injections are made into the root flare or the root
zone. In addition, wounds created in the flare root
area close more rapidly in comparison to wounds
above the flare root area. (This
statement is not true, the healing process is the
same through the tree )
Not every tree develops the
perfect root flare for the injection process. There
are many deformities, either by nature itself or
damage created by human intervention. (To
understand the uptake process --
See Water Movement in Trees
http://www.800oakwilt.com/watermovement.html )
1. Heavy, thick, or loose bark may be
carefully shaved to form a smother injection point and
to ensure the operator that the drill hole penetrated
through the xylem or sap wood. (
2 - 3 outer growth rings.)
2. If the flare roots are not clearly
exposed, carefully remove 2-4
inches of soil from the base of the tree to
uncover the top of the flare roots. Brush away loose
soil.
3. Drill holes through the bark, into the
sapwood 3/4" to 1 1/4 inch, using a clean sharp drill
bit. (This depth will avoid the
tee from bottoming out.) Drill hole 5/16
diameter should be adequate to allow insertion of the
injection tees and formation of air tight
contact between active xylem and the delivery point of
the injection tees. Generally, a drill hole diameter
of 5/16 inch for oaks is appropriate. Space the
injector portals 3 - 6 inches a part around the base
of the tree. (My
recommendation is to drill portals 3 - 4 inches apart,
as the more portals will provide greater distribution
around the tree and improve the uptake. )
Follow manufacturer's instructions for the particular
injection device to reach the active xylem layer or
sapwood.
4. Disinfect the drill bit between trees
with household bleach (20% solution), ethanol,
or other disinfectant. Rinse bit with clean water
after disinfecting. ( Lysol,
Antibacterial kitchen spray contains "Consan 20" or
ammonium chlorides, which is not corrosive to your
equipment and ready available at your grocery store,
and you can drill immediately)
5. Insert into drill holes the injection
ports (tees) which are connected to plastic tubing.
The tubing should have inlet and outlet valves.
( Lightly tap the tees in until
they seat to form an air tight contact between active
xylem or sap wood and the delivery point of the
injection tees.)
6. Mix the
specified amount of "Kestrel" and the water
thoroughly before beginning the
injection treatment. (The preventive dosage rate is 10
milliliters diameter inch and
the therapeutic dosage is 20 milliliters diameter
inch.) It is further recommend to use the higher
dosage for the large trees of 20 inches diameter and
larger. ) The amount of water to use is 1 liter
per diameter inch of the trunk at breast height. e.g a
tree with a 10" dia. equals 10 liters of water, 100
mils of "Kestrel" for preventive dosage or 200 mils
of "Kestrel" for therapeutic dosage rate.
A WORD OF CAUTION HERE:
We all have the tendency to think, that more is
better, so lets just boost the dosage rates to say 30
mils per diameter inch. Really now, nothing could
happen, if 20 mils is good then 30 mils has to be even
better. WRONG..... Texas summers are usually hot and
dry. Proipconazole, though it has a near pH balance.
However, phytotoxicity plays a serious factor here.
This combination of hot - dry and propiconazole can
ZAP a tree, quicker than Oak Wilt. I mean that it will
turn every leaf on your tree brown, .... DEAD......and
literly over night. The therapeutic dosage rate of 20
mils per diameter inch will and can do the same to
smaller diameter trees of 6 inches or less, and with
smaller canopies. Propiconazole has to have a high
volume of water as the carrier for proper distribution
throughout the tree. So use the recommended higher
dosage rate with caution. We strongly recommend
that the trees
be treated in strict compliance as prescribed by the
label.
The injection
process: Pump
up the canister to 20 - 22 psi, connect to the harness
to start the fluid around the tree, forcing the
out as much of the air as possible and then clamp off
the end of the line. The pressure should be maintained
at 18 to 20 psi during injection process. You will not
be able to remove all the air from the lines and that
will not create a problem. Uptake can be completed
within a few hours and take as long as 24 hrs. Once
the process is completed, add extra water and
re-pressurize the tank in order to flush the lines.
When completed remove the harness and wash in a Clorox
10% solution and rinse in water before preceding with
the next tree. Replace the dirt back around the tree
base. Sterilize your tools with an antibacterial spray
cleaner.
