Even trees and plants suffer from stress. Two types, in fact: biotic and abiotic.

Biotic stress comes from living organisms, and includes insect infestation, fungal infection, and damage from animals such as deer, sapsuckers and voles. Abiotic stress comes from non-living sources, including drought, overly wet soil, low oxygen (when a plant is too deep or over-mulched), girdling (restricted fluid flow due to a strangled trunk), and too much or too little sun. Of the two types of stress, abiotic issues are the most common. Among those, poor soil conditions are the most serious.

For almost every stress-related problem, we can help you find a solution. Here’s an example: You have a lovely Pieris japonica planted in full sun. Unfortunately, it is covered in lacebugs. In this case, the bugs are the secondary problem. The primary problem is the fact that your Pieris japonica is getting too much sunlight, which makes it susceptible to these bugs. The ideal solution is to move the plant. If that isn’t possible, we can treat the plant to suppress the infestation, or we can try to change the growing conditions so that beneficial insects will eat the “bad” bugs. 

Another example: The soil in your garden is always wet. That’s not good, because too much moisture increases disease susceptibility and inhibits air flow. It can damage root systems and even drown plants. There are several ways to fix this: Install a drain to remove excess water, change the grade to divert water, turn off the sprinkler system or delay watering after a rainfall, add organics to the soil to let in more air, or drill holes in the lawn to increase air flow in the root zone. How do you decide which method to use? That’s where we come in.

The best approach is to avoid stress, for yourself and your plants. Do some research and find the perfect place for your plant before you put it in the ground. If it’s too late for that, never fear: John B. Ward’s Certified Arborists and Master Arborists are here to help. We’ll consider your problem and offer the best solutions to keep your trees and plants healthy and vigorous.