I always thought those tree growth regulators were just a fancy way to charge more

A client in Springfield insisted we use one called Cambistat on a huge oak near their house last spring. I figured it was a waste of their $300, but the label said it could cut growth by 70% for three years. Checked the tree this week, and the new shoots are literally half the length of the untreated ones on the same property. It actually works to reduce pruning cycles and stress on mature trees. Has anyone else used a growth regulator on a big shade tree and seen results this clear?

3 comments

3 Comments

hugopark3mo ago

Yeah, saw the same thing with Paclobutrazol!

the_thomas3mo ago

Wait, is Paclobutrazol the one that just stops vertical growth cold? @hugopark I've seen it make plants so dense they can't breathe properly. People chase tight internodes without realizing they're choking their own plants. It's a shortcut that usually wrecks the final product.

the_richard2mo ago

Honestly, saw a guy use that stuff on some tomatoes once. The plants got so thick in the middle, they started molding before anything even ripened. It looked good for a week, then it all just fell apart. Tbh, shortcuts like that always seem to backfire in the end.