Plant and Tree Health Services
Ensure Your Trees Thrive
The Kenmore area has its own specific climate, which necessitates that you have a good amount of knowledge and special care when it comes to keeping healthy trees and plants. Our Plant Health Care Programs will help your landscape be attractive and strong throughout the year, and will address some of the most common characteristics of the Pacific Northwest climate, such as the high levels of moisture and the extreme temperature fluctuations between seasons. We will create a customized plan for each client based on their specific local growing season and provide your plants with exactly what they need to grow well in whatever type of weather is present in the Kenmore area. Our proactive approach to managing your yard not only improves the immediate appearance of your property, but it also creates a solid base for your yard to continue to thrive for many years to come.
Our goal is not to treat problems as they occur, but to promote overall plant health so that issues do not develop at all. The way we go about this is by looking at every factor that affects your trees and plants. We look at the soil conditions and the local pest populations, to name a few. When we analyze all the elements of your yard, including how water drains and where the sun shines, we can find potential problem areas before they turn into obvious damage to your plants. With this approach, we can build up the natural defense systems of your plants, and use less invasive methods of treatment to help them remain healthy and a sustainable part of your Kenmore landscape for years to come.
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Our Plant Health Care Process
We believe that a healthy and thriving landscape begins with a comprehensive understanding of the local ecosystem. We take a methodical approach to each tree and shrub on your property to administer the exact nutrients and protections required for each to successfully thrive under the conditions of the Pacific Northwest.
Assessment
Our first step in the care process is to evaluate your current landscape to set a baseline for the overall health and viability of your trees and shrubs:
- Testing your soil to verify your soil’s pH level and nutrient content: We test the chemistry of your soil to see if your soil is capable of supporting a healthy plant, or if you will require additional amendments to promote healthy plant development.
- Issues with pest and disease: Arborist professionals inspect your property to assess whether there are any signs of pest infestation or fungal infection that can be commonly found due to the high humidity of Kenmore’s environment. We then act quickly to contain and treat the issue prior to spreading to the remainder of your valuable landscaping.
- Evaluation of the overall plant health and stress factors: We assess the health of all of the trees on your property by evaluating the structural integrity and growth rate of the trees to determine the extent of damage to the trees caused by environmental or mechanical stressors such as wind exposure or proximity to other structures.
- Evaluation of your irrigation and drainage patterns: Proper watering is essential to plant health; however, overwatering can be detrimental to plants in this wet region. We create a detailed diagram of how water flows across your property to ensure your plants are receiving enough moisture throughout the year and not experiencing root rot due to excess moisture or drought-related decline during the dry summer months.
Treatment Plan Development
Once we complete our initial assessment of your landscape, we design a personalized treatment plan based on our findings. Treatment plans may include:
- Fertilizer programs specifically targeted to your trees: We deliver custom-blended nutrients directly into the root zone of your trees to maximize absorption and efficiency. Our fertilizer programs are applied when your trees are in their natural growth phases, allowing them to obtain the energy needed to build strong wood and vibrant foliage.
- Integrated Pest Management (IPM): We use environmentally friendly methods to control pests on your property, emphasizing prevention techniques to avoid treating for pests as they appear. Our IPM strategy incorporates the use of beneficial insects and biological controls to sustain a balanced ecosystem within your yard.
- Soil improvement recommendations: If your soil has become compacted or is lacking in essential nutrients, we recommend organic materials that enhance soil quality and aeration. Improved soil quality enables the roots of your trees to breathe and expand, establishing a solid base for a robust and wind-resistant tree.
- Suggestions for pruning and structural support: On occasion, the most effective solution to a tree problem is a strategic prune or support cable to enable the tree to better manage its own weight. We make expert recommendations to physically manage your trees to reduce the risk of branch failure and improve light penetration to the lower canopy.
Long-Term Care
We do not view our services as “one-and-done” solutions. Our plant healthcare services are designed to provide continued success for years to come:
- Routine monitoring visits to detect problems earlier: We regularly visit your property to monitor our treatments and detect any emerging threats before they escalate to emergencies. Regular inspections provide the assurance of having a professional continually observing your landscape.
- Treatment schedules to reflect seasonal changes: The requirements of your plants change seasonally in Kenmore, and therefore, our treatment schedules will adapt to meet those changing needs. We modify our applications from dormant oils in the winter to specialized hydration supplements in the summer to provide your plants with the right care at the right time.
- Modification to your care plan as your landscape develops: Your trees and gardens will continue to evolve as they mature and grow, and thus, your needs will also change. We continually update and refine our strategies to account for the normal progression and maturation of your urban forest to keep your property an attractive feature of your neighborhood for years to come.
Common Tree Diseases and Pests in Kenmore
Kenmore has a wide variety of trees; however, due to the area’s high moisture levels, along with some unique environmental factors, many pathogens and insect pests thrive in this environment. To maintain the health and beauty of your property, it is important to identify potential threats to your landscape as soon as possible.
Disease
- Root Rot: Most commonly occurs in Douglas fir and western red cedar trees. The high moisture content in the soil around Lake Washington creates an ideal environment for fungal root rot to develop and thrive. In many cases, damage may occur before you notice that something is wrong with your tree. As the root system is attacked first, the tree will start to become unstable and eventually become hazardous. Therefore, it is very important to have your soil evaluated for any issues and/or to evaluate the drainage of your soil to prevent this problem.
- Apple Scab: Apple scab is common among both fruit-bearing and ornamental apple trees. Fungal spores infect the apple tree’s leaves and fruit, creating unsightly black spots and ultimately leading to early leaf fall and a decrease in overall vigor of the tree. Our program includes seasonal treatment options to improve air circulation through proper pruning and application of targeted fungicides to protect the quality of your apples and the aesthetic value of your flowering crabapples.