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Fig. 1-4
- These photos are examples of trees with excellent
flare roots, Extra water is flushed through the lines
to ensure complete Kestrel uptake. Following the
injection process, the tees and harness are removed
washed in a Clorox solution and dirt is filled back
around the tree to cover the wounds wherever
possible. Photos: Jim Rediker.
The root flare occurs at the natural grade of
the soil. It is of critical importance that this level
be maintained. The addition of soil around the base of
a tree is extremely damaging as trunk
tissue deteriorates slowly when in constant contact
with soil and soil moisture. The critical tissue
damaged is the phloem which is responsible for the
distribution of food energy manufactured in the
leaves. As the phloem deteriorates, the tree looses
its ability to utilize food energy for growth. The
result is a tree with poor growth, die-back, and
eventually, death. The problem is easy to diagnose.
Examine the base of the tree. If there is no obvious
widening as the trunk enters the ground, then the tree
is not at its natural grade.
You would developed untold foot
problems, if you wore rubber boots all day.
See Article: Tree Roots - Where They ? http://www.800oakwilt.com/treeroots.html
Starting at the base of the tree
trunk or the root flare, you will find the stump.
Structural roots are large woody roots that extend
from the base of the stump. They provide the
structural support for the tree. Structural roots also
transport water and nutrients up the tree as well as
carbohydrates down to the roots. Because of there size
and importance to the tree damage to these roots
should be avoided if possible.
Remedial action involves careful excavation of
the excess fill, removal of girdling roots, and in
some cases, the construction of a tree well. Lack of
root flares occur when the trees are planted too
deeply, when landscape additions such as flower beds
are added around existing trees, or during
construction. In nature, dirt can be built up and
be deposited several inches above the root flares
by soil wash during rain storms and root mats will
develop in the ensuing years. Realistically this can
not be done for every tree you own, but if you have a
few trees and if your can manage it, then do the work.
( See Fig. 5)
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Fig 5 - A tree well was
built to protect the tree from excessive
fill. The flare roots are still well below grade level
and a dense root mat 6-8 inches above the root flares
has developed. Injection would have to be done at the
soil level, as exposing the root flare would cause
sever damage , causing possible disease and decay to
the tree Photos:
Jim Rediker
Root mats will
also form at the base of the tree when excess amounts
of dirt is filled 6 to 8 inches or more above the
existing root flares. This will cause hormone levels
to change and the tree will grow new roots from the
flares and create dense root mats often pushing up the
soil to create a substantial mound at the base of the
tree. You may also observe numerous small oak trees
sprouting up through the grass as an indication of
these root mats. Should you try to excavate flare
roots under dense root mats you
WILL cause tremendous damage to the
tree. It will be necessary to drill your injection
portals at the tree collar or at soil level above such
root mats. (See Fig: 6 - 10)
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Fig 6-10 - These are
examples of trees, that lack root flares. The dense
root mat was severely damaged during excavation to
expose the root flares. Notice the pieces of
scattered root debris. For lack of flare roots,
injection portals will have to be drilled into the
root collar at soil
level.
Photos: Jim Rediker
Girdling a tree by
injection maybe its possible, if
you drilled the portals less that a 1/2 inch apart all
the way around the tree. Yes drilling 40 to 50
portals 3 - 5 apart, around a tree is going to cause
damage to your tree. Oak wilt will kill it a whole
lot faster. The tree will developed callus tissue to
cover these wounds within a short period of time after
injection.
The
manufacturer recommends retreatment from one to three
years and new drill portals will be needed for
subsequent retreatment. ....
That means more drill holes!
I was raised on a farm in the north country,
where Maple sugar was produced for five generations.
Maple trees have been drilled year after year for more
that 140 years and these trees in the two groves are
still standing tall, majestic and very healthy. None
have died and none have been girdled as a result by
drill portals. This practice continues all over the
North Eastern U.S. and Canada and will continue as
long as there is a demand for maple syrup and maple
products.
Protect and
treat your trees with discretion, according to
the disease pressure in your area. It is always best
to preventatively treat your trees from Oak wilt, than
to wait until disease is on your door step and
YOU WILL lose some
very valuable trees. No one is going to compensate you
for your losses, cost of removal, replacement cost
or the devaluation of your property. Your trees depend
on you, be vigil and protect the value of your
property. Don't hesitate to call your local County
Extension Agent,
http://county-tx.tamu.edu/
or your local Arborist for an assessment regarding Oak
Wilt in your neighborhood.
