Diagnostics

When a tree’s basic requirements are not being met they will become stressed, their natural defenses will be weakened making them more prone to problems including attacks by insects and or disease. The best plant health plan is implemented at the beginning, we prefer to use a customized approach that looks at the landscape and the client’s needs as a whole in working to keep your trees and landscapes healthy. Listed below are some basic but important things to consider in keeping your plants healthy.

Helpful                                         

• Proper Watering                                                                           
• Proper Mulching                                                                     
• Soil Aeration                                                                                    
• Incorporating organic material                                                        
• Soil or Foliar Testing                                                               
• Prescription Fertilization                                                                   
• Maintenance Pruning                                                                  
• Structural Pruning                                                                 
• Identifying & Treating  Problems As They Occur                  
• Plant Age & Species Diversification                                            
• Nursery Stock Inspection                                           
• Annual Inspections                                                        
• Cabling & Bracing, or Guying Per Inspection                        

 Harmful

• Water Deficits
• Excessive Irrigation
• Flooding
• Improper Mulching
• Excessive Fertilization
• De-icing Salts
• Improper Planting
• Wrong Plant/Wrong Site 
• Mechanical Damage/Lawn Mowers Etc.
• Girdling or Circling Roots
• Animals Feeding on or Stripping Bark
• Insect or Disease Infestations
• Soil Fill Against Trunk or on Roots

Proper mulching beneath the tree or preferably further out to where branches extend, if practical, maintaining an adequate level of the requirednutrients by incorporating organic materials, fertilizing, applying soil amendments as determined by soil or foliar testing. Proper watering methods, usually less frequent but heavier soakings are more ideal to maintain the tree’s water requirements. Proper regular pruning maintenance starting early in the life of your tree‘s, will promote structure, reduce the impact of weather related events, and be beneficial to help balance the different plants light requirements in your landscape. Proper soil aeration methods especially for compacted areas aroundtree’s will help to improve water and air movement in the soil. These basic practices, especially when promoted early will help your trees to stay healthy, beautiful, and thrive over the long term.

Regular or annual inspections by a certified arborist will be beneficial to identify factors that may be detrimental to your trees and landscapes. Sometimes the tree cannot be saved because the problem has gone undetected for too long, recognizing potential problems early when assessing the overall health of your  tree’s will help allow corrective actions to be implemented within a reasonable time frame.