February 24, 2025

Even if you use a landscaping service for maintenance, most homeowners understand the basics of outdoor care. You know that, to thrive, your lawn needs to be maintained, and the maintenance is pretty simple to understand: mowing, watering, and fertilizing. You understand that your flowers and gardens look best when you keep those plants fed, watered, mulched, and weeded. But it’s easy to forget about the staples in your landscaping – your trees and shrubs. You may have a landscaping service, but they likely that they primarily focus on the lawn and beds. To make sure that your entire landscape is genuinely healthy, you must employ proper horticulture practices for your trees and shrubs. Whether you handle it yourself or rely on your landscaping service, these plants need attention to thrive.

Two story home with a well landscaped front yard with green grass, trees, and shrubs.

Proper Pruning Keeps Your Plants Healthy

Pruning is essential to maintaining the health and well-being of your trees and shrubs. Some pruning will help support the size and shape of the plant, some pruning will encourage new growth, and some pruning will remove potentially damaged growth to keep it from spreading. Pruning should take place throughout the year. In the late winter, removing dead growth will help promote air circulation and encourage new growth. Pruning during the growing season will help keep the correct size and shape of your plants. In the fall, pruning is important to cut back on branches showing signs of disease or damage to prevent that damage from spreading during the dormant season. Whenever you prune, the goal is to promote strong and healthy growth.

Regular Mulching and Watering Will Keep the Moisture Level Optimal

Once your trees and shrubs are well established and mature, watering needs are not as high as flower beds and lawns. Unless the conditions are exceptionally dry, trees and shrubs only need basic watering. However, mulching your trees and shrubs goes a long way toward keeping that moisture level optimal. Mulching helps conserve the moisture in the soil and insulate the base of your planting. In the summer, a coating of mulch can keep water from evaporating too quickly, and over the winter, a layer of mulch will protect the roots from the harsh weather.

Check the Fertilization Requirements to Make Sure You are Giving Your Trees and Shrubs What they Need

Different plants have different needs. While fertilizing trees and shrubs is an integral part of their overall health, you must make sure that you understand the requirements for each specific planting on your property. The timing of when fertilization should take place also differs depending on the species. It’s important to research each planting so you are not risking damage by over or under-fertilizing or losing effectiveness by fertilizing at the wrong time of year. For each plant, make sure you know:

  • How often should you fertilize, as most plants do best with small amounts in regular intervals,
  • How much fertilizer to use,
  • The optimal timing for each plant, as some plants need fertilizing at the end of the growing season, while others do best at the beginning,
  • The balance of nutrients (nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium) that will work best, and
  • The ideal method of application to prevent runoff or other negative consequences.

Pest Management is Key to Preventing Damage

Pests can be more than just a nuisance. Sometimes, damage that looks like disease is just damage from pests. Insects can be a big issue for trees and shrubs. Oozing sticky sap can mean that aphids are present, holes in the bark can mean that insects have bored in, and visible holes in the leaves mean that insects have found a food source in your plantings that can cause permanent damage. When it comes to pest management, there are several different strategies. Chemical treatments might be effective but can cause other problems and pose a risk to other plants and wildlife. Several natural therapies can be just as effective. Introducing beneficial predators, such as ladybugs, can take care of the insects you don’t want while causing no additional damage. If you are concerned about pests, talking to your landscaping professionals about safe solutions is the best way to address them.

Recognizing Signs of Stress or Disease

The best way to prevent serious damage to your trees and shrubs is to catch any signs of infestation or infection early on. Make sure to periodically inspect the leaves, bark, twigs, and soil around the base of your plantings. Visible pests or sawdust-like debris means that an infestation is likely, and damage to the plant itself usually indicates disease. If you notice any changes or anything that seems strange, such as discoloration or spots, weird growths, wilting or dropping leaves (out of season), or dead spots, and branches, contact your landscaping team so they can send their experts out to diagnose and treat any infections or infestations properly.

Using Experts When You Need Them

If you have a contract with a full-service landscaping service, they should be ready and able to step in when needed. If your trees or shrubs show any signs of distress, having a professional arborist to step in can quickly address their specific needs and provide a tailored plan for optimal growth and vitality. Investing in a professional to periodically check in on any issues ensures that your trees and shrubs will have a long life.

Your trees and shrubs are the framework of your landscaping. While your garden beds can change seasonally and are easy to adjust, your trees and shrubs can be the defining piece of your landscaping for years to come. With proper care and by using best horticulture practices, you can ensure that these staples stay healthy and strong. When you have a contract with a full-service landscaping service, make sure that you have access to their team of arborists and specialists who can help you maintain the health of all your plants.

Keep your trees and shrubs healthy with professional care from Twin Oaks Landscape. Our team provides the maintenance and attention your landscape needs to thrive. Contact us today to learn more about our full-service landscaping solutions!