I thought those 'tree growth regulator' sprays were just a landscaping upsell, but my city's park department changed my mind.

Honestly, I saw them using it on some old oaks near the library last fall and figured it was a waste of money. Tbh, the arborist there showed me the core samples from treated vs. untreated trees from the same planting year. The treated ones had way tighter growth rings, meaning slower, stronger growth. They said it can add like 15 years to a tree's life in an urban spot by reducing stress. Ngl, seeing the actual data from a 5-year program they ran convinced me it's not just snake oil. Has anyone else here used a growth regulator on mature trees and seen real results?

3 comments

3 Comments

tara_jones945d ago

Yeah, I mean we had to do it on a big maple that was getting way too close to the power line. The utility company was gonna just chop it way back, which looks awful and hurts the tree. So we tried the regulator spray instead. It really did slow things down a lot, like the new growth was way less each year. Saved the tree's shape and saved us a huge headache.

dakotawood5d ago

But is a power line really worth all that trouble? Trees get trimmed near lines all the time and they're fine. Seems like a lot of extra work for something that isn't a huge deal.

shane6551d ago

Oh man, that's smart. My buddy did that for his oak by the street after @dakotawood said it was overkill. Two years later the tree looks normal and the power company hasn't touched it.