Author: Burkholder PHC

Homeowners approach us about plant health care, wondering precisely what services are involved and how those services benefit them. While the name sounds simple at first, plant health care encapsulates a wide range of different landscape maintenance techniques and plant health maintenance methods. Homeowners benefit from plant health care services in numerous ways. We have gathered some FAQs about plant health care to help people understand what exactly plant health care is, what is involved, and how they benefit.

Plant health care (PHC) is a comprehensive, total care solution for evaluating, treating, and maintaining the health of all plant life on a property. More than simply making sure plants get enough water or fertilizer, plant health care takes a holistic approach to plant health. One of the duties of a landscape professional or plant health care specialist is to create a landscaping and care plan that ensures all plants have their needs met. Another objective of plant health care is to develop and maintain the proper growing environment for all plants so that landscaping professionals and specialists can prevent and more efficiently resolve health issues.

Plant health care is essential for a few reasons. One reason is that keeping your plants healthy maintains their beauty, making your landscape more attractive, more usable, and more enjoyable to use and admire. Another reason is that by improving or sustaining the health of every plant in a landscape, the beauty and value of said landscape remain consistently high, which is essential if you are interested in keeping high property values. Plant health care also emphasizes preventing any issues with your plants, which means fewer landscaping problems for you in the future.

Your landscape is an investment as much as a place for your family to use and enjoy. Fixing or remediating any issues that arise with your plants’ health is more costly than preventive care. With plant health care, you are protecting a valuable investment.

One of the common FAQs about plant health care that we hear is “what is involved in plant health care?” As stated before, plant health care is a comprehensive, holistic approach, and each landscape is unique. Therefore, the specific services within a plant health care plan differ for each homeowner. Some homeowners may have severe pest or plant disease issues, while others might have problems with their soil. At Burkholder PHC, we offer many different plant health care services that can resolve whichever issues your landscape is facing.

These services include the following:

• Pest Management
• Soil Care
• Cultural Management
• Weed Management
• Biological Control
• Growth Regulation
• Deer Browse Deterrents
• Diagnostics

Each of these services has its own services or actions covering a broad range of issues homeowners and their landscapes may face.

If you have any other FAQs about plant health care that you want the answers for, contact Burkholder PHC. Our team has up-to-date knowledge of the latest and best practices for plant health and landscape design. The passionate and experienced specialists at Burkholder will work with you to create a beautiful and healthy landscape. For a free consultation or more information about our services, contact us today.

As homeowners continue to look for ways to keep their landscapes beautiful, one particular solution has been growing in recent years: beneficial insect release. Beneficial insect release is when plant health care experts use insects rather than chemicals to control and manage pest populations. Pests can cause significant damage to a landscape, and releasing certain insects is an effective means of reducing pest populations (and their subsequent damage to trees and plants) while minimizing chemicals. Here is an explanation of what beneficial insects are and when they are used.

As stated above, beneficial insect release is a biological control method based on using insects rather than other substances like chemicals. The idea is to target pest populations by releasing their natural predators within a landscape to control the specific pest population, minimizing the harm done to your plants. Certain insects are also either neutral or beneficial to particular ecosystems, which is part of what makes releasing beneficial insects work.

For example, praying mantises are harmless to plants and people and feed on aphids: small, sap-sucking insects that can damage plants and leaves. So a homeowner can have praying mantises released in their landscapes to protect their gardens from aphids.

Beneficial insect release is an augmentative biological control, meaning that helpful insects are often used as part of a more extensive plant health care program rather than the sole method for pest control. In terms of populations, low to mid-level populations of pests can be controlled by beneficial insects. Below are a few examples of beneficial insects and the pests these insects target.

• Green lacewing: Aphids, Whitefly, Leafhoppers, Mealybugs
• Ladybug: Aphids, Mealybugs, Soft Scale, Whitefly
• Praying mantis: Caterpillars, Flies, Grasshoppers, Aphids

Releasing beneficial insects is often used in landscapes with plants prone to injury from mites and aphids. Beneficial insects are also used for plants or landscapes sensitive to potentially harmful pesticides or those who prefer organic, natural methods of maintaining their landscapes.

The timing of a beneficial insect release is also crucial to its effectiveness. Praying mantises, for instance, need to be released via egg mass in March, as early spring is when the mantises will start to hatch and can begin feeding on pests. Other insects can be released as adults, but the timing is just as important. Other factors include the pests damaging a landscape and the surrounding plants and the environment’s overall conditions. Overall, beneficial insects should be part of a larger plan to help balance your landscape’s ecosystem and maintain its beauty and health.

If you want to keep your landscape free of harmful pests or are interested in beneficial insect release, contact Burkholder Brothers for a consultation. Our team of highly qualified, passionate landscape professionals has up-to-date knowledge of the latest and best plant health care practices. Our specialists and account managers will work with you to maintain your landscape’s beauty and value. For more information on our services, contact us today.

The most efficient approach to protecting your landscape and plant health is through consistent maintenance and care. Our experts are offering some Plant Care 101 -information about preventive measures and building resiliency within plants. Plant care is also comprehensive and includes several different areas of landscaping and horticulture.

