Save Your Trees from Oak Wilt with DIY Tree Injection
Oak Wilt Prevention and Treatment. Take action to protect your oak trees from Oak Wilt with easy “do it yourself” tree injection.
Oak Wilt is a pernicious tree affliction caused by a fungus that clogs up the circulatory system of oak trees, starving them of sap, and killing every affected tree within weeks of infection. The fungus is transmitted from tree to tree by interconnected root systems and by flying beetles attracted to sap.
If you have oak wilt killing trees on your property or in your neighborhood, you do not have to sit by and watch your precious old oak trees die. You can easily treat against infection and death of trees by oak wilt using DIY trunk injection of the fungicide Propiconazole 14.3 using reloadable Chemjet® Tree Injectors.
The procedure is as follows for trees that have not yet been infected (indicated by leaves turning brown or falling off prematurely during summer):
Oak Wilt Microinjection Treatment Procedure
Adapted from the Chemjet® manufacturer suggested procedure. You can inject at the root flare just above the ground, or at some point up the trunk that is easier to reach.
- Confirm with a qualified Arborist, or Biologist that this procedure is appropriate for your tree. You may not have an oak wilt risk or there may be other circumstances that would cause this procedure to be inappropriate. Also there is a risk that this procedure may harm your tree, or that your tree is already diseased and the chemical injection will be of no benefit.
- Only inject trees that have green leaves indicating there is transpiration and sap circulation.
- Only inject trees after a good rain or after substantial watering. Do not inject trees during drought conditions.
- Follow personal protection recommendations from the treatment chemical label. This would generally include wearing rubber gloves and safety goggles during all mixing, injection and cleanup work.
- Disinfect Chemjet® injector and drill bit by washing and scrubbing in diluted bleach solution or Lysol disinfectant solution. Pull disinfectant solution through the nozzle filling the injector several times. Rinse inside and out with clean water.
- Prepare the fungicide injections per the instructions on the label from the chemical you are using. From the Quali-Pro Propiconazole 14.3 label, the standard dose is just over 3-inch injection spacing around the circumference of the tree using Chemjet Tree Injectors filled with solution of 50% propiconazole 14.3 mixed with 50% water by volume. Different doses or injection spacing intervals could be accomplished by adjusting the water dilution rate
- Drill the first three holes at three inch intervals around tree at a 45 degree angle downward no more than 1.25 inch deep. Only use a 11/64 drill bit. Drilling more than three holes may heat up the bit and scorch the wood which will inhibit injection.
- Pull the chemical mix into the injector until full at 20 ml and lock the handle back while twisting.
- Insert into recently drilled hole. Push into place and seal (don’t twist because the nozzle may break off).
- Using both hands, hold the Chemjet® in place and then twist and release the red plunger handle so that injection begins. If there is leakage push the nozzle in harder to seal. Repeat for remaining two holes.
- After all chemical is in tree, pull injector straight out of hole. If chemical starts oozing back out of open hole, replace Chemjet® and leave there for another half hour or use a plug.
- Repeat with three more holes, going around tree.
- If an injector is taking chemical slowly, leave it in place and move on. It could take up to 24 hours.
- IMPORTANT: Disinfect drill bit and all Chemjets (inside and out) before using on any other tree per step 6. Disinfect your hands and put on new rubber gloves to avoid potential for transferring diseases to next tree.
- Take Care of your Chemjet Tree Injectors after the work is done (or during long term work at least once per week) so they keep working smoothly by disassembling, washing all parts with hot soapy water, rinse and air dry, then lubricate the nozzle barrel and rubber plunger washer with silicone lube or vegetable oil before reassembly.
Here is a video: Injecting for Oak Wilt
Repeat injection of the trees every other year.
With the relatively simple implementation of tree injection using the inexpensive Chemjet Tree Injectors, it is feasible to inject and protect many more oak trees. This brings to reality an economical option of DIY injecting all of the healthy oak trees on your woodlot around an oak wilt outbreak area to inhibit expansion of the disease to your trees. See this Case Study.
It takes a few hours to treat the average big oak tree. If you have one or two trees to treat you could get by with five Chemjets (re-use them as you drill around the tree) and a quart of Propiconazole 14.3. If you have many trees you will will need 20 or more Chemjets and you can buy Propiconazole 14.3 more economically by the gallon.
Get Chemjet Tree Injectors online here: chemjettreeinjector.com/products/
Get Propiconazole 14.3 online here: domyownpestcontrol.com
Treating for oak wilt is easy and relatively cheap! The fungicide costs about $0.25 per 10 ml injector dose and Chemjets cost about $14 each and can be reused for years.
Questions? Call Erik at 231-330-8723
There is much information on the oak species affected, oak wilt prevention, and tree injection procedure at the following links:
Buy Chemjet Tree Injectors Now
Oak Wilt Disease and Treatment
Case Study: Microinjection to Protect Trees from Oak Wilt
Hemlock Woolly Adelgid Treatment
Asian Longhorned Beetle Treatment
Plugs for Tree Injection Holes
Video: Chemjet use in Australia
