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• Plant Health

Plant Health

Keeping plants healthy requires just the right amount of nutrients, water and care. Maintaining the health of lawns, landscapes and gardens helps us reap all of the benefits that healthy plants can offer, including relaxation and enjoyment.

Proper Nutrition

Just as certain vitamins and minerals help the human body thrive, grass, trees, and shrubs require nutrients to grow and flourish. Plants require at least three major nutrients – nitrogen, phosphorous, and potassium – which can be fed to the plants using fertilizer products.

Regular feeding of your lawn during the growing season will help it thrive and allow you to enjoy the benefits of a healthy lawn. Frequent observation of your yard and landscaping plants will also help you determine when plants may be lacking nutrients. Slightly yellowing leaves may indicate a lack of micronutrients and require plant food to return.

Garden guru Cathie Lavis says taking care of your lawn and garden begins with the soil. “Understanding how to create and maintain health soil is critical for building a healthy lawn and landscape.”

If you are battling weeds or insects in your lawn or garden, products are available that contain both fertilizer and pesticide solutions. As always, be sure to follow the label instructions to use the product as safely and effectively as possible.

Disease Control

Numerous diseases and fungus can also threaten lawn and landscape health. Controlling these challenges will help keep the plants you desire healthy and helps keep undesirable weeds at bay. Be on the lookout for these common lawn and plant health challenges:

Brown spots on your lawn may be caused by more than uneven seeding. Brown patch fungus shows up when the weather warms up, but can be controlled with fungicides.

Powdery mildew is one of the most common problems plants face and can be identified by the white or grayish powdering spores that form outside the leaves. Powdery mildew attacks wet or dry leaves and can be transmitted by wind.

Late blight, identifiable by small, irregular, brownish-black spots which are usually slightly sunken, can threaten vegetable garden crops, including tomatoes and potatoes. In 2009, the fungus affected a large majority of home grown tomatoes in the Northeast.

Want to learn more about the best ways to care for your lawn and garden? Check out the advice from our lawn and garden gurus or ask them a question.