PLANT HEALTH CARE
Plant health care involves taking a holistic approach to maintaining the health of landscape plants. Proper plant health care may involve one, two, or several components involving the maintenance of landscape plants. Tree and shrub pruning, tree and shrub spraying, tree and shrub fertilization, tree and shrub mulching, and tree and shrub watering are all components of landscape maintenance and plant health care.
TREE AND SHRUB PRUNING
Most tree and shrub pruning can be done to your landscape plants anytime during the growing season. There are notable exceptions and the Certified Arborists at Owen Tree Service can advise you as to when it would be necessary or appropriate to have tree and shrub pruning done to your landscape plants to assure they are receiving correct plant health care.
There are three mains types of trees in Michigan landscapes that should be pruned, if possible, during the dormant season due to insect pest or disease concerns. These would be Oak trees, native Elm trees, and Birch trees. Oak trees are susceptible to Oak Wilt, native Elm trees can be infected with Dutch Elm Disease, and Birch trees can be attacked by Bronze Birch Borers. Storm damage can occur during the growing season and tree pruning may need to be done, but proper plant health care would dictate that, when possible, the tree pruning be done during the dormant season.
Flowering shrubs also require shrub pruning at the proper time of the growing season for proper plant health care. The general rule is to prune flowering shrubs relatively soon after they are done flowering. If the flowering shrub flowers in the spring, then shaping of the shrub should be done in late spring or early summer. If the flowering shrub flowers later in the summer, then prune the flowering shrub in the fall.
TREE AND SHRUB SPRAYING
The need for tree or shrub spraying to provide plant health care on landscape plants depends, to some extent, on the type of landscape plants you own. Landscape plants like Forsythia require very little in the way of shrub spraying whereas, under adverse conditions, a Burning Bush may be completely defoliated by Spider Mites.
Having a landscape designed and buying and installing landscape plants can be a costly endeavor. Proper tree and shrub spraying services can insure your investment in landscape plants will not be wasted and your landscape plants will remain healthy. Numerous university and private studies have shown that providing proper landscape maintenance for your trees and shrubs is more cost-effective than neglecting trees and shrubs and dealing with the insect or disease damage the plants may suffer. Owen Tree Service offers a variety of plant health care landscape maintenance services to keep your trees and shrubs in optimal health.
TREE AND SHRUB FERTILIZATION
Tree and shrub fertilization assures that adequate nutrients are available to your landscape plants when they need it. Tree and shrub roots are most active in the spring and fall, which is when most tree and shrub fertilization is performed. This plant health care service is one of most often overlooked by tree and shrub owners, but is one of the most important plant health care services to have done.
In addition to standard deep root fertilization, Owen Tree Service offers root stimulant treatments for newly planted trees and mycorrhizae treatments to further enhance tree and shrub health and vitality.
TREE AND SHRUB MULCHING
In the forest, trees and shrubs rely on a naturally occurring duff layer of decaying logs, twigs, and tree leaves to provide nutrients, retain soil moisture, and moderate soil temperatures. In a manicured landscape this natural component is removed and replaced with turfgrass that competes with the trees and shrubs for water and nutrients.
Mulching shrub beds and creating tree rings of mulch around trees isn’t often thought of as plant health care, but it is plant health care. Recreating a natural environment, as much as is possible, in a manicured landscape is a component of plant health care that will reduce stress on trees and shrubs.
TREE AND SHRUB WATERING
Watering trees and shrubs isn’t usually necessary in Michigan in the spring and fall. Occasionally, we receive enough rain in the summer months that supplemental watering isn’t necessary. Watering trees and shrubs should be part of your plant health care strategy if adequate rainfall hasn’t occurred in 3 or 4 weeks and then the watering should be done with a soaker hose so the water can penetrate deep into the soil profile. Also, supplemental watering should be done if new trees or shrubs were planted in the spring to assure they are receiving adequate plant health care during establishment.
How much landscape maintenance your landscape plants require is largely dependent on the species of landscape plants in your landscape, the soil your landscape plants are planted in, the pH of the soil, and if the landscape plants are planted in the correct place in your landscape with respect to sun and shade. Proper plant health care considers all these factors.
CONTACT OWEN TREE AT:
● Leonard
Owen Tree Service provides tree, lawn, and landscape services to the following cities and towns:
Genesee County, Michigan:
● Burton
● Davison
● Flushing
● Goodrich
● Linden
● Otisville
● Clio
● Fenton
● Gaines
● Grand Blanc
● Montrose
● Otter Lake
● Flint
● Genesee
● Lennon
● Mt Morris
● Swartz Creek
Lapeer County, Michigan:
● Almont
● Brown City
● Columbiaville
● Imlay City
● Metamora
● Peck
● Attica
● Clifford
● Dryden
● Lapeer
● North Branch
● Sandusky
● Hadley
● Mayville
● Otter Lake
● Silverwood
Macomb County, Michigan:
● Armada
● Clinton Twp
● Grosse Pointe
● Macomb
● New Haven
● St Clair Shores
● Centerline
● Detroit
● Grosse Pointe Farms
● Ray
● Sterling Heights
● Chesterfield
● Eastpointe
● Grosse Pointe Shores
● Memphis
● Romeo
● Utica
● Clinton
● Fraser
● Grosse Pointe Woods
● Mt Clemens
● Roseville
● Warren
● Harrison Twp
● New Baltimore
● Shelby Twp
● Washington
Oakland County, Michigan:
● Auburn Hills
● Bloomfield Village
● Ferndale
● Orion
● South Lyon
● Berkley
● Clarkston
● Franklin
● Madison Heights
● Ortonville
● Southfield
● Beverly Hills
● Clawson
● Hazel Park
● Milford
● Oxford
● Troy
● Bingham Farms
● Commerce Twp
● Highland
● Novi
● Pleasant Ridge
● Walled Lake
● Birmingham
● Davisburg
● Holly
● Oak Park
● Pontiac
● Waterford
● Bloomfield
● Detroit
● Huntington Woods
● Oakland
● Rochester
● West Bloomfield
● Bloomfield Hills
● Farmington
● Lake Orion
● Oakland Twp
● Rochester Hills
● White Lake
● Farmington Hills
● Lathrup Village
● Orchard Lake
● Royal Oak
● Wixom
St. Clair County, Michigan:
● Algonac
● Casco
● East China
● Harbor Beach
● Lexington
● Peck
● Allenton
● Clay
● Emmett
● Harsens Island
● Marine City
● Port Huron
● Berlin
● Clyde
● Fair Haven
● Jeddo
● Marysville
● Richmond
● Brockway
● Columbus
● Fort Gratiot
● Kimball
● Memphis
● Sandusky
● Capac
● Cottrellville
● Goodells
● Lakeport
● North Street
● St Clair
