Expert Advice

Tree Health Care and Arborganix

Whether a particular issue’s come up with your trees – like insect damage a weak limb or a strange symptom – or you’d just like to see your trees look a little healthier, Arborwood can take care of it.

Tree problems are often misdiagnosed, mainly because many symptoms look very similar. Add to that the many abiotic tree diseases in the Golden Horseshoe that appear differently from species to species, as well as the multitude of insects. Each tree and problem has its own treatments and in order for us to achieve the best effect, we like to visit and assess the site with you.

Treatments can range from soil analysis to soil treatments both Arborganix™ soil enhancements with our Compost Tea Program or organic fertilizers specific to your tree needs. Some trees may need injections with our Arborjet™ system, which involves a direct injection into the trunk of the tree. Some trees will need a target spray with pesticides to ensure they are not defoliated or permanently damaged by insects. Finally, if needed, we can spray the foliage with our Arborganix™ Compost Tea program up to three times per year to promote healthy and sustainable urban forests.

Arborganix™ Compost Tea

Arborwood has the great distinction of being the biggest brewer of Compost Tea in Canada and possibly North America, brewing approximately 1800 litres per day. Arborganix™ is our own proprietary, trademarked blend of ingredients specific to the needs of trees, and Arborwood Tree Health Care professionals take a more holistic, natural and organic approach compared to conventional tree care. Our Arborists have been studying and promoting this natural way of soil and tree Health for over 10 years.

Arborganix™ is designed to enhance the microbiology in the soils and on the leaves, often depleted by harsh chemicals as well as tree and lawn care products. When the soil microbiology is in check, the PH and other important needs will be balanced. This is essential for tree health as it treats the “root” of the problem, not just the symptoms.

We blend a very specific amount of worm castings where the worms are fed a specific organic food to ensure beneficial fungal activity in their castings and the worm castings are then blended with a specific compost formula for trees and healthy soils. Combined, this gives us our base and then, depending on the application, specific foods are added for the desired microbiology and then it’s applied to your trees. We use two different application methods for maximum effect – soil injections and foliar sprays.

The Arborganix™ Health Care Programs

The Arborganix™ programs are designed to enhance the health and vigor of the tree and suppress insect and disease infestation. We use a guiding philosophy of CPR for trees [link to EA article] which promotes the conservation, preservation and restoration of your valuable woody landscapes. There are four program levels available, to meet a range of tree and budget needs:

  1. Arborganix™ Platinum Program – Compost Tea PLUS Program

This is our most comprehensive program. The Arborganix™ Platinum Program includes our Compost Tea of all-natural products that we custom-brewed in house for specific the needs of your tree. This is used in combination with other organic sprays to help with disease suppression and insect control.

The Platinum program consists of up to seven visits per year during the growing season, primarily starting when the weather is effective for the biology to become very active. (usually late Spring or early summer). Foliars can start as early as bud break and will continue through the growing season in some cases until the fall.

  • Early spring horticultural oil spray
  • Three Compost Tea foliar sprays (seasonally timed)
  • Two Compost Tea or organic root zone soil feedings, early season and late season (seasonally timed)
  • Winter Protection, Repellant and Anti-desiccant Spray (Late Fall)
  1. Arborganix™ Gold Program – Compost Tea Only Program

The Arborganix™ Gold Program is facilitated by all-natural products, which we custom-brew in house specific to the needs of your trees.

This program consists of up to five visits per year during the growing season, primarily starting when the weather is effective for the biology to become very active. (usually late Spring or early summer). Foliars can start as early as bud break and will continue through the growing season in some cases until the fall.

  • Three Compost Tea foliar sprays (seasonally timed)
  • Two Compost Tea or organic root Zone soil feedings, early season and late season (seasonally timed)
  1. Arborganix™ Silver Program – Compost Tea Foliar

The Arborganix™ Silver Program uses the same all-natural products which we brew in house specific to the needs of trees and protecting them. This program consists of three visits per year during the growing season, and in some cases into the fall. - Three Compost Tea Foliar Sprays (seasonally timed) as an application

Arborganix™ Bronze Program – Compost Tea Soils

This program consists of two visits per year for deep root feeding and soil conditioning within the root zones of your trees. We use our Compost Tea and appropriate fungal foods for tree health and vigor and to enhance the biology in the soils. This can be substituted with Organic Fertilizers depending on your tree and soil needs. Visits are scheduled seasonally and are weather and temperature dependent, one in the early growing season and one in the late growing season.

