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Tree & Shrub Care

Protect Your Living Investments

Investing in your landscape adds to the value of your property and provides a place to reflect, relax and entertain.

The most valuable components of your outdoor space are the ornamental trees and shrubs. Dowco’s tree and shrub care program will protect your investment with applications designed to help your garden thrive!

Throughout the season, Dowco licensed technicians monitor current conditions, and our in-depth knowledge of common insect life cycles ensures we treat when appropriate.

Our St. Louis tree and shrub care program begins in the very early spring with a deep root fertilizer to help plants recover from any winter stresses, and encourage overall health and vigor. Additionally, we address seasonal pests with four additional carefully timed applications.

Dowco technicians monitor current conditions, and our in-depth knowledge of common insect life cycles ensures we treat when appropriate. Our program wraps up with a final deep root fertilization to give your plants a boost before the hard winter sets in.

What is Deep Root Fertilization? 

Dowco’s tree and shrub care program includes deep root feedings twice per season. Balanced nitrogen fertilizers are injected into the ground, out to and even beyond the root line.

Deep root feeding is the practice of using a probe to inject liquid fertilizer directly to the soil closely surrounding tree and shrub roots.  By injecting the food, you are making it readily available to the small feeder roots which can uptake the nutrients quickly. 

Feeding trees and shrubs gives the plants ability to use more of the fertilizer you’ve supplied than if it were sprayed or broadcasted on the soil surface alone.

When to Deep Root Fertilize Your Trees & Shrubs 

Spring fertilization provides the plants with vigorous shoot and stem growth, contributing to leaves that are more resistant to insect and disease attack. This help plants recover from any winter stresses, and encourage overall health and vigor.

Fall fertilization assures us of adequate nutrient storage and beneficial root growth to survive the harsh St. Louis winters.  This final deep root fertilization will give your plants a boost before the hard winter sets in.

Throughout the season, Dowco licensed technicians monitor current conditions, and our in-depth knowledge of common insect life cycles ensures we treat when appropriate.

What Types of Pest Control Do My St. Louis Trees and Shrubs Need?

Dowco's tree and shrub care program provides pest control services to protect them against damaging bugs. 

Throughout the season, Dowco's licensed technicians monitor current conditions, and our in-depth knowledge of common insect life cycles ensures we treat when appropriate. Maintaining proper cultural practices along with supplying the correct plant nutrients is essential for having thriving plants. Pest intervention is used when necessary, in an environmentally conservative manner.

EARLY SPRING DORMANT OIL APPLICATION:

This application is critical for control of scale pests who deplete sap from trees and shrubs. Dowco will apply horticultural oil while insects are embedded in their self-secreted scale coverings. The oil serves to deny oxygen to these creatures.

Scale is most common in the St. Louis area on Arborvitae, Pine, Lilac, Holly, Magnolia, Euonymous, Azalea, Hawthorne, Flowering Cherry, and Japanese Maple. Blue shrubs are not treated during this application due to the loss of color that could happen.

SPRING BROAD SPECTRUM INSECT CONTROL:

This application targets all soft-bodied caterpillars; such as tent caterpillars and sawflies.blog.dowcoinc.com/scale-pests-what-are-they-and-how-to-manage

These pests are present in St. Louis in early spring until June and feed on the foliage of limbs.

Highly susceptible plants include fruit trees such as Crabapples, Plums, and Cherries as well as Evergreens such as Junipers and Arborvitaes. Burning bushes are not sprayed during this application. 

SUMMER BROAD SPECTRUM INSECT CONTROL:

Bagworms deplete nutrients most commonly from Arborvitaes and Junipers by feeding on the foliage. They also attack Maple and Sycamore trees.Accurate timing is critical for this application that controls bagworms. Dowco will spray your trees and shrubs right as the bagworms are emerging from their bags.

When the bagworms retreat to their bags for the winter they’ve already done their damage. Picking the bags off and disposing of them is the solution at that point.

This application also serves to provide control against Japanese Beetles. Controlling beetles is a constant battle due to their mobility from plant to plant and yard to yard.

We do not suggest using Japanese Beetle traps to lure them into your yard because they will feed on your desirable plants such as roses along the way.

FALL BROAD SPECTRUM INSECT CONTROL:

Spider mites infest the foliage of plants and suck the contents out of the leaves.  The most prominently noticed plant is the Burning Bush which will drop all of its leaves due to the lack of water.  

You can test to see if your plants such as Burning Bushes, Pines, Yews, Bald Cypresses and Norway Spruces have mites by holding a white piece of paper under the leaves and shaking. Look for tiny crawling insects.

Although mite feeding seldom directly kills shrubs, it does stress them, leaving them susceptible to other conditions. Increase the water to your plants to nourish them faster than the mites are depleting them.

Remember that all plants are susceptible to some sort of pest. Utilizing Dowco’s tree and shrub care program will ensure that you don’t have to worry about the health of your plants! 

LATE FALL DEEP ROOT FERTILIZATION:

Dowco’s tree and shrub care program includes deep root feedings twice per season. Balanced nitrogen fertilizers are injected into the ground, out to and even beyond the root line. This final fall fertilization assures us of adequate nutrient storage and beneficial root growth to survive the harsh St. Louis winters.  This final deep root fertilization will give your plants a boost before the hard winter sets in.

Yearly Calendar for Lawn Care and Landscaping Services

Never have to guess when the right time is to take care of your outdoor living space. This calendar will show you the timing for everything that your lawn and landscape needs during the year. Ranging from planting your spring annuals, to the timing of your 7 fertilization applications, even the tree & shrub timing you'll be covered.

Protect your living investments with Dowco's Tree & Shrub Program. 

FREE ESTIMATE!