An injection procedure
that, maybe considered a little unorthodox and
certainly not part of the label instructions. However,
a Texas A&M plant pathologist recommended this, as a
little extreme and as a last ditch effort to save the
tree, which ensures a greater "Kestrel" uptake.
Some trees shut down the injection
process prematurely, leaving a substantial amount of
"Kestrel" mix in the canister. Though it creates
more damage to the tree, a second line is added two
inches above the initial harness and inter connected
with the first harness. This provides very effective
results. I do not recommend this procedure as a
general practice or for every situation, but only if
the tree is a very high dollar value and very critical
to your landscape.
Dr. Jarrel D. Johnson
realized the importance and value of the trees
to the home owner. Their desire and concern to save
their trees, is their first priority, whether infected
with oak wilt or the chance to protect them from the
disease. An infected tree may seem hopeless, and to
inject it, is absolutely futile. The absolute
authorities have spoken against making such attempts
as a total waste of time, effort and money. Dr Johnson
summed it up this way; "If you
stand back and do nothing you have lost, but if you
try and you win, you are 100% further ahead than when
you started." That was over 14 years ago and I
could not have said it better, sometimes you try and
you lose, but it sure is rewarding when you know
you have saved a tree. Win or lose, the home owner
feels better just because he tried! And better still
when his tree lives on.
As a Commercial
Applicator injecting trees is a science by
itself and it is not always easy to fulfill perfection
but, perhaps we will never achieve this goal, until we
find that one perfect tree. Every tree is different,
and yes we do make mistakes and we have made a lot of
them, which is part of the learning process. I can
understand why the homeowner becomes frustrated,
discouraged, and disenchanted with the whole process.
The label instruction for
Tree Preparation
sounds so easy and simple. It is hard and frustrating
work. I have tried the various methods of preparing
the tree for injection, We have used high pressure
water spray and an air spade, and every time dirt has
to be brought in to fill around the tree, which adds
to the labor and cost of the job. The good old digging
with a hand tool method is by far best and safest of
all the methods. All one can do is make up your mind
and approach the job with the best of your ability.
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Fig 11 : A large
Burl growing at the base of the tree. The Injection
would have to be done above the Burl.
Fig 12-13: Large stones and debris have been piled
at the base of the tree and a thick dense root mat
has developed as the result of this debris. The
flare roots are 10 -15 inches below the natural
soil line
The Beauty of a
Tree
"We are left in awe
by the nobility of a tree, its eternal patience, its
suffering caused by man and sometimes nature, its
witness to thousands of years of earth's history, its
creations of fabulous beauty. It does nothing but
good, with it's prodigious ability to serve to other
living things. The tree and its pith live on. Its
fruits feeds us, Its branches shade and protect us.
And finally, when time and weather brings it down, its
body offer timber for our houses and boards for our
furniture. The tree lives on" - George Nakashimo
(renowned woodworker )
Doing
the actual job may
sound simple and easy. The videos and workshops
demonstrations make it sound like a piece of cake, but
it is hard work ! The homeowners -landowners are all
super fired up with enthusiasm ready to go home and
tackle a simple easy job. The Forestry Service insist
that the only injection sites are on the flare roots
whether the tree has them or not. In most cases their
limit of expertise is from reading books, the label
instructions and very little actual hands on physical
experience. I mean the hard work of exposing the root
flares or the best possible injection sites when there
are no root flares. Prepare 50-75 trees to really get a
taste of how hard the job really is, all the pit
falls and difficulties of preparing a tree for
injection. Then you would become somewhat of an
understanding experienced expert instead of just telling
people just how it should be done as described in the
instruction manual.
The cost of equipment,
to inject one tree will run about $100.00 -
$150.00 for a pump up sprayer, injection tees and the
pvc hose. The Alamo is another $240.00 per quart and
will treat only 95 diameter inches of tree. Two new
products, Kestrel and Quali-Pro, Propiconazole MEC
systemic fngicide are now available in in gallon
jugs at a substancial savings. You have to first cut
the hose in 1 foot lengths and make an injection
harness, which will consist of 30 - 40 tees or
more connected together with the pvc hose and clamps.
