Tree disease is just a fact of life. The good news is, there are ways to manage and mitigate disease and extend the life of your trees, reduce risk factors, and identify causes of stress for your trees.

 

Plant Health Care is a holistic approach that strives to identify the best choices for the health of trees and plants within a landscape, while at the same time accommodating the desires of the homeowner or property manager.

 

Plant Health Care, according to the International Society of Arboriculture, also seeks to identify contributing factors that may be causing a tree to decline -- more often than not, when a tree dies or declines, it is not simply a case of identifying an insect or disease.

 

Insects or disease are often secondary, attacking trees that are already weakened by other factors.

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

 

What is plant health care?

Plants, and trees especially, are valuable assets for your landscape. As such, they require long-term, quality care in order to provide return on your investment. A PHC program accomplishes this by using specialized monitoring and problem-solving methods designed to prevent high-cost plant/tree replacement in the long run.

 

How does this work?

The goal of PHC is to maintain tree and plant health in your yard by providing proper growing conditions for the plants. Most health problems associated with trees can be linked to past environmental stress or declining growing conditions. Healthy trees have natural defenses, but when a tree is stressed, it is more vulnerable to harmful insects and diseases.

 

What are the treatments?

Managed landscape plants sometimes require specialized “treatments,” as many living things often do. In the past, landscape pest control treatments were primarily pesticide or fertilizer applications made regularly, whether the plant needed it or not. PHC spray treatments are not necessarily obsolete or “bad” for the environment, if performed by a qualified technician for a specific pest. In fact, some spray treatments may be the best option for clients who have overriding concerns about program cost or are only concerned about one specific pest problem. Nowadays, though, good plant health care provides specific treatments at specific times, which better targets pests and reduces waste.

 

But the best treatment methods are those that work in combination with natural processes or are the least environmentally intrusive. A PHC technician may recommend any one or a combination of the following treatments:

• Maintenance or restoration pruning

• An integrated pest management (IPM) program to deal with any insect and disease issues

• Mulching bare soil beneath tree canopies

• Testing to determine any nutrient deficiencies/toxicities and a program to address them

• Evaluation and correction of current irrigation practices

• Planting pest-resistant varieties of trees and shrubs suited to your specific site

 

But can it help my trees?

Most people want to know what the pest problems or the overall problems are in their landscape. Your PHC provider observes your trees and shrubs for changes in their health and will work closely with you to devise solutions as needed. A custom-designed PHC program for your trees and shrubs will, over time, provide a beautiful and healthy landscape that the entire neighborhood can enjoy, and that will add value to your home.

 

Traditional landscape pest control programs rely on “cover sprays.” Selection of a cover spray is often based on the company’s knowledge of common pest problems and control measures in the service area. The cover-spray type, method and timing are pre-determined by the company. These traditional pest-control programs are not necessarily obsolete or “bad” for the environment and may be the best option for clients who have overriding concerns about program cost or are only concerned about one specific pest problem.

 

In contrast, plant health care technicians consider the landscape in its entirety when deciding how to best care for plants. PHC technicians manage plant problems through careful monitoring of the landscape environment. Chemical controls may be part of the treatment program, but they are not likely to be used in every treatment. Because of this, every PHC program is customized to fit the client’s property and expectations. 

 

The PHC technician maintains landscape plants by:

• evaluating the landscape’s environment

• noting causes of plant stress (stressors)

• maintaining plant performance through proper cultural practices

• investigating the landscape through monitoring

• identifying and treating problems as they occur​

 

(TCIA, 2019)