Trees provide many benefits, from creating shade to producing oxygen and enhancing life around them.
Tree Health FAQs for Connecticut Properties
THC stands for Tree Health Care, and it is sometimes referred to as PHC or Plant Health Care.
Both refer to services such as fertilization, pest control, disease control, identifying tree issues, and more. In short, anything that we can do to prevent and/or treat tree issues.
Trees can get sick, just like we do. The key to effective treatment is to quickly identify the cause (often, it's an insect pest or a tree-infecting disease) and then administer the appropriate "medicine."
Our Tree Health Care Manager will choose the best option to control or eliminate the pest or disease, while ensuring that the treatment has as little impact as possible on other plants or living creatures (such as pollinators and beneficial insects). We'll also recommend ways to prevent the problem from recurring.
The Rayzor's Edge Tree Service arborists are trained to look for any issues with your trees or property during their consultations.
Knowing what to look for is the important first step. Then, looking past the symptoms to the underlying issue and treating (or preventing!) that issue.
This method of preventive care, regular visits, treatment options, and more can lead to a healthier property that benefits the local wildlife and ecosystem, while making your yard a place you'll want to spend more time.
Often, there are some clear signs that something is wrong, such as yellowing or spotted leaves. But sometimes it’s not that obvious until a branch breaks off or the tree starts to lean.
Below are some common symptoms that show your tree is suffering from pests, disease, or environmental stress:
- Wilting
- Yellowing leaves
- Brown and dying leaves and needles
- Spots or blemishes on leaves, fruit, and/or bark
- Fuzzy or moldy-looking patches
- Holes in leaves
- Dead, dying, or falling branches
- The tree is leaning
If you're not sure whether something is wrong with your tree, these are a good place to start. Once you know what's wrong, you’ll have a better idea of how to deal with the problem.
For some pests, there are commercially-available treatments that may be helpful.
But many of the most effective treatments can only be applied by professionally licensed arborists or pesticide applicators.
Knowledge of the treatments and how they can impact the rest of your property and environment are important parts of tree health care. It can be easy to apply something incorrectly or to accidentally use something that could be toxic to local pollinators or other wildlife (not to mention nearby plants!).
Many of our treatments are injections, which means that the treatments go directly to the source of the problem without disrupting the local ecosystem. Others are sprays that require a professional, high-powered spray rig to reach all parts of the tree.
Rather than risking your tree's health with the wrong treatment, an ineffective treatment, or a treatment applied at the wrong time or in the wrong way, just give us a call. We'll be happy to set up a professional tree health consultation so you'll know exactly what's wrong and will have a professional treatment plan.
The effectiveness of insect, pest, and disease treatments depends on the tree or shrub, the pest or disease, and a few other factors.
Many issues can only be treated before the pest or disease appears. The Arborists at Rayzor's Edge understand when specific insects, fungi, and bacterial infections are likely to appear and when to take the necessary preventive measures.
Other pests or diseases may need to be treated several times a year, often during different stages of the insect's development or the disease's progression.
Some issues are treated once they appear.
And, of course, the proper timing of treatments is often weather-dependent.
This varied timing is one of the reasons why a good Tree Health Care program is so important - regular monitoring will help identify the right time to apply treatments for the greatest effectiveness.
Trees that are stressed are more susceptible to other issues, such as pests and diseases.
Trees can become stressed by a wide range of factors, such as:
- storm damage,
- improper watering,
- heat stress,
- poor pruning,
- improper planting,
- mulch volcanoes,
- poor soil health,
- and more.
Preventing your trees from becoming stressed is the first step to a healthy yard.
Do you ever look at a tree and wonder if it’s healthy? How can you tell if it’s dying? Or if it’s rotting on the inside, hiding fatal decay that could bring it crashing down?
Read our article on tree decay to help you determine if your tree is decaying.
When your trees and shrubs show symptoms of water stress, particularly in late winter or early spring, but you’re sure you’ve irrigated them, you might be looking at winter salt damage.
How to Identify, Prevent, and Treat Winter Salt Damage in Trees and Shrubs >>
Why Trust Your Trees' Health to Rayzor's Edge?
Not sure if you need a Tree Health Care Program?
Why not book a tree inspection by one of our Arborists? We'll examine your trees and landscape, identify any issues, and let you know what (if anything) we recommend to keep your trees in optimimal health.
