PHC applications

[chemicaldave]

One of my favorite quotes is "The most dangerous phrases in the language is 'We've always done it this way"". PHC is not exception. We continue to rely on the 200-300 gallon tank and hose reel technique. How many thousands of gallons of pesticide/water mix are rolling down our highways and byways right now? I still remember the TruGreen training video that told the tale of the tech that lost a load of Triumph insecticide on the road, some of which made it into the sewer system. Additionally, yanking one or two hundred feet of hose off of a reel then weaving it around obstacles is incredibly inefficient. This is particularly true with large commercial sites where you also may have to move your truck to access other locations on the site. Soil injections and trunk injections are far more targeted and require much more portable equipment. There is less liquid product to carry as well. However, those methods make you a slave to adequate soil moisture and intact plant plumbing. Basal bark applications are quick but the list of available products is small.
What is your bread and butter PHC application technique?

 

[ATH]

Yes...

Foliar sprays for Apple scab and rhizosphaera needlecast, bagworms, etc...
Trunk microinjections (arborjet) for EAB - mostly...every now and then something else
Soil drench for EAB, soft scale, et. al. (some times using a hand trowel and mix poured from a jut - other times a needle and hose from the sprayer)
Basal bark spray for armored scale, and some pitch mass borer
macro injections for DED and oak wilt

the method has to be tailored to the pest.

 

[chemicaldave]

Thanks for the feedback @ATH. Does your firm perform strictly PHC work or do you have other service lines? My management would faint if I asked for the equipment needed for all those varied applications. Then again, PHC is only one service we provide so I have to get the most bang for he buck with the gear we do have. That's is the real genesis of my post; what is the minimum equipment one needs to perform the most effective applications in the most efficient manner? All that knowing there is no perfect one-size-fits-all solution

 

[ATH]

We also prune. One thing at a time and build off of that.

What are the most frequent or significant problems you are seeing? For example, if emerald ash borer is just getting to your area start there. You'll gain long-term clients.

We still only have a 50 gallon sprayer. I've added capacity to bring another 100 gallons of water on the truck so we can refill on the go. Was going to buy a bigger sprayer this year, but just paid for a barn then a truck needed replaced so that will be next year... We get by with it.

 

[chemicaldave]

We are in West Michigan, so EAB is a not an issue because there are no untreated ash left. We have the usual Midwest pest culprits, scab, rust, anthracnose, beetles, sawfly, aphids, gypsy moth etc.
Our rig is a 3 tank (300/100/50) with one hose quick connect to switch out JD-9 gun or fert lance. We have an underutilized ArborJet Tree I.V. system, but even that is old tech. Like many folks, I've been approached by vendors with the latest and greatest. What has really impressed me are the advancements in surfactants and the products to improve soil health. Yet we are still tethered to that damn hose. Got me wondering why manufacturers who make a mobile lawn care unit like the Z-Spray don't make a PHC rig too. Lose the fertilizer hopper and spray boom, put a 50 gallon tank on the front with a high GPM pump, use a lightweight gun like the Masterline MAG-1 with 25 feet of hose. Boom! I may not make sense for residential clients, but we are almost exclusively commercial.