Our Plant care 101 covers several different aspects of plant health care. Plant health care is a comprehensive solution focused on maintaining plant health and beauty. Breaking it down into a few core ideas will help you better understand a plant health care program’s scope. Here are some aspects of plant care.

Pests cause numerous problems for your landscape, harming your plant life, curb appeal, and property values. Pest management helps mitigate pest populations and damage. Landscape professionals take different approaches to pest management.

• Integrated Pest Management (IPM) uses pest control applications based on risk as determined by a plant health care professional, rather than general treatments at the time of year pests appear on home gardens or landscapes.
• Targeted Pest Management (TPM) is a pest control approach based on a specific pest’s timing and a particular plant/s susceptibility.

Other forms of pest management involve managing and removing invasive species (pests that affect human or animal health) and using organic control methods rather than chemicals.

Healthy soil care and management are fundamental aspects of plant care 101. The soil on your property provides your plants with water, nutrients, oxygen, and space for growth. As a result, plant care specialists and professionals need to properly analyze soil to learn the surrounding trees’ and plants’ exact needs.

Soil also needs the proper fertilizer based on the season (for example, soil needs a more potassium-based fertilizer in spring). Landscape professionals need to be keenly aware of the complexities of soil, and provide meticulous care and treatment to ensure a robust and healthy landscape.

Managing weeds on a property is another important aspect of plant care and includes different approaches to accomplish its goals. Pre-emergent weed control focuses on removing weeds before they have a chance to grow. This preventive approach to weed management is generally performed during the fall or winter before weeds have germinated.

Post-emergent weed control is the opposite approach: removing visible weeds during the spring or summer. Certain weeds are also invasive species and can be a significant problem to the native plant life.

Some other plant care 101 topics include the following:

• Biological Control: Using beneficial insects to target and control pests.
• Cultural Management: Tools or methods that modify a plant’s environment to suit the specific needs of the plant.
• Disease Management: Managing diseased trees and plants.

If you want more Plant Care 101 to keep your landscape healthy, contact Burkholder Brothers for a consultation. Our team of passionate landscape professionals has decades of experience maintaining refined landscapes in Main Line Philadelphia communities. The team has up-to-date knowledge of the most effective plant health care practices. We have specialists who will work with you to sustain your landscape’s beauty. For more information on our services, contact us today.

Malvern, PA – April 12, 2021 – Burkholder Brothers announces the opening of a new plant health care department called Burkholder PHC. This new department will work hand in hand with the Burkholder Landscape design, build and maintenance teams that have been servicing the Delaware valley for the past 30 years. New plant health care services will include all aspects of pest management, soil care, biological control, cultural management, deer browse deterrents, and growth regulation.

“Plant health care is a complex science. We have developed program options, field personnel and equipment to deliver science based, state of the art programs to manage the problems caused by challenging weather patterns and new invasive insects and diseases,” said owner, Barry Burkholder.

Starker Wright, the company’s new Plant Health Care Manager noted that “the environmental conditions of this year have made soil disease and pests a greater threat than usual.”

He also mentioned the cicada emergence that will occur in June for the first time in 17 years, warning, “this emergence alone is one of the most profound threats to landscape trees that any of us will experience.”

The company is currently offering free consultations. The offer encourages Main Line residents to learn about their services while receiving an accurate diagnosis of their landscape plant health issues and exploring the programs that will protect families and pets from insects that bite, sting and can spread illness.

Burkholder PHC is a new branch of Burkholder Brothers Landscaping. The company emphasizes proper diagnosis and precise treatment with state-of-the-art, research-backed methods and equipment. The specialists are educated, trained, experienced, and certified to manage all insect and disease pests, soil chemistry, and plant physiological problems to deliver genuine, lasting results. Burkholder PHC has the resources necessary to deliver the attention to detail and professional care that every resident’s landscape deserves.

Burkholder Brothers has been in business for 25 years and provides an “all inclusive” landscape business for Main Line Philadelphia residents. The company does all aspects of landscaping; from designing outdoor living areas, hardscapes and softscapes; to installing the various pieces of the design, such as patios, outdoor kitchens, and outdoor lighting; to finally maintaining the landscapes with comprehensive maintenance programs.

For more information regarding the new plant health care programs or Burkholder Landscape’s other services, call (610) 558-2678 or visit the Burkholder website: www.BurkholderLandscape.com.

Many homeowners in Pennsylvania have spent a lot of time and money ensuring their landscapes are pristine and healthy. Sometimes, however, certain pests can disrupt or damage those landscapes. Pests can harm both the appearance and health of trees, flowers, shrubs, and any other plant life on properties. Here are some of the various types of plant pests in PA.

2 Major Invasive Species in PA

Two particular plant pests in PA have caused significant damage to residents’ landscapes: the spotted lanternfly and the emerald ash borer. Both of these insects are invasive species originating in Asia. These pests have rapidly spread along the east coast of the United States and are significant threats to Pennsylvania’s plant life.

