We’ve all heard of hollow trees. The troubling thing is, you often can’t tell a tree is hollow until it falls in a storm. By the same token, the diseases and infestations most dangerous to old, mature trees work from the inside out. What looks healthy from the curb can be quietly failing at the root and vascular level.
In Jacksonville’s historic neighborhoods, April and May are the window to get ahead of that.
Many of our canopy trees are more than 120 years old. Like aging men, they need extra nutrients and targeted care to keep going. As oaks, magnolias, and maples push new spring growth, they also become more vulnerable to borers, aphids, scale insects, and fungal pathogens. The fix isn’t spraying the outside of a tree that’s being attacked from within.
Trunk injection systems like Tree-age (pronounced “triage”) deliver systemic insecticide directly into a tree’s vascular system through small sealed ports at the base of the trunk. Treatment moves internally with the tree’s own transport system, reaching the full canopy without drifting onto pollinators, pets, or surrounding plants. Spring is the ideal time because trees are actively drawing water and nutrients upward, which distributes treatment efficiently before peak insect pressure arrives in early summer.
Trunk injection works best alongside a broader care plan: professional inspection, proper pruning, mulching, and irrigation during dry stretches.
Large, mature trees add shade, property value, and character to our neighborhoods. Protecting them starts underground, before the damage becomes visible.
For a free inspection and consultation, contact Jason Padgett at Robert’s Tree Service. Call (904) 777-4793 or (904) 509-0011, or visit robertstreeservice.com.
