Plant Health Care

Comprehensive Care for Trees, Shrubs & Ornamentals

Your landscape is a living investment that requires ongoing attention to remain healthy and beautiful. Vita Green LLC’s Plant Health Care (PHC) program takes a proactive, integrated approach to monitoring and maintaining the health of all your landscape plants—from mature trees to ornamental shrubs and perennials.

Why Plant Health Care Matters

Plants face constant challenges from pests, diseases, nutrient deficiencies, and environmental stress. Early detection and treatment prevent minor issues from becoming major problems. Professional plant health care provides regular monitoring by trained specialists who spot problems early, accurate diagnosis of diseases and pest infestations, targeted treatments that address root causes rather than just symptoms, and preventive measures that keep plants healthy and resilient. Waiting until a plant looks sick often means damage is already severe—proactive care saves plants and money.

Our Plant Health Care Services

Pest and Fertilization Programs

We recommend programs as much as possible vs single services. Our Plant Health Care programs include:

• PHC Fertilization: 4 applications per season
• Insecticide Spraying: 5 times per season

These comprehensive programs provide consistent care that keeps your plants healthy and thriving throughout the growing season.

Plant Health Assessments

We conduct comprehensive evaluations of your landscape’s trees, shrubs, and ornamentals. Our specialists look for signs of stress, disease, pest damage, and nutrient deficiencies. Regular assessments allow us to track plant health over time and intervene before problems escalate.

Disease Diagnosis & Treatment

Plant diseases can quickly devastate your landscape. We identify fungal infections, bacterial diseases, and viral problems, then apply appropriate treatments. Common issues in central Washington include powdery mildew, fire blight, root rot, and various leaf spot diseases. We use a combination of cultural practices, biological controls, and targeted fungicides when necessary.

Insect & Pest Management

We monitor for common landscape pests including aphids, scale insects, spider mites, borers, and leaf miners. Our integrated pest management (IPM) approach prioritizes biological controls and selective treatments that target pests while preserving beneficial insects. We only use pesticides when necessary and always choose the least toxic effective option.

Soil Amendments & Nutrition (Optional)

Healthy plants start with healthy soil. We test soil pH and nutrient levels, then recommend amendments to correct deficiencies. Our programs may include organic compost applications, specialized fertilizers for trees and shrubs, mycorrhizal fungi to improve root function, and sulfur or lime to adjust pH. This is an optional upsell to the standard PHC program.

Deep Root Fertilization (Optional)

For established trees and large shrubs, we inject liquid fertilizer directly into the root zone. This method bypasses turf competition and delivers nutrients where they’re most needed. Deep root fertilization is especially beneficial for stressed trees, newly transplanted specimens, and plants in compacted urban soils. This is an optional upsell to the standard PHC program.

Mulching Programs

Proper mulching conserves moisture, moderates soil temperature, suppresses weeds, and adds organic matter as it decomposes. We apply 2-3 inches of quality mulch around trees and shrubs, keeping it pulled back from trunks to prevent rot and pest harboring.

Stress Mitigation

Central Washington’s hot, dry summers and cold winters stress landscape plants. We implement strategies to reduce stress including proper watering programs, anti-desiccant sprays for evergreens before winter, and supplemental treatments during heat waves or drought.

What to Expect

1. Initial Assessment: We thoroughly evaluate your landscape and identify current or potential problems
2. Custom PHC Plan: Receive a detailed program with scheduled monitoring visits and recommended treatments
3. Regular Monitoring: We visit your property throughout the growing season to track plant health
4. Timely Treatments: When issues arise, we apply treatments promptly using appropriate products and methods
5. Seasonal Adjustments: We modify the program based on weather, plant response, and emerging issues
6. Detailed Reporting: You’ll receive updates on what we observe and actions we’ve taken

Frequently Asked Questions

How often should I have my plants assessed? We recommend quarterly assessments (spring, early summer, late summer, and fall) for comprehensive monitoring. High-value specimens or properties with history of plant problems may benefit from monthly visits during the growing season.

What is integrated pest management (IPM)? IPM is an environmentally sensitive approach that uses multiple strategies to manage pests: cultural practices (proper watering, pruning), biological controls (beneficial insects), physical controls (removal of affected parts), and chemical controls only when necessary and in the least toxic form.

Can you save a tree that’s already showing signs of disease? Often, yes—if we catch it in time. Success depends on the disease type, extent of infection, and the tree’s overall vigor. Some diseases like Dutch elm disease are lethal, but many fungal and bacterial infections respond well to treatment when caught early.

What’s the difference between fertilizing lawns and fertilizing trees/shrubs? Trees and shrubs have different nutritional needs than turf grass. They require lower nitrogen ratios, benefit from slow-release formulations, and need nutrients delivered deeper into the soil. Lawn fertilizer applied near trees can actually harm them by encouraging excessive soft growth susceptible to pests and winter damage.

Are the treatments safe for pets and children? We prioritize safety in all applications. Many of our treatments are organic or very low toxicity. When we use conventional pesticides or fungicides, we follow all label restrictions and notify you of any necessary precautions. Most treatments require only short restriction periods, typically until spray has dried.

How do you determine what a plant needs? Our specialists are trained in plant pathology and entomology. We identify problems through visual inspection, understanding of pest and disease life cycles, and knowledge of symptoms. When diagnosis is uncertain, we can send samples to a plant diagnostic lab for analysis.

Can plant health care prevent all problems? While we can’t prevent every issue—weather events, animal damage, and certain diseases are beyond control—proactive care dramatically reduces problems and improves outcomes when issues do occur. Healthy, well-maintained plants are far more resilient than neglected ones.

Is plant health care expensive? PHC is an investment that protects the much larger investment you’ve made in your landscape. Mature trees can be worth thousands of dollars each, and replacing them is far more expensive than maintaining them. A comprehensive PHC program typically costs a fraction of replacing even one established tree or major shrub.