Other Tree Health Care Services in our Arborganix™ Program:

  • Arborganix™ Horticultural Oil Spray: This is an ecologically-sensitive horticultural oil spray to suppress and control damaging insect populations. It is done as an early spring application.
  • Arborganix™ Disease Suppression Spray: A foliage spray application to help suppress and control damaging fungal diseases.
  • Arborganix™ Deep Root Fertilization: An organic deep-root fertilizer used on specified trees to enhance the soils and tree health.
  • Arborganix™ Winter Protection Spray

A foliar application for winter protection as both anti-desiccant and rodent repellant for threatened trees and shrubs. The anti-desiccant protection coats evergreen tree and shrub needles with an invisible waxy substance preventing loss of vital moisture. Rodent repellents coat twigs and shrubs with a distasteful barrier to help limit and prevent winter feeding damage by animals such as mice, rabbits and deer.

Arborganix™ Insect Suppression Spray

A foliage spray application to control and suppress feeding and damaging insect populations.

Arborjet Imajet Trunk Injection - Ash Specific

This is a systemic injection directly into the pedestal of the tree. This is a specific registered control for Emerald Ash Borer and Asian Long Horned beetle.

Arborjet™ Nutrient Injection

Any alternative direct-injection method for additional nutrients and fertilization of trees and their specific needs. Includes MinJet, RootJet or MicroJet nutrients.

TreeAzin™ Trunk Injection

A systemic insecticide injected in to the trunk of the tree for the prevention and treatment of Emerald Ash Borer. This treatment can be done yearly or every other year, between the months of June and August.

Air Spading, Tree Health Care - Radial Trenching - Air Spade

Designed to access the sensitive areas of the tree root system and to improve the soil structure, nutrient levels and increase the microbial activity.

  • Excavate trenches with an AirSpade
  • Trenches extend beyond the drip line by 30% of radius
  • Trenches are not to extend into the interior 30% of the drip line radius
  • Remove all excavated soil.
  • Replace excavated soil with finished compost soil mixture.

The benefits of this encompass a wide range of issues pertaining to trees in the urban setting such as: Soil aeration, Radial trenching, Root collar excavation, Root damage investigation, Girdling Roots, Vertical mulching, Transplanting / bare rooting, Checking root structure before pruning, Soil compaction reduction, Locating roots for utility line installation.

Advantages of Excavating with AirSpade:

Air excavation has become a preferred method for digging on many jobs ranging from utility work to advanced tree care. Excavating with the AirSpade offers a number of advantages over conventional tools such as picks, shovels, and backhoes, including:

  • Two to three times faster than hand excavation.
  • Less worker fatigue than a pick or shovel.
  • Eliminates sharp metal edges as featured on picks, digging blades, or buckets.
  • Harmless to buried, solid objects such as utility lines, telecommunication cables, tree roots, hazardous waste containers, or military ordnance.
  • Excavates some rocky soils where a shovel is difficult to use.
  • Breaks soil into small particles that are ideal for re-compaction.
  • Powered by common, tow-behind air compressors.

Tree Health Care - Aeration/Vertical Mulching

Aerate and vertical mulch with non-invasive tree root excavation. Excavation to be 6-10cm diameter holes, 20 - 45 cm deep, approximately 60 cm apart in the soil within the canopy of the tree. dispose of old soils and replace with a compost solution to improve soil structure and nutrient levels as well as increase the microbial activity

Tree Health Care – Mulching

Using natural wood chips for soil coverage or compaction protection.

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I was extremely satisfied with the service. The workers were very efficient. The cleanup was fantastic. Thanks again for your service.