While the lack of snow and mild temperatures early this winter may be a welcome change for Chicago residents, it adds additional stress for trees and shrubs that have already suffered through the drought experienced last year. Often, plants that have suffered through drought conditions are more vulnerable to other plant diseases and insects. These problems may not surface immediately, but will show up the next growing season. Just like a person, an unhealthy or stressed plant is much more affected by other issues. This includes boring, sucking and chewing plant insects, fungus diseases and bacterial diseases. For example, an Ash tree previously unaffected by the Emerald Ash Borer, may become more vulnerable to this devastating pest. It’s important to take care of the landscape to prevent further decline.
Kramer Tree Specialists offers a variety of treatments that can minimize the damage done by the dry weather conditions Chicago is experiencing. Fertilizing the landscape will add much needed nutrients to parched soil. The added nutrients keep the plant healthy and better equipped to fend off attacking pests and diseases.KTS utilizes Bio-Green fertilizer, which is an organic blend that is injected directly in the soil beneath the canopy of the treated trees. This fertilizer contains beneficial fungi and other nutrients that promote strong root growth for nutrient uptake and storage. Because of the stress caused by the drought, trees and shrubs may develop secondary problems that appear unrelated to dry conditions. There are a variety of treatments available to combat invading pests and diseases in the landscape. KTS has Certified Arborists that are trained to evaluate the landscape and recommend the proper solutions for your trees and shrubs.
Watering your trees and shrubs is vital for the health of the landscape and to ensure the success of any treatments scheduled for your trees and shrubs. It’s imperative that the homeowner provides much needed moisture to dry trees and shrubs. During extremely dry conditions, both new plantings and established trees and shrubs will need adequate moisture. Trees and shrubs require different watering techniques than the lawn. Typically, trees and shrubs should receive at least 1” of water per week. Follow the appropriate watering methods in the landscape for healthier and happier trees and shrubs. In addition, monitoring the landscape for other issues and treating trees and shrubs appropriately, will go a long way in maintaining the beauty and health of your landscape.
Contact the Plant Health Care department at KTS for information on scheduling a Certified Arborist to evaluate your trees and shrubs.
Leave a comment with any drought-related issues you are experiencing in the landscape!