The spotted lanternfly is a plant hopping species first discovered in the U.S. in 2014 that has since spread to many eastern states. These pests have light gray outer wings, black and red inner wings, and black bodies. Spotted lanternflies feed on and damage primarily the ailanthus or “tree of heaven” by sucking the sap from stems, leaves, or trunks and excreting a sugar-rich sticky liquid called “honeydew.” By sucking the fluid from a tree, spotted lanternflies deprive them of nutrients, which can hinder growth and eventually lead to death.

Like spotted lanternflies, the emerald ash borer is another invasive species from Asia that has rapidly become one of the major plant pests in PA. This wood-boring beetle has a metallic green body. The beetles feed on ash trees and lay larvae that burrow underneath the bark of ash trees. The larvae feed on the conductive tissue (phloem) inside to cut off nutrients to the tree. Once the larvae become adults, they bore back through the bark and spread to other ash trees.

Spotted lanternflies and emerald ash borers are 2 of the most significant plant pests in PA due to how quickly both species have spread and caused damage throughout the region. Homeowners should be aware of other pests that can cause issues for their plants and landscaping.

These pests pose a particular threat to trees in Pennsylvania.

• Gypsy moths feed primarily on oak leaves but can eat other species of tree leaves, defoliating and hurting trees’ health and appearance.
• Hemlock woolly adelgid threatens Pennsylvania’s state tree, the eastern hemlock, by sucking sap from the tree, similar to damage by spotted lanternfly.
• The Asian Longhorned Beetle damages maple, alder, birch, or elm trees, in a manner similar to the way emerald ash borer damages ash trees.

Other pests target flowers and plants within a landscape, making your gardens or flower beds look unhealthy.

• Aphids are tiny green insects that feed on leaves and flowers, taking away essential nutrients from plants and making leaves curl and yellow.
• Magnolia scale feeds on magnolia plants, reducing foliage and flower production, causing twig and branch dieback, and attracting other pests through honeydew.

If you want to keep your landscape safe from plant pests in PA, contact Burkholder Brothers. Burkholder Brothers provides plant health care services and has been maintaining and designing fine landscapes throughout the Main Line area for decades. Our team of experienced and qualified landscape and plant health care professionals can control pests in your landscape and maintain the health and beauty of your property. For more information on our services, contact us today.

Plants have many needs to maintain their health and appearance: water, oxygen, nutrients, and a physical medium for their seeds to germinate and grow their roots. All of these items are, in part, provided by soil, making soil health tied to plant health. To ensure that your soil is healthy and supplies nutrients for your plants, you may need soil management: a collection of services and practices that preserve and improve your soil condition. Here is some information about what managing soil entails and how landscape professionals maintain soil health through various methods.

Soil management is applying various processes and practices to promote and maintain soil health and ensure plant health. Farmers and those in the agricultural industry manage soil to maintain crop health. Homeowners can also take advantage of this service to keep their properties pristine and their landscapes healthy and valuable. Managing soil is ultimately about creating and maintaining the conditions that meet plants’ essential needs, and is an area of plant health care (PHC).

Plant nutrients and organic matter are especially crucial factors for soil and are often a significant element of soil management practices. Plants need certain nutrients like phosphorus, potassium, calcium, and magnesium to stay healthy. Organic matter improves the soil’s capacity to hold water, helps keep the soil aerated so roots can grow, promotes biological activity, and helps fight pests. Knowing how rocky the soil is or the soil’s pH balance, is also crucial to determining how to properly care for the soil and the plants in a landscape.

As mentioned above, managing soil involves various practices that culminate in healthier soil for homeowners. Below is an overview of the general process of managing and promoting soil health.

The first step involved in soil management is to test the soil and analyze its current condition. Soil testing provides information such as nutrient levels and organic matter. A landscape professional needs to develop and tailor plans to a particular area to most effectively address the soil’s needs. Landscape professionals test the soil to figure out what those needs are. The test results influence the overall plan and some of the specific strategies a landscape professional will use.

Nutrients and organic matter are vital to the soil, and depending on the test results of a property, adding these two elements is a significant aspect of soil management. Landscape professionals have many options when adding nutrients or organic matter to the soil. Fertilizers and lime are used to supplement plant needs. Lime contains magnesium carbonate and calcium carbonate, which can increase pH and decrease soil acidity. Composting is an excellent way of adding organic matter to the soil.

Other soil management techniques and practices include the following:

• Mulching around trees or flowers
• Irrigating
• Aerating
• Removing weeds

Soil is one of the most critical factors for your plants’ health, and a plant health care professional will manage your soil to keep your property beautiful.

Your landscape’s health and value are dependent on your soil, and Burkholder Brothers can care for and manage this aspect of your landscape. Burkholder Brothers has years of experience designing, building, and maintaining fine landscapes in the Main Line area. In addition to plant health care and soil management, we offer other services such as turf care, irrigation, landscape design, and more. Our passionate team of landscape professionals will bring pristine beauty to your landscape, making your dream landscape a reality. For more information, contact us today.