PLANT CARE TIPS

Winter Plant Health Care

Many people think that the gardening season is over until next spring. For pest management professionals, winter is the time to efficiently manage some of the most damaging insects in the landscape. We call them dormant treatments. Dormant treatments work by suffocating a pest. These dormant treatments cannot be applied during the growing season because of higher temperatures.

Many devastating insects are not visible to the naked eye. Left unmanaged, these pests are among the most lethal to trees and shrubs. Our professionals can scout for these microscopic pests and determine proper management strategies. These insects, many of which feed on evergreen species, are now over-wintering as eggs or immature adults. Dormant treatments can effectively manage these pests without harm to the beneficial insects we need in the landscape.

Some insects, such as scale insects, are visible if you know where to look. These tiny pests are mostly immobile for their lifespan and are protected with a waxy covering. The incredible damage they do by sucking the plants’ sap, is often not noticeable until the plant is leafed out however, often they cannot be effectively treated at this time. During the growing season, the scales have to be managed in their crawler stage when they are unprotected by the waxy coating. This stage is species specific and can have a window of opportunity as little as 7 days. Dormant treatments are ideal for managing many scale insects.