What Is Plant Health Care (PHC)?

Plant health care is a comprehensive, proactive, and holistic approach to maintaining the health and vitality of all plants on a person’s property. Plants reside close to each other in a landscape, so actions that affect one plant (such as a tree) could affect others (such as a nearby shrub or flower bed). Plant health care specialists use this type of plan as the basis of their services, carefully considering the complexity of the plant life and creating a holistic program that ensures all plants will grow and thrive.

The primary goal of a plant health care program is to foster and maintain the proper environment for all plants on a property, from trees and shrubs to flowers and grasses. Preventive treatment is another core goal, as preventing health issues from occurring is more effective than resolving ones that appear or spring up. Plants are susceptible to many environmental conditions, such as weather, pests, and diseases. Fixing these issues is essential, but plant health care takes an extra step and proactively creates the environment and conditions that prevent problems from occurring in the first place. Below is a before and after comparison of a crape myrtle we treated for aphids. You can see that our efforts brought the plant back to full health.

Plant health care involves various tasks to maintain and promote the health of all plants on a property. Here are a few examples of plant health care tasks:

Soil testing: Testing the soil helps identify any nutrient deficiencies or imbalances and determines the soil’s pH level. This information helps define the appropriate fertilizers and soil amendments needed to support plant growth.

Pest and disease control: Regularly monitoring and identifying pests and diseases can help prevent their spread. Different treatment options, such as organic and chemical treatments, can be used to control pests and diseases.

Pruning and trimming: Proper pruning and trimming techniques can help maintain the health and shape of trees and shrubs, promote new growth, and remove dead or diseased branches.

Water management: Proper watering techniques can help prevent under or over-watering that can stress plants and make them susceptible to disease.

By incorporating these services and more, a plant health care expert can develop a comprehensive program to ensure all plants on a property remain healthy and vibrant.

One of the benefits of plant health care is that your landscape stays beautiful. Plants need to be healthy to maintain their beauty, and they require a comprehensive plan that supports and promotes growth. The holistic and proactive approach also means that professionals can resolve any issues that affect your plants’ health and beauty much sooner, before any long-term damage.

In addition to a more attractive landscape, a plan that ensures your plants are healthy can help make your property more valuable. For example, large, mature trees can add significant value to a property, but the trees need to be healthy and safe to provide that value. A holistic, thorough care plan can keep trees beautiful and healthy throughout their entire life cycles, so your trees can continue to be a good investment, both financially and aesthetically.

Now that you know what plant health care is, are you ready to plan for your landscape and ensure your plants stay healthy and vibrant? Contact Burkholder PHC for a consultation. We offer various services, such as plant growth regulators, pest control, deer deterrents, and soil care. Our specialists have wide experience maintaining landscapes in the Main Line area. To learn more about our services, request a free consultation today.