- Verticillium Wilt: Verticillium wilt is most commonly found in maple trees; however, it can affect all deciduous trees. Once a tree is infected by the soil-borne fungus, it begins to invade the tree’s vascular system, which causes a blockage of water and nutrients, resulting in the wilting of branches or even the death of entire branches. Since there is no easy solution to treat a severely infected tree, we recommend using good soil health practices and reducing stress on the tree to promote its own natural defense mechanisms to fight off this persistent threat.
Insects
- Pine Bark Beetles: Pine bark beetles are one of the most common types of borers that attack pine trees. They create tunnels under the bark of the tree and disrupt the tree’s ability to move food throughout the tree, and can introduce blue stain fungi into the tree. If you see a “pitch tube” (a small mound of sap) or an exit hole in the bark, it is likely a sign of a pine bark beetle infestation. We provide preventative systemic treatments to protect healthy pine trees from becoming infested with pine bark beetles when they are most active.
- Tent Caterpillars: Tent caterpillars can defoliate deciduous trees. Although their silk nests are easy to spot in the spring, if left unchecked, a large number of tent caterpillars can leave a tree completely bare of leaves, and thus exposed to secondary disease and growth suppression. We can remove these caterpillars physically or use organic methods to eliminate them before they can significantly harm the aesthetics and structure of your fruit and shade trees.
- Emerald Ash Borer: Emerald Ash Borer is one of the newest concerns for ash trees in our area. Emerald Ash Borers are extremely invasive beetles that are killing a large portion of the ash population in the United States. The larvae of the Emerald Ash Borer feed on the layers just below the bark of the ash tree, starving it. Our arborists remain current on the latest tracking maps and offer preventative trunk injection services to protect your ash trees from this devastating pest before it reaches your immediate neighborhood.
Why Choose Our Plant Health Care Services?
- Preventative Treatment: Instead of treating problems after they happen, we look for ways to solve them first. With preventative treatment, we can correct small issues now that would otherwise cost more to fix if left to become an emergency that requires a full removal of the plant or large restoration work at a later date. With this type of forward thinking, your landscape will be a resilient asset that becomes more valuable and beautiful each year.
- Eco-Friendly Solutions: Whenever possible, we choose organic solutions, and we are always mindful of the environmental implications of everything we do. As members of the Kenmore community, we want to protect the health of the local ecosystem, and we select products and apply methods that will kill pests while preserving the good bugs and maintaining clean water. A healthy lawn is important, but so too is helping maintain the well-being of the overall community of nature around us.
- Personalized Care: No “one size fits all” here! We develop a customized treatment program for each of your landscapes and their respective microclimates. We spend the time necessary to determine which soils you have and what type of light your property receives, and we create a treatment plan that is as unique to your property as the trees you are trying to protect. That way, your plants receive the best possible care, and you are not spending money on unnecessary and duplicate applications.
- Experienced & Educated Professionals: All of our arborists are certified and committed to being educated about the latest in plant health research and current arboriculture practices. They continually update their knowledge based on the science behind the biology of trees and the control of pests, and they can give you the best care that is currently available through their commitment to education and professionalism.
- Community Knowledge: We understand the effects of the unique weather conditions of Kenmore and how those weather patterns affect the local plant life throughout the year. From the amount of rain that occurs in the area surrounding Lake Washington to the different types of soils that occur in the Uplake neighborhood, we know exactly how these environmental factors affect the growth and health of the native plants of the Pacific Northwest. Because of this local knowledge, we can anticipate seasonal problems and provide the appropriate care for your plants to grow and thrive in this climate.
Benefits of Regular Plant Health Care
- Aesthetic and Financial Benefits Through Property Value: The increased value of your property through having a beautiful, healthy landscape. The presence of a strong canopy and lush greenery is typically one of the first elements that people notice when viewing a property. As a result, by providing regular maintenance for your trees, you will be able to maintain them as a living resource that will increase the aesthetic value of your Kenmore property and ultimately its financial value. Healthy mature trees are a rare commodity that will help your property stand out from others in the competitive Kenmore real estate market.
- Reduction in pesticide use through developing resistance: Our holistic process is focused on building the natural resistance of your trees by creating conditions in the soil that optimize the uptake of nutrients. Once your trees are thriving, they will require fewer chemical applications to prevent infestations and disease. As a result, this creates a safer environment for beneficial insects in your yard and reduces the amount of chemicals used to manage your landscape.
- Long-term cost savings through prevention: The long-term cost of proactive health care is significantly lower than the cost of reactive emergency services and/or the total cost of removing and replacing a dead tree. Through the detection of subtle signs of decay or stress during routine evaluations, we can correct these issues at a minor cost prior to them turning into major structural failures. Preventive health care ensures that small problems do not become large problems, which protects both your investment in your landscape and your pocketbook.
- Maximize the life expectancy of your trees and other plants: Professional health management allows your trees to live as long as possible while continuing to provide shade and beauty for future generations. We provide the necessary care to counteract the cumulative effects of urbanization, such as soil compaction and air pollution, which can shorten the life expectancy of your trees. With our expert advice and guidance, your significant trees will be able to reach their full biological potential and will continue to be a part of your family’s history for years to come.
- Relaxation and peace of mind through knowing that a certified arborist has control of your landscape: It is comforting to know that there is a certified arborist regularly inspecting your property for potential hazards and decline in your trees’ health. You will not have to worry about the possibility of a branch failing in a winter storm or the silent growth of root rot beneath your lawn. We handle all of the technical aspects of plant biology, so you can enjoy the natural beauty of your outdoor living space.
Ready to give your trees and plants the care they deserve? Contact us today for a comprehensive plant health assessment. Let’s work together to keep Kenmore’s landscapes thriving!
