How Plant Growth Regulators Can Save You Time and Money

Property managers and homeowners constantly face challenges like overgrown trees interfering with buildings, hazardous pruning jobs, and endless cycles of shrub trimming.

What if there was a way to reduce plant growth proactively, enhance plant health, and cut maintenance costs - all while delivering great looking plants?

Enter plant growth regulators (PGRs) such as Cambistat for trees and Trimtect for shrubs, vines, and groundcovers. These innovative products are revolutionizing how tree service companies manage landscapes. By slowing vegetative growth, they extend pruning intervals and improve plant strength which directly translates to lower landscape maintenance costs.

What are Plant Growth Regulators?

Plant growth regulators are science-backed solutions that mimic or inhibit natural plant hormones, particularly gibberellin, which drives cell elongation and shoot growth.

Products like Cambistat are soil-applied for trees, gently reducing canopy expansion by 40-70% over three years. This isn't about stunting plants, it's about redirecting energy from rapid top growth to stronger roots, better plant defenses against disease, and increased overall plant vitality.

Trimtect, a foliar-applied version tailored for shrubs, achieves similar results on a seasonal basis, cutting regrowth by 30-70%. Treated shrubs stay compact and manicured longer, with darker green foliage and no thinning in the center of the plant.

These PGRs aren't new-age gimmicks; they're proven through extensive research and field trials, helping homeowners and property managers maintain beautiful, safe landscapes with less effort.

The Power of Cambistat for Trees

Imagine a mature tree planted too close to a building or power line. Without intervention, it risks structural interference, requiring risky tree climbing or expensive tree removal. Cambistat changes that dynamic.

Applied via soil injection or basal drench, Cambistat promotes finer root growth, making trees more drought-tolerant and resistant to diseases and pests. Trees develop thicker leaves with higher chlorophyll content for deeper green color, and stronger defenses against stressors like salt damage or environmental pressures.

One treatment lasts up to three years, holding the pruned shape without aggressive regrowth. This means fewer follow-up tree trimming visits will be needed.

Benefits include:

• Extended pruning cycles: Reduce canopy growth means trees don’t need to be pruned as often.
• Healthier trees: Energy shifts to root development and natural defenses, increasing longevity by 30-50% in some cases.
• Safety improvements: Less need for hazardous tree pruning.

For urban or confined spaces, Cambistat keeps trees from outgrowing their spot, preventing conflicts with homes, sidewalks, driveways or other infrastructure.

Trimtect: Keeping Shrubs Manicured with Minimal Effort

Shrubs, hedges, vines, and groundcovers often demand the most repetitive labor. Homeowners or contracted landscape crews spend hours, multiple times a season, shaping the same plants, hauling debris, and, in some cases, dealing with high-traffic site closures.

Trimtect is a game-changer here. As a spray-on regulator, it's easy to apply and provides consistent results. One or two applications per season can maintain that polished look for up to 12 weeks or more, with plants appearing fuller and healthier - darker foliage, no chlorosis, and better bloom retention.

Field studies show trimming time reduced by over 60% in some cases.

Why Choose Plant Growth Regulators?

Adopting Cambistat and Trimtect is an innovative method to maintain your trees and shrubs and save money at the same time. Efficiency is key to saving money on your landscape maintenance. You can have an attractive landscape without constantly being in the yard pruning and shaping trees and shrubs. These tools deliver that, plus environmental benefits like reduced water needs.

If you want to find out how plant growth regulators can be put to use on your property contact Owen Tree and Lawn Care today at 800-724-6680 to schedule a consultation with one of our ISA Certified Arborists.