The trees and shrubs on your Memphis, TN or Northern MS property are beautiful assets. Naturally, you want to do everything that you can to take the best possible care of them.
Of course, if you have trees or shrubs on your property that seem to be under-performing or are struggling in some way, you might be looking for information on saving trees and shrubs. What does it take for trees and shrubs to be their healthiest and is there anything you can do to have an impact?
While there are certainly some aspects of tree and shrub health that may be out of your control, there are some areas where you can make a difference. That’s why we’ve rounded up some of our best tips for healthy trees and shrubs.
Let’s start off with a relatively harsh reality. One of the leading causes of tree and shrub problems comes down to improper installation. Even something as seemingly minor as planting depth can start to impact your tree or shrub’s health down the road.
This makes it incredibly important that trees and shrubs are planted properly in the first place.
It also means that if your tree or shrub was not installed correctly, it’s ideal to be working with a plant health care company that’s going to be honest with you about that. It may not be what you want to hear but rather than throwing dollars at something that can’t be fixed, you might be better served replacing that tree or shrub with something that is installed right.
The truth is, saving trees and shrubs is not always possible.
One of the benefits to working with Master Lawn is that our sister company, Michael Hatcher & Associates, performs landscaping. That means we can easily recommend and get you set up for plant replacement.
Of course, it’s not just how the tree or shrub was planted but also specifically what was planted. Sometimes it’s a matter of having selected a species that is never going to perform optimally for the site conditions.
Selecting the wrong plant material for the location that it’s planted (in terms of soil and environmental conditions) is another way that you may be set up for failure that can never be overcome.
Again, rather than continually trying to fertilize or restore a struggling tree and shrub (that never seems to get better), your best bet could be replacement. Choosing plant species that are better-suited to your specific property could ultimately make a lot more sense than trying to overcome a poor choice. 
We promise it’s uphill from here.
Now that we’ve gotten those two potential problems out of the way, we want to share that there are ways that saving trees and shrubs can be possible.
Assuming that you’ve chosen the right plant for the right place (and it was installed in the right way), then you might still be wondering why your plant is struggling. Well, the fact is, your beloved plants can still succumb to problems.
It’s also important to understand that trees and shrubs are not self-sustaining. Because they’re often re-planted far away from their native soils, trees and shrubs can really benefit from some “extra help” in the form of fertilization. 
Fertilization is ultimately one piece of a complete Plant Health Care program, which also includes preventative and curative treatments for disease and insects, too.
All living things need water to survive and thrive and your landscape is no different. If you notice that your trees and shrubs are struggling, and turning yellow, it could be that they may not be receiving ample water.
Of course, too much water can also be a problem. People often tend to think of water trouble in terms of under-watering, but plants growing in soil that is too wet can suffer from lack of oxygen which leads to the death of roots and a loss of vigor in your plants. When you water beyond your tree and shrubs’ needs, you are essentially drowning them.
At Master Lawn, we’re always happy to provide cultural recommendations that will help your plants to perform better. This includes information on watering needs. But if you’re really struggling with making sure that your plants receive exactly what they need, you might want to consider an irrigation system—something that our sister company, Michael Hatcher & Associates, can assist with. Sometimes it’s just easier to take the guesswork out of the equation and know that your plants are getting exactly what they need.
In addition to watering, you also want to make sure that your trees and shrubs are properly pruned. Pruning helps trees and shrubs to grow better in areas where they aren’t as full, aids in better flower production, decreases some disease issues, and removes old growth that can become problematic over time.
While a lot of homeowners assume they can tackle DIY pruning, it can be easy to make mistakes and ultimately hurt the health of your plants. Certain trees and shrubs require pruning and specific times of the year while others can be pruned virtually any time. It’s important to know the difference.
Again, if this is something that you’re not feeling comfortable doing on your own, then it’s another area in which we can set you up with our sister company, Michael Hatcher & Associates to help.
If you have stressed-out or under-performing plants on your property, then it’s incredibly important to partner with a professional who is going to be honest and transparent with you as to whether saving those trees and shrubs is even possible. The last thing that you want is to keep throwing time and money at a problem that simply can’t be fixed.
At the same time, you also want to know that any problems which can be turned around are correctly handled. You also want to make sure that your currently healthy trees and shrubs stay that way.
The answer to all of this is partnering with a pro that not only offers Plant Health Care but can provide you with cultural recommendations, like watering tips. And, going even further, it’s a value-add if that pro can also connect you with landscaping resources for any problems that are outside of their scope. While it might be the last thing you want to hear, sometimes replacing trees and shrubs truly is your best option.
At Master Lawn, we can offer all of that.
That means you’ll gain peace of mind that your plants truly are under the best care possible. If there’s anything we can do about saving trees and shrubs on your property, we’ll do it. But you can also count on us to be honest when that’s not possible.
By working together, we’ll help get your plants in the best health possible.
Ready to invest in protecting your trees and shrubs’ health? Request a quote, get your customized plan, and become the master of your landscape.
