Plant Health Care (PHC)
What We Do & Why We Do It:
Our Plant Health Care (PHC) program is designed to manage the health, structure, and appearance of trees and plants in the landscape within our client’s expectations. With a holistic approach, our Plant Health Care Technician will focus on developing and maintaining healthy trees and plants, so they become less vulnerable to problems.
When a tree is in decline it is rarely caused by a single factor. In most cases, several agents act together over more than one growing season and collectively result in decline. Our primary goal is to predict and prevent problems before they happen, because once trees reach the downward spiral of decline it is almost impossible to reverse the process.
Services we offer:
- Proper Pruning
- Proper Mulch Rings
- Soil Nutrient Management
- Integrated Pest Management – method of controlling plant pests
Pruning
Proper pruning by a professionally trained arborist or PHC Technician will enhance the beauty and improve the overall health of trees and shrubs.
Benefits of proper pruning:
- Promote and maintain health – Removing older stems and/or deadwood will encourage a plant to put energy and resources into new and healthy growth.
- Reduce the potential for disease and pests – Removing dead, damaged, or diseased branches will decrease the risk of diseases and pests entering through dead or damaged wood and spreading throughout the plant.
- Increase the number and quality of flowers and foliage – Pruning at the right time and cutting in the right places can increase the number of shoots and encourages flowering.
- Improve air circulation and allow sunlight into the inner and lower growth.
- Control the shape and size to improve aesthetic value.
Mulch Rings
Properly applying a layer of mulch around your tree provides many benefits that help with the long-term health of your trees. These benefits include soil insulation to provide a buffer from temperature extremes, conserving soil moisture, reducing weeds that compete with tree roots, prevents soil compaction, improves soil structure, encourages beneficial soil microorganisms, and reduces lawn mower damage.
Soil Nutrient Management
We apply a root growth stimulant that will boost growth and vigor by increasing plant development, activating the root system, and improving nutrient absorption. The stimulant is injected into the soil around the tree. This saturates the soil and allows the root system to absorb the compound, increasing the amount of usual nutrient uptake. Other benefits of this treatment is improved color, activation of enzymes, and reduced frost damage.
Integrated Pest Management
This is a holistic approach to managing pests in your landscape environment by assessing the pest situation, considering options, and implementing the safest and most effective method of control. Our PHC Technician will go through the diagnostic process to determine stress contributors, determine the level of tolerance, determine our clients’ expectations and goals, and design a management strategy to best fit the situation.