You need a hatchet to shave the thick bark where
needed, your digging tools, a drill and 5/16 drill
bit, a spray bottle of antibacterial solution to
sterilize your drill bit, clamps, a brush and a bottle
to collect the chemical while bleeding the air out
of the lines. Digging out the tree is not an easy or
simple task. If your lucky you can do one tree a day.
Think about it, if you
had 30 beautiful live oaks that averaged 27 inches
diameter. That's going to take you more than a month
to treat your few trees. The disease could kill them
in less time. First you remove 3 - 4 inches of soil to
expose the root flares, and then brush away the excess
dirt so you are ready to drill. You will have to drill
approximately 60 - 65 portals 3 - 4 inches apart and
install your harness all the way around the tree. Be
careful where you drill and that the drill wood is all
white and not discolored.
(discolored wood indicates decay or dead wood.) Don't
drill in the valleys between the flare roots, as the
bark is too thick. Be sure you drill 1" to 1 1/4 inch
deep into the white sap wood. Less than that, your
tees will bottom out and the liquid will not flow or
be absorbed into the tree. Mix up the "Kestrel"
systemic fngicide and water then, pump up your tank
to 20 psi, and start the fluid around the tree and
bleed the air out of the line and then clamp it off .
The injection process begins. Your canister is 2
1/2 gallons or 9 liters capacity. Your tree requires
27 liters of water so you have to monitor the process,
maintain 20 psi and refill the canister three times
and trying not to let air into your line. If your tree
take the chemical up in 24 hours you can pull your
lines, wash them in a 10% Clorox solution and rinse in
clean water. Replace the dirt around the tree. You are
now ready to start all over again and you have only 29
more trees to go. Now that was easy, but first ask
your back and knees to do it again and again and
again, just 29 more times.!
People get discouraged,
frustrated and just give up for lack in interest. I
have gone onto ranches to discuss oak wilt, and I
find evidence of an attempt to inject trees 5-7 years
previous, the tank, lines and tees are still attached
or partially attached to the tree. You see the
evidence of the destruction of the disease all around
and now a new out break is apparent. The second time
around the home owner decides to turn the whole job
over to a commercial applicator for whatever their
reasons.
Photo Gallery
Preparing a Tree for
injection:
Photos Jim Rediker
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fig. 11 |
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Photos 1-15:
The dirt and debris are removed away from
the root flares 2 - 4 inches below soil level, using a
light weight pick axe. With the air hose, the loose
dirt is blown away to clean the area for the drill
portals. The bark is usually not very thick at soil
level and a hatchet is used to smooth out the bark for
the drill ports. A few holes are drilled about 3/4 to
1 1/4 inch deep into the sap layer. The tees are
gently tapped in until they seat, to ensure an air
tight seal in the sap wood. The lines are pig tailed
in-order to avoid kinks in the line. The tees are
places 3 - 4 inches apart in-order to proved the
optimum distribution around the tree.
(The vascular system runs
vertically straight up the tree and not around and
around the tree.) This process continues until
the harness is completed all around the tree. The
tanks are all ready pre-charged with the prescribed
amount of "Kestrel" and water, and pressurized to 18
- 22 psi. The valve hookup from tank is connected to
the first tee and the valve is opened to allow the
"Kestrel" solution to flow all the way around the
tree expelling the air. When all the air is
expelled the line is then connected to the tee and the
valve is turned on to commence the injection
process. A healthy tree will usually absorb the
solution in a few hours. When all the
chemical is emptied out of the tank, a second canister
of water is connected in-order to flush the lines to
insure the complete uptake of the "Kestrel" solution.
The tree will also drink up as much additional water
as it requires to promote better distribution
throughout the tree.
Co-authored, Jim Rediker and
Chuck Hollis
A healthy
well-developed root flare equals a healthy vigorously
growing tree.The root flare is the portion of the tree
where the trunk widens at the base as it transitions
to the root system. Structural roots are the large
woody roots that extend from the root flare or
stump of the tree and provide structural support for
the tree. They also bring water and nutrients from the
Transport roots up to the Root flare. The roots that
does most of the work is the Feeder roots. These are
non-woody roots that absorb water and nutrients. Only
the tips of the feeder roots can absorb water and
nutrients. They are not a permanent root, but die and
are replaced.
