Our Approach to Oak Wilt.
What makes us different? Everything!
We are not in business to jump from Property to Property Injecting Trees…
Most Companies in the Oak Wilt business do not do much more than Oak Wilt. They learn the Injection Process from A&M and spend their time on on Marketing and Sales.
You will not find many willing to step outside of that box, and why would they? The Money is more easily made in Injections
I’ve been working with Trees for 35 years, I can’t just follow a bad idea.
Trunk Injections are a bad idea, and they do not last. They have been costing Texans Trees, and wasted money for a long time.
I’ve seen the cycle, The client writes that big check and 2 years later (when Oak Wilt returns) they find themselves in the exact same place, and are questioning the entire process.
Arbor-Vax™ Process is a Complete Health approach, and in the end it will eradicate Oak Wilt, AND assist the Tree in recovery.
Arbor-Vax™ is guaranteed or you don’t pay.
Synergies. That’s what makes it work. We have a 3 pronged approach to the Tree’s Health. Diverse Soil, Resistance. and Proper Feeding
“A diverse and healthy soil microbiome can be a powerful asset for a tree”
Why We Avoid Injections.
These Pics show what Injections can really do to your trees
Injections damage the Cambial Layers of a Tree. These layers are used to transport nutrients and carbon up and down the Tree. Nutrients are brought into the Tree by Fungal Networks. Injecting Propiconazole kills it all.
Healing ANYTHING is a Process, not a Product...
Red Oak Injection Damage
The “Bleached Out” areas are damage in the tree. They are likely no longer moving anything in the Tree. Look at the ratio of Bleached/unbleached bark. Its quite a loss…
Live Oak Injection Damage
The decay is easier to spot after a year or two.
Injection Damage
You can see the bark around the injection ports are starting to break down
… and more Injection Damage
2 Years later – the bark is rotting, and the holes are getting larger.
What does Oak Wilt Look Like?
These leaves are a good sample of what you are looking for when checking your trees for Oak Wilt. Look on the ground, they are much easier to spot.
Veinal Necrosis
The most common sign of Oak Wilt.
More Veinal Necrosis
It is much easier to spot on the ground.
In the Trees
The leaves turn necrotic while they are still in the Trees, but it is harder to spot.
Bronzing
The entire Tree can either go bronze, or lose it’s foliage altogether. They decline very suddenly.
How well does our Process work? Pictures Say it Best.
These Trees were injected for Oak Wilt in 2020. They were again infected in summer 2022, and were once again in steep decline. They were actually too far gone for injections to be considered. Removal was the only thing on the table. The owners let me try my process, and had the patience to hang in there (that’s a big deal). Fast Forward 8 months… Now (still very short on rainfall) they are clearly making a big comeback without injections.
Late Summer 2022
Oak Wilt is Present and Most of the Trees in this Mott are Infected, a lack of rain is adding to the stress. Remember, these are Live Oaks, they should have leaves all year.
Spring 2023
Not much rain this year, but after Fall and Spring BioFeed there is no Oak Wilt and Trees are Flushing out.
Late Summer 2022
Trees are stressed and Oak Wilt is Present throughout this Mott of Live Oak. These Trees should be full of leaves all year.
Spring 2023
Trees are now flushing out and in recovery. I will continue to Post as they progress.
Oak Wilt FAQ’s
Q – Does A&M promote your Arbor-Vax?
A – No, they cannot. they only approve chemical processes that can be controlled entirely in a Lab.
Q – How do I know if my Trees are infected?
A – The first sign is Veinal Necrosis, when you see that you need to call the A&M extension service or an Arborist like myself to get confirmation.
Q – Will I lose my trees if I have it?
A – If you don’t treat them and they are infected, then it’s likely you will lose most of them.
Q – Can Oak Wilt be prevented??
A – Yes, that is the whole idea behind Arbor-Vax, we inoculate the trees, and the soil twice a year so the Tree can take care of itself.
Q – What if my Oaks are already infected with Oak Wilt?
A – We can clean up the infection, depending on how badly they are infected, and how long they have been infected, it may require an additional treatment in the first year.
Q – How badly can the Trees be infected with Oak Wilt?
A – With Injections the rule has always been any more than 25% leaf loss, and it’s a gamble. With Arbor-Vax, I have treated Trees with 80% leaf loss and seen them come back.
Q – How does Arbor-Vax work?
A – It is not like a treatment, but more of a process. I build health in the Soil and Trees over time, strengthening their Resistance (think of our immune system) and the Oak will be able to resist most infections.
Q – Is it expensive to treat?
A – 2 Years of Arbor-Vax is far less than the cost of a single round of injections.
Q – Why do we do Injections?
A – Injections were the solution to Dutch Elm Disease, someone tried it for Oak Wilt, and it worked. Texas used to be satisfied with that, I think that is changing…
Q – Do Injections hurt Trees?
A – Yes they do. Not only do they hurt trees, but so does Alamo. It is a fungicide and kills Fungi indiscriminately. Trees require specific Fungi to gather resources and survive. When a Tree is injected it loses some of it’s abilities, Health and Resistance, it becomes weaker across the board.
Q – What is Trenching and do I need to do it?
A – Not likely. More often than not, it is only a consideration for Ranches and larger properties.
Q – What do I do next?
A – Click the yellow button to the right…
Whatever questions, or needs you may have for your Trees....
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