| Many of the larger tree care companies offer | | | | deep root fertilization? Why would this be? I have |
| tree health care along with their list of surgical | | | | witnessed arborists actually prescribe and sell |
| methods. Tree health care is a very valuable | | | | fertilization before testing the composition of the |
| service for those who truly care about their trees | | | | soil that they are fertilizing. This is a classic |
| and want to keep them healthy in spite of | | | | example of medicating without diagnosing. The |
| problems that they may encounter as a result of | | | | fact that an arborist would add something to the |
| being in an urban or suburban setting. The | | | | soil suggests that something is missing in the soil. |
| methods used by professional arborists in the | | | | The only way to know this is to test it in a lab. |
| practice of tree health care come as a result of | | | | The real question (besides the obvious issue of |
| scientific studies in botany, horticulture, agriculture, | | | | wasting money) is what harm may be done if we |
| and arboriculture. Brilliant minds in universities with | | | | fertilize a tree that does not need it? Let's talk |
| the time and resources to study plant life on the | | | | about that. |
| cellular and molecular level have given information | | | | In a way, fertilizer is to trees as steroids or |
| to practicing arborists that, when applied correctly, | | | | growth hormones are to humans. It encourages |
| can save and extend the lives of trees. | | | | growth and vitality. It also tends to mute or turn |
| It's good to know that there are health care | | | | off the natural defenses that an organism has to |
| solutions for the problems that sometimes plague | | | | disease. Like humans and animals, trees react to |
| our beloved trees. But just because it's labeled | | | | invasion by turning on their own immunodefense. |
| "plant health care," and is administered by a man | | | | Fertilizers can sometimes "trick" a tree into vitality. |
| in a green uniform does not really mean that it is | | | | In the process the tree stops or slows production |
| the right way to go. Plant health care, just like | | | | of chemicals on a cellular level that combat the |
| human health care, requires both scientific | | | | invasion of pests and disease. So, in spite of an |
| research for the development of the medicine | | | | outward appearance of health, the parasite that is |
| and qualified and well-studied practitioners to | | | | causing the problem is allowed to grow unfettered |
| administer the medicine in the right way. We | | | | by the tree's immune system. |
| know that the science is there. Sadly, what is | | | | If the diagnosis of the patient (human or tree) is |
| often missing in both cases is the well-studied | | | | that it is lacking in nutrients, then it is helpful to |
| practitioner. | | | | apply fertilizer as treatment. But without this |
| Have you noticed that there is an over-use of | | | | diagnosis, fertilizer as a treatment is just |
| medicines that were developed to treat human | | | | malpractice. If fertilizer is suggested to you by an |
| medical conditions such as attention deficit | | | | arborist upon his first visit to your property, you |
| disorder and depression? The over-prescription of | | | | should be careful. He may be prescribing the only |
| these drugs is an indisputable fact. The social | | | | treatment that he knows or is willing to apply. A |
| scientists who discovered and studied the | | | | good arborist - one who is truly committed to |
| conditions also noted the percentage of the | | | | tree health care - will spend time on the diagnosis |
| population that is afflicted. Medicine is prescribed to | | | | so that the treatment fixes the problem. |
| a percentage of the population, in some cases, | | | | Let's not be afraid to ask health care |
| that is 100 times greater than the number with | | | | professionals (arborists and doctors) what exactly |
| the disorder. There is no doubt that the medicine | | | | is causing the problem. We shouldn't take pills |
| helps those with the disorder, but what does it do | | | | unless we know that we have a condition that |
| to those who are not afflicted? This is a question | | | | the pills are treating. And we shouldn't apply |
| worth discussing in another forum. | | | | treatment to trees unless we know that they |
| In the case of our trees, have you noticed that | | | | have a condition that the treatment cures. |
| the usual prescription for a problem in trees is | | | | |