Tree and plant care

Nutritional, fungal, insect, and stress diseases are very common, while bacterial and viral are less common but worth noting. All disease has the potential to be of serious concern, but a combination of these can easily lead to a detrimental situation.

When spring comes most attention goes to the lawn. Fertilizer for turf grass is the first thing that comes to most people’s minds when temperatures rise, winter fades, and spring is making a comeback. Landscape plants and trees are time and time again, neglected. Nutrients are just as important for all trees and plants as they are for grass. Absence of certain nutrients can severely affect the aesthetics of plants, others cause growth problems like insufficient root growth. There are 2 divisions of nutrients for plants, macro-nutrients and micronutrients. Macro-nutrients are the elements plants need on a large level, micro-nutrients are necessary on a smaller scale. Nitrogen, Phosphorus, and Potassium are macronutrients and are indicated by the 3 numbers on fertilizers (such as 18-24-12 or 21-7-14; in which the first number is Nitrogen, the second is Phosphorus, and the third is Potassium. Iron, Copper, Manganese, and Zinc are all micro-nutrients. A major factor in the availability of the micro-nutrients’ availability to the plants is pH (acidity/alkalinity). Different trees and plants favor particular pH levels, and often cannot utilize these elements unless the acidity/alkalinity is within a range.       

  

Most easily notice a dead spot in the lawn, or that something is eating the roses, fungal disease can be more difficult to identify, and easily go unnoticed. Symptoms get regarded to as “normal”. Fungal diseases are lesser known by the general public, so it is often stated that these trees or plants are simply dying. Rhizosphera needlecast (spruces), Diplodia tip blight (pines), Scab (edible and ornamental fruit trees), and cedar/apple rust are quite common fungal diseases. Fungal disease is not always “curable”, but suppression can have positive results.    

Common insect pests include, the borers (including the notorious Emerald Ash Borer, Bronze Birch Borer, and others), beetles (such as May/June beetles and Japanese beetles), aphids, ants, mites, and others. A bug or two on a plant or tree is not always a call for concern. Nature is full of many legged creatures that don’t cause harm and many are beneficial to the environment including the health of plants. On the other hand, in high numbers destruction can be sudden and severe. High numbers of certain insects are the major cause of the issue. Invasive insects typically lack natural predators, devastating populations periodically result. The emerald ash borer and more recently the spotted lanternfly are examples of these.

Stress is a leading cause of disease in all plants. The most desirable of plants and trees are exotic, rather than native. Native trees and plants are frequently considered as weeds. These exotic plants and trees may be in the correct climate zone, but are certainly not in their natural environment. Amount of sunlight/shade, volume and frequency of precipitation, humidity, soil type, and pH (acidity/alkalinity) are a few of the variables that can put trees and plants under stress. Most of the variables can be adjusted or corrected to ease the stress, which makes for more resilience and ability to ward off other disease.

Fungi, insects, bacteria and virus’ require 4 specifics in order to become disease: A pathogen, a susceptible host, the correct environment, and time. A major part in eradicating these diseases is to remove one or more of these specifics. Nutritional disease can be eliminated by supplementing the correct nutrients at the correct time and often correcting the pH (acidity/alkalinity) of the soil. Stress disease is solved by identifying the stress factor and, when achievable, adjusting to make the environment favorable to the tree or plant.

The Green Advantage technicians are highly trained, experienced, and licensed in how to treat Tree and Plant disease. We utilize state of the art methods with the most advanced technology in the industry. We have the knowledge to identify disease. We have the proficiency, equipment, and products to treat disease in trees, plants, and gardens. Our highly ethical staff will be honest with our approach, if results are not likely we will be upfront with you, avoiding unnecessary expenses.