We are not generally in favor of us of chemicals on plants or in the landscape. We agree that occasionally, people feel that they need them. But there are alternatives.
Chemical use can be abused.
In the case shown in these photos, the golf course manager didn't want to hire additional people to remove "weeds" from around the majestic, old, beautiful trees. We know that because the manager who followed the short-sighted fellow inherited that severe problem with the tree. The trees had become weak because of the herbicide use around their trunks.
Some landscape professionals claim that such use doesn't hurt the trees, but it does. That particular chemical is a growth retardant, so naturally, these trees' growth was halted and after several years of abuse this way, they became weak.
All of these trees were in decline when Dr. Jim Conroy and I were hired to improve the health of the trees on the golf course.
Fertilizers will not help a tree that is sick because the fertilizer will either burn the roots or the tree's circulation system will not be able to take in the fertilizer. Conventional methods could do nothing for them.
This particular situation on a golf course is just one example of wrong or inappropriate use of chemicals.
The other day I was walking in my neighborhood and saw a homeowner spot spraying the weeds in his driveway. Humph! All those chemicals don't disappear. They end up washing down into the sewer and then the ocean or into the water table--then they get pumped up and you drink them. That person could have simply bent down and pulled those weeds.
We humans must examine our laziness, our selfishness. Chemicals are not always the answer.
Please click to go to each of the Top 10 Ways to Hurt Trees
#10 Way to Hurt Trees: Pollution, litter, and dumping.
#9 Way to Hurt Trees: Remove the leaves from the drip zone.
#8 Way to Hurt Trees: Wrong or inappropriate use of chemicals.
#7 Way to Hurt Trees: Poor transplanting.
#6 Way to Hurt Trees: Failing to Water even mature trees in heat and drought.
#5 Way to Hurt Trees: Careless Practices and Injury
#4 Way to Hurt Trees: Cutting down nearby trees or disturbing the ecosystem.
#3 Way to Hurt Trees: Construction abuses.
#2 Way to Hurt Trees: Strangulation by ropes, ties, wires, etc.
Please check our sister website: PartnerWithNature.org.
Basia Alexander
Tree Lover. Co-founder, workshop leader, and author.
I listen to the trees' messages and share their wisdom.
Please visit my blog called THE UPSHIFT, BOOSTS BY BASIA at PartnerWithNature.org.
My passion is to upshift people's thinking about trees and Nature so that all of us together can co-create a livable planet.
