Trees & Shrubs Need Check-Ups Too!
Just like visiting the doctor on a regular basis for a health check-up, regular inspections help keep trees and shrubs healthy and problem-free.
If you are like many people, you probably visit a doctor at least once per year in order to uncover health issues before they become serious. Caring for your trees and shrubs is no different. They need be checked on every so often.
Regular inspections by a trained professional are the best way to identify possible issues and fix them before they begin or become serious.
It is usually easier and cheaper to prevent problems than it is to fix them after they occur. The concept is simple: if you have the expertise, inspect your trees and shrubs on a regular basis. If you do not, hire a trained professional to do so.
Typically the best schedule is to perform an inspection once per season, since there are issues that can only be found during certain times of the year.
But if this is not feasible, do this at least once per year.
If you hire an expert, they should do the following, at a minimum:
- Examine and evaluate the overall health of each tree and shrub, paying attention to problems related to growth, soil, structure, roots, pests, diseases, canopy, and trunk.
- Look for living and non-living factors that affect plant health such as girdling roots, buried root collars, mechanical injury, and soil compaction.
- Diagnose soil and foliar samples to ensure that your plants are receiving the optimal amount of nutrients and water for key biological processes.
- Provide you with a set of recommendations on any necessary remedial actions.
- Document ongoing findings to compile a history on your trees and shrubs to aid with future inspections.
Trees and shrubs provide an incredible array of benefits to you and to this planet.
They clean our air, water, and soil. They provide us with food, shelter, and medicine. They make us happier, healthier and wealthier. They are worth preserving, which means they need regular inspections.