Ritter Landscaping and Lawn Care, St. Louis, MO

Tree and Shrub Care Program

Established trees and shrubs are an irreplaceable part of your properties value and appearance. Timely, knowledgeable care of your ornamental plants can greatly aid in protecting this value. Some statistics suggest that landscaping may add between 7 and 14 percent to a home's value and can expedite the sale of a home by five to six weeks. In some neighborhoods, mature trees may have appraised values of between $1,000 and $10,000.

Additionally, healthy trees and shrubs provide numerous other benefits for our communities and environment. Trees and shrubs provide valuable habitat for wildlife, filter and remove pollutants from the air, and add stability to the landscape. A well maintained landscape can provide privacy and shade for your home as well.

DORMANT OIL: February to late March
Various oils have been used for centuries to provide control of insect and mite pests. Presently, oils primarily remain as an important tool for managing certain specialized pest problems (scales, aphids, mites) on fruit trees and other woody plants. With proper application, a thin film of spray oils should cover the target insect pest, plugging the spiracles or pores through which it breathes. This causes death primarily by suffocation.

INSECT CONTROL: Early April to Late August
Ritter Landscape uses a variety of insect controls at the proper times to protect trees and shrubs from costly damage. At least two insect control applications are applied between March and July. Often times a landscape will require a third or fourth application if Mites or Lace Bugs are active.

DISEASE CONTROL: April to late July
Spray treatments can be effective to control diseases on many trees and shrubs. The best control will be obtained when a spray program is established to treat the plants at the right time of the year before that particular disease is expected to be active. This can prove to be difficult at times, since Mother Nature doesn't always follow a set timing schedule on weather conditions.

DEEP ROOT FERTILIZATION:
Proper feeding of your ornamentals offers many benefits, including improved flowering, increased resistance to disease, and increased ability to ward off insect attacks. Root feeding injects the proper plant foods directly into the root zone of the plants, which allows the fertilizer to be easily absorbed and quickly put to work.