Why Plant Health Care is a Must-Have

Fun fact: plants need primary care to live a healthy life, too; not from your family medicine doctor, of course, but from a different type of provider (you know, your landscape one). We know what you’re thinking: isn’t that the same as landscape maintenance? Here’s how Plant Health Care and landscape maintenance differ and why you need both.

The Difference Between Plant Health Care and Regular Maintenance

Every day you take care of yourself through a set of rituals that keep you healthy– from eating well to exercising, to bathing and getting enough sleep. These things all support your overall well-being, much like your regular maintenance does for your landscape. But can those things alone keep you from ever getting sick? Not so much.

That’s why you get an annual physical and maintain a relationship with a primary care physician. Plant Health Care is much the same. 

What is Plant Health Care?

Plant Health Care, or PHC, is a total health approach to all aspects of your landscape, from trees to plants. 

• Generally provided by an arborist or horticulturalist and their team of trained technicians 
• We carefully monitor your landscape’s environment to identify risk factors for potential problems and set forth a care plan best suited for your plants. 
• We develop a customized care plan best suited for your plants including preventative measures to help you keep costly problems at bay. 
• In the event a problem does occur, we’re able to treat it swiftly, before it becomes a larger issue. (Not unlike when your physician calls in a timely prescription to stop that sinus infection dead in its tracks).

How Does it Work?

A major component of a successful plant health care program is alignment with your goals and expectations. So, one of the first things your team will do is work to understand your objectives and preferences. For example, when do you want to resort to chemical control for pest problems? Some clients prefer trying alternative methods first, even if there is a risk of plant damage in the interim. Others feel the opposite. 

Neither answer is right or wrong. In fact, many times the situation isn’t completely black and white. You may be willing to tolerate less damage on a prized ornamental specimen tree located in a highly visible area, versus a group of shade trees located off the beaten path. These are the scenarios your team will work to understand; and they’ll keep the lines of communication open so that as your landscape and preferences evolve, so too does your plan.

In addition to these important conversations, your team will also carefully examine your landscape and make recommendations to treat any existing problems, or ones that may soon present. This could include thinning dense woods, planting new trees, correcting soil deficiencies, changing your watering schedule or method of delivery, managing pests, and adjusting nutrients.

Ultimately, these changes may be just the shot in the arm your landscape needs to achieve its best health yet. And with a knowledgeable plant health care team in place providing regular check-ups, you can have confidence we’ll keep it that way. 

About BrightView Landscape Services

Managing your site(s) is a balancing act. Increasing the visual impact of your property must be weighed against the cost of maintaining and protecting your investment. Our partnership ensures your landscape needs are covered from landscape maintenance, fertilization, water management, weed and pest management, tree care, snow removal, storm preparedness, and response.
 
BrightView partnerships have provided high-quality, cost-effective, and consistent commercial landscape services since 1939.
 
Our commercial landscape professionals provide you with the services your property needs while allowing you to focus your time and resources on the many other challenges of running your business.