eNewMexican

Tree Doctor 911 saves trees ‘nobody else can’

Steve Thomas eyed the sad, sick ash tree the widow showed him. The ash tree she had planted decades ago with her husband. The ash tree that had grown as their family grew. The ash tree now feared no better than firewood.

Every other tree company she had contacted had told her to cut it down.

“I can save it,” Thomas said.

And he did.

By the next spring, that doomed ash tree bloomed like it had never been sick.

Thomas heads Tree Doctor 911, which diagnoses and treats sick and dying trees, providing various services to bring ailing trees back to health.

“We save sick trees nobody else can,” Thomas said. “We help nature is what we do.”

Tree Doctor 911 heals trees without spraying chemicals, instead specializing in microinjection treatments. By injecting pesticides, fungicides or various minerals and nutrients to boost a tree’s immune system into the trunk, the chemicals are isolated to treated trees.

“This process is very similar to a sick hospital patient receiving an I.V. drip directly into their bloodstream,” Thomas said. “This technique is the most efficient for providing a proper elimination of virtually any target disease or parasite, much more advantageous and long term than any type of topical spray or soil application and is an environmentally friendly alternative— You don’t have to poison the whole area.”

Tree Doctor 911 was established in 1938 by Thomas’ father, O.J., and Thomas said they’ve led the way with microinjections, adopting the technique early to avoid harming an ailing tree’s ecosystem. Now, Tree Doctor 911 has offices in Albuquerque, Santa Fe and Texas, though Thomas and his crew work nationally and internationally.

Healing trees with anti-pathogen prescriptions

Treating an average of 5,000 trees a year, Tree Doctor 911 has more than 40 different prescriptions to address the wide range of pathogens that can affect a tree. The key is in the diagnosis, Thomas said, which comes from their years of experience and expert knowledge of diseases and tree species, including pinon, cottonwood, ponderosa—“all of them.”

“We know the proper prescription mix for each pathogen,” Thomas said. “You can’t save a person’s life if they are having kidney failure and the doctor treats them for a heart problem.” Thomas said the goal with these prescriptions is to kill 100% of pathogens, not just the ones someone may have seen and called them in for.

“We’re trying to get the tree healthy enough so it’s sustainable enough on its own,” he said.

Global experience brings local success

Thomas has diagnosed and treated trees in 14 different countries, including in New Zealand, Costa Rica, the Solomon Islands, and across the Amazon rainforest in South America.

Closer to home, Tree Doctor 911 has worked with clients in New Mexico whose trees suffered from bark beetle infestations, fungal infections and various other diseases.

Debbie from ElDorado said in a testimonial while neighbors lost many pinon trees to bark beetle, theirs not only survived but thrived thanks to the microinjection treatments.

Tree Doctor 911 has a guarantee for anything they treat, including bark beetle, with a 150-day warrantee because Thomas said they’re that confident in their treatments.

“We know what works and we have the guarantee,” he said. “We’re the best there is. We are the only company in the Southwest that has a PHD Biologist on staff.

He and his crew have experience with all kinds of trees including pinon, cottonwoods and pines.

Cynthia, another client, said in a testimonial while other companies told her the ash tree she was worried about was too far gone to save due to herbicide poisoning, Tree Doctor 911 diagnosed “what was really ailing the tree…it’s now doing great.”

“Maybe not every tree can be saved, but Tree Doctor 911 will give you an honest diagnosis and will try to save the tree if possible,” she wrote. “I’ve also used them to fertilize my trees and I always trust their work.”

Creating a future with more healthy trees

He wants more people to realize trees can be healed and hopes to launch a lecture program where people could learn more about tree health and what he does with systemic injections. “We’re trying to teach people trees are alive, living, our best friends,” he said. “We wouldn’t be here without them.”

As people come to him and Tree Doctor 911, he said trees are emotional as they can be part of people or part of the family. For him, it’s part of the future.

“We’re investing ourselves in something for the future,” he said. “We’re working for a healthy Earth. We’re an extension of God’s hand in a way, touching trees and healing them.”

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2022-11-13T08:00:00.0000000Z

2022-11-13T08:00:00.0000000Z

https://enewmexican.com/article/281483575319447

Santa Fe New Mexican