Disease Diagnosis & Treatment • Pest Management • Soil Testing • Nutrient Amendments • Winter Preparation • Spotted Lanternfly Mitigation & More
Plant Health Care
Plant Health Care can significantly improve the long-term vitality of trees and plants. As certified arborists, we are equipped with the knowledge and experience to properly diagnose symptoms and prescribe remedies using the most ecological methods possible. Certified Arborists with knowledge and experience to properly treat problems faced by urban plants and landscapes.
Prevention
Weather events and environmental stressors inevitably lead to a host of perennial issues that strain urban plants and trees. We can spot and treat problems early, and prevent them from spreading.
Mitigation
For stressed or struggling trees and plants, we apply science-backed strategies, targeted treatment plans, and specialty products to improve outcomes during seasonal outbreaks of insects, mold, fungi, and other conditions that impact plant biology.
Maintenance
Ongoing treatments and monitoring can enhance a garden’s resilience over time. Our dedicated technicians are the eyes on the ground to spot and address any emerging issues and signs of stress or decline. As we visit your garden and trees regularly, we can offer additional garden maintenance and woody plant pruning.
Bespoke plans incorporate your garden goals and treat the needs of individual plants in the landscape.
Intergrated Pest Management
We diagnose and treat fungus, pests and disease with Integrated Pest Management (IPM) at the root of our approach. IPM looks at the whole environment and determines the best intervention to restore balance to the ecosystem, with attention to the needs of individual plants in the landscape. We apply scientific knowledge of plant and pest life cycles to create a holistic care regimen while minimizing the use of harmful chemicals.
IPM begins with a detailed health analysis of plants in the garden, inspecting for signs of decline and identifying a variety of possible stressors, including abiotic problems (weather, poor soil conditions, mechanical injury, over/under watering) and biotic issues (pests and disease).
Based on our observations, remedies can range from mulching, pruning, watering, improving drainage, nutritional supplements (fertilizers, nutrients, soil care), or as a last resort pesticides, fungicides or growth regulators.
Custom Soil Care
The benefits of managing soil health go beyond promoting plant growth. By taking initiative with your soil, you also stimulate healthy growth in roots and shoots, encourage beneficial bacteria and fungi to colonize soil, attract earthworms and arthropods, aid soil friability and aeration, and allow trees and plants to improve their tolerance to disease, insects, droughts and pollution by boosting their “immune” system.
Using an assortment of natural fertilizers and bio-stimulants, including sea kelp extract, fish oil, yucca and worm castings, we bring nutrients found in the forest floor to your city garden or tree.
Deep root feeding administers organic, vitamin-rich formulas directly to roots, where plants can make immediate use of the vitamins. In cases of severely compacted soils, we can use a water-pressure-aided injection tool to ensure nutrients reach roots.
Winter Preparation
With the changing climate, dryer summers and warmer winters combine to stress trees and plants like never before. In temperatures above 40 degrees F., trees and shrubs require regular watering. When plants are containerized, as is common on rooftops and terraces, watering needs are higher.
Like us, trees are 70% water. All trees and shrubs transpire, like sweating, they release moisture in conditions of wind and cold. If they can’t replace the moisture from water in the soil, the cells die. Anti-dessicant is a safe, parafin wax that coats the foliage and locks in moisture, increasing a plant’s resilience through the winter, and preventing foliage from dying back. When combined with winter watering and seasonal soil amendments, this can lessen stress and plant loss due to drought