We often see beautiful landscapes, with much money invested in their installation, but no strategic plan to maintain their health and enhance their beauty.

Individuals or companies spend thousands of dollars to prepare and install nursery stock, but the plantings may not be well suited for the location chosen, may not be installed properly, and may not be cared for by current best practices.

PICKING THE RIGHT TREES 

Choosing trees for your landscape involves much more than simply looking at pictures or nursery stock and picking those that are pleasing to look at.  Considerations of the soil type, sun/shade environment, terrain, and weather variables are very important to the success of the plantings.  This planning should involve the expertise of a tree expert.

PLANTING THE TREES

Setting in valuable nursery stock involves many considerations including proper handling of container or balled and burlapped roots, amendments of backfill, proper depth of planting, irrigation, fertilization, pruning, and pest and disease prevention.  

PREVENTIVE CARE

Continuing care of landscape plantings is much more involved than some "one size fits all" spray program.  In fact, most trees and shrubs should NEVER need spraying.  Virtually all important insect pests can be prevented or treated with systemic products applied or injected into the soil.  Many fungal diseases can be handled without sprays.  Nutritional management and growth management are also important considerations.  

PRUNING

Pruning can be important to develop good structure and prevent disease.

These four P's, picking, planting, prevention and pruning, are part of a good landscape maintenance program that is specific to the landscape and its tree and shrub variety.  This program can be set up on an annual fee basis, or ala carte based on services as they are provided.  We provide this service in Midland, Saginaw and surrounding areas.

WHAT ABOUT CONTRACTS?  CAUTION!  BEWARE!

Some companies employ what amounts to a multi-year contract, which requires your action to end the contract rather than action to renew the contract.  We consider this to be unethical and only marginally legal, if legal at all.  They send you a notice early in the year that usually says that your contract continues unless you send back a notice that you want it discontinued.  So if you throw that notice away, you have renewed your contract.  

We suggest that you insist upon an annual proposal detailing the services to be provided and requiring either a verbal or written acceptance of the contract by you each year.