The Truth About Trunk Injections
I’ve seen a lot of things come and go in this industry, but nothing worse than the rise of Trunk Injections.
Trunk injections require drilling holes into a tree and setting up a pressurized IV system to push products directly into the tree’s vascular system. It looks highly technical and scientific—but in reality, it’s completely unnecessary.
The process takes so much time compared to applying a drench or Bark Spray, and it improves nothing but the revenue.
To put it simply:
“Trunk injections are like taking a taxi from Salt Lake City to Park City by way of St. George. It’s a great payday for the driver—but an absurd overcharge for the passenger.”
Trunk injections can cost up to ten times more than a drench or basal spray. Yet both methods achieve the same result when applying fungicides or insecticides—without drilling dozens of holes that a tree can never truly heal. (Trees don’t heal; they compartmentalize and grow around the damage.)
More than one client has told me they were sold “fertilization” through trunk injections. Why? Revenue. That’s the only reason this practice exists.
One client shared that they were charged over $16,000 for a single day’s work—and it didn’t even solve the problem. What the trees really needed was simple: a bit more water and the removal of excess soil around the base. That alone made all the difference.
For comparison, a rich organic soil fertilization for the same property cost only about $1,500—and actually worked.
Injecting fertilizer doesn’t fix anything. It bypasses the problem instead of addressing it. The results might look good for a while, but the decline always returns. In the end, it’s all for nothing.
It may feel criminal, but it isn’t. Selling an overpriced service is perfectly legal. Caveat emptor—buyer beware. But doing so solely for revenue, knowing it’s not what the trees need? That’s malpractice.
We’re living in a “Shark Tank” generation—where the sale is everything. That’s why Private Equity is buying up tree companies left and right. It’s an easy business for them: wide margins, trusting customers, and few people who truly understand what’s being done to their trees.
But let me say this:
Learning to sell is only necessary when you’re not good at what you do. If you’re great at your craft, your results speak for themselves.
We’re not making widgets here. If we were, I’d get out of the way. These are trees—living, vital, and invaluable. They matter more than any profit a tree company can make. Trees are among the most beloved beings on Earth—ironically, the exact opposite of Private Equity.
If you live in the Park City area and someone offers trunk injections as a solution, get a second opinion. Call us—we’ll help you solve the real problem.
Coming soon: Part 2 – How Injections Have Caused So Much Tree Loss