Tag Archive | PHC
Dormant Oil Kills Many Pests As They Sleep
Petroleum jelly is good for treating burns and other human injuries. It’s also good for treating trees and shrubs for insect pests while they sleep. In the case of trees and shrubs, I’m referring to dormant oil spray. Dormant oil spray is particularly effective against aphids, mites and scale. This material is highly refined oil […]
Plant Health Care – What It Is & What It Can Do For Your Landscape?
Plant Health Care (PHC) is a holistic approach to maintaining your trees, shrubs and even your perennials. PHC begins when you first select a plant and continues throughout its lifetime. Here are some of the ways in which PHC can play a role in your plant’s health and longevity: • To begin with, it’s important […]
Dormant Oil – Insects’ Worst Nightmare
It may be the middle of winter but that doesn’t mean your trees and shrubs are free from insects. You may not see them at this time because both the insects and the plant are dormant. Come spring, though, the insects will be active again, feasting on the leaves of your trees and shrubs. And, […]
What Insects Will We Be Fighting This Season?
Plant Health Care (PHC) professionals are our industry’s doctors. It’s their job to examine plants, diagnose any insect or disease problems and treat the plant in the most environmentally friendly way. This is a pretty tall order, and I thank them for taking on this task. Like doctors who treat humans, PHC professionals have to […]
Now Is A Great Time To Protect Your Ash Trees
Last week I explained how the emerald ash borer (EAB) made its way to our area and how you can keep more from arriving. Today, I’m going to tell you how to protect your own trees from attack and how to treat them if they’re already hosting this insidious pest. We can apply a preventive […]
New Disease Attacking Western New York Oak Trees
Last fall, the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation announced that an oak tree in the town of Canandaigua had been infected with oak wilt disease, and an update was published recently in the Rochester Democrat & Chronicle. The DEC has established a “Protective Zone” (quarantine) around the infected tree. This severely restricts the […]
Be On Guard For Ticks, Mosquitoes And Other Pests
Your landscape may be home to insects that don’t attack your plants but do attack you, your family and your guests. Mosquitoes and ticks come to mind because they’ve been in the news lately. Mosquitoes are carriers of numerous diseases, including malaria, West Nile virus and, most recently, the Zika virus. As they suck human […]
Emerald Ash Borer & Other Tree Wreckers
Over the past few years, I’ve written a lot about the emerald ash borer (EAB). Although it sometimes seems as though it’s the only insect devouring our trees, just the opposite is true. The EAB, though voracious, only attacks a single genus of tree – Fraxinus. There are plenty of other insects out there, as […]
Make PHC Decisions Now While Bugs Are Dormant
Do you have a Plant Health Care (PHC) program in place for 2016? If not, this would be a good time to make the move. Going into the new year with a PHC program in place lets us attack your plants’ enemies while they are asleep. Most insects are dormant now, so, if you sign […]
Prepare Your Trees For A Damaging Storm
We don’t know what kind of winter we have in store. Although the weather has been quite mild so far, we can’t be sure what 2016 will bring. Meteorologists don’t even agree on their long range forecasts. So, it behooves us to be prepared. It has been some time since the whole Rochester area has […]