Learn what you can do to prevent tree infestations and disease, and guarantee beautiful trees in your landscape.
Acting early to prevent tree infestations and disease can make all the difference between enjoying a beautiful, green landscape and one that’s plagued by problems all season long. By focusing on prevention rather than reaction, you can save money on what might otherwise be spent on pesticides and other complex treatments. By practicing monitoring, plant care, and preventative treatment, or Integrated Pest Management, you can protect your trees from infestations and disease before they have a chance to experience significant damage.
How Integrated Pest Management Works
IPM incorporates many tools in the disease-fighting toolkit. These tools include monitoring pest populations, using proper plant care practices, planting pest-resistance plants, and treating when needed. The ultimate goal of IPM is to manage plants for the long-term prevention of infestation and disease.
Monitor Regularly
By regularly monitoring your plants for pests, you can detect when populations are low and easy to eradicate. If you fail to monitor your plants, you may miss the arrival of pest populations until it’s too late.
Use Good Plant Care Practices
You can do a lot to keep tree infestations and disease at bay by using good plant care practices. For instance, keeping plants and beds clean and well-tended can help control many insect populations. Rotating annual plants from one part of your garden to another can reduce some pest problems, and removing old leaf debris from the base of plants can also dissuade insects.
Water your plants when the soil is dry, as drought-stressed plants are more vulnerable to damage. Allow the soil to dry between waterings. Plant roots need air as much as water to grow properly. Correct soil nutrient and pH deficiencies before planting. Use a two inch layer of organic mulch to suppress weeds and retain moisture. Do not pile the mulch against the plant’s base.
Plant Properly
Make sure you are planting your new plants in a way to optimize their health.
- Pest-Resistant Varieties: If you want a popular plant prone to specific pest problems, a resistant variety may have been bred. If possible, choose plant varieties that are more vigorous and robust to help with pest resistance.
- Plant in the Right Place: each plant has its preferences for soil type, moisture, sunlight, temperature, space, and more. Planting in the wrong location or unsuitable conditions will add stress to the plant and make it a target for infestations and disease.
- Encourage Plant Diversity: When certain pests become prevalent, they can wipe out several trees. Make sure to plant different kinds of trees, plants, and shrubs, to not only improve the look of your landscape but ensure that one pest won’t wipe out your landscape.
Treat When Necessary
Scientific Plant Service’s certified pesticide applicators can determine if a pest’s level is over the threshold and recommend an appropriate treatment plan. If you are unsure if a pest’s level is over the treatment threshold, contact the landscape experts at Scientific Plant Service for swift solutions.
Scientific Plant Service Is Your Go-To Source In Landscape Healthcare
Scientific Plant Service, located in Baltimore, is a privately owned corporation, chartered in Maryland in 1957 by Frank J. Burke. We started as a full-service Arborists specializing in the care of shade trees and ornamental shrubs, but today we are a Lawn Care company that is a huge part of the community. From aquatic environments and snow management to deer and mole control, SPS has services tailored specifically for your lawn and landscape.
We offer services in Maryland, Washington, DC, and Virginia, including: Harford, Baltimore, Carroll, Frederick, Howard, Anne Arundel, Montgomery, Prince Georges, Talbot, Queen Anne’s, Calvert counties in MD, as well as Loudoun County, Fairfax County, Arlington, Alexandria, and Falls Church in VA. For more information, contact us online, or call us at 410-321-0970. Be sure to follow us on Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, and Pinterest!