For years on the Internet there has been something written about how the only way to get rid of mistletoe was amputation about 2' below the point of mistletoe infection/growth. Or shaving and then wrapping with burlap and black plastic to suffocate from light while not getting a wet spot in wood. Kinda tough cuz it is supposed to take 3 years!
This thick layer of tar paint seems to be the next generation of the same idea; and witht he provided references of ISA and Guy / Treeseer i have faith in it, but haven't used it long enough to swear by (or at) results personally.
Florel is sold to treat mistletoe, but just to abort the blooms if properly applied at right time of year; so as to keep the menace from spreading; but not kill it. There has been some experiments with herbicides sprayed on the 'nubs' of mistletoe after shaving it off; but only during tree dormancy period. The target is to get the herbicide into the mistletoe, but not into the tree; even though there vascular systems are connected.
Down'ere during seasonal droughts, the mistletoe is extra devastating. The leaf stoma stay open at lots lower 'osmotic pressure' than the tree leaf stoma. So, as the tree is closing stoma to prevent transpiration, and thereby save water; the mistletoe stoma are open and pulling and transpirating water off at full throttle. So, only the mistletoe gets watered, fed and cooled, as the internal water pressure in tree gets lower; and less chance for pulling water to deliver nutrients, cool self etc. (for tree) the more the mistletoe uses!
My
"i hate Mistletoe Page"
