Shrubs make wonderful barriers, accents, and additions to lawns and gardens. Like any plants, they need regular attention and maintenance. Routinely inspecting shrubs for problems can help catch and correct issues before it kills your wonderful plants.

What to Look for When Inspecting Shrubs

While you should regularly inspect shrubs every season under different conditions, once a year is better than nothing. Take notice of overall health, soil condition, and any signs of disease. Test the soil to determine the amount of nutrients and water needed and adjust any fertilizing and watering schedules.

Signs of Disease

Look to the leaves to be the most upfront about disease. They shrivel, turn color, and fall off easily under distress. Branches also show signs of weakness and deterioration. Since shrubs are usually grown together to form a hedge, it’s important to take care of the problem as soon as possible so the disease doesn’t spread.

Shrub Disease Solutions

Both fungi and bacteria thrive in wet areas; therefore, controlling the amount of moisture plants are exposed to can help eliminate the problem. Shrubs should be planted in well-drained, sunny areas. Place drain pipes vertically into the soil near shrubs already established in moist areas. Water plants at soil level rather than from above to keep leaves dry.

Pruning may help stop the spread of disease, but it may not solve the whole issue. Apply a fungicide according to the instructions to help the healing process along.

One of the best preventive measures is to select disease-resistant plants in your garden and regularly prune them properly. Remove all dying, dead or infected growth, and destroy it to prevent the spread of disease. Sterilizing garden tools before and after use can also help prevent spreading disease.

Professional Shrub Inspection

Regularly inspecting shrubs is made even easier by hiring a trained professional. Not only do they identify possible plant issues, but they can help fix them before it becomes serious.

You may worry about costs, but it’s cheaper to prevent problems than to deal with damage and having to remove all of your shrubs. Contact Cardinal Lawns to schedule an inspection and save your shrubs today.