Services

Regulating or Controlling Tree Growth

Trees in suburban yards often outgrow their space and become a nuisance. In some instances heavy pruning takes place which complicates other issues of regrowth and wounds. Paclobutrazol can slow growth up to 70%, imagine that a tree would naturally grow 100cm in a year, with an application of Paclobutrazol it may only grow 30cm. In addition it has many other benefits such as increasing hairy root mass, thicker darker leaves which resist pest and environmental stressors such as drought, and it has fungicidal capabilities which helps older trees especially.

For over 30 years the agricultural and turf (golf) industries have known of and used PACLOBUTRAZOL to control vegetation growth. The product also encourages flowering and it is also used to bring about unified timing of flowering of crops for pollination. There's more information in this PDF about Paclobutrazol and it's use with trees.

Product usage in Australia is governed by the label on the product. Labels are acquired via APVMA and deviation from the label is disallowed unless a permit is acquired.

I have secured the APVMA permit to apply PACLOBUTRAZOL to a selected range of trees.

How is PACLOBUTRAZOL applied?

The product is mixed with water according to the permit/label for the size fo the tree and applied to a shallow trench around the base of the tree, the practice is known as a collar drench. Experience of the arborist is required to fine tune the dosage based on the tree's vitality and vigour, a declining tree with less leaves will required an adjusted dosage.

When is PACLOBUTRAZOL applied?

It can be applied anytime however it is prudent to apply it at the beginning of the growing season when the tree is leaved out (if tree is deciduous). Of course it cannot be applied if the soil is frozen or there's snow etc.

Trees that can be treated

Interesting Stuff

Trees regulate leaf temperature to 21C

Tree photosynthesis, according to the study, most likely occurs when leaf temperatures are about 21C, with latitude or average growing-season temperature playing little, if any, role. This homeostasis of leaf temperature means that in colder climates leaf temperatures are elevated and in warmer climates tree leaves cool to reach optimal conditions for photosynthesis. Therefore, methods that assume leaf temperature is fixed to ambient air require new consideration. Read more.

Wattle galls

You've all seen them but what exactly are they? Are they caused by insects or fungi? Read more.

Revenge of the rainforest

Amazon dumps 3 billion tons of CO2 into the atmosphere in 2005 when drought affected. Read more.

Lawn care can kill trees

Weed and feed products contain chemicals that can damage the root systems of trees. In Australia some natives can also be sensative to elements such as P (phosphorous). Many lawn fertilizers also have large amounts of N (nitrogen), whilst that can be a greening fertilizer it can cause rapid growth in trees at the expense of strength and defense. Read more.

Fishbone deforestation increases rainfall

"People often relate tropical deforestation to clear-cuts," Roy said. "Climate models show that clear-cuts, if they happen on a basin-wide scale, will result in decreased rainfall and bring about a drier, more arid landscape. In the case of fishbone patterns, the deforestation is in isolated segments of the landscape, and our models indicate that it results in increased precipitation over these deforested regions." Read more.

How ants farm aphids

Chemicals on ants' feet tranquilise and subdue colonies of aphids, keeping them close-by as a ready source of food, says new research. The study throws new light on the complex relationship between ants and the colonies of aphids whose sugary secretions the ants eat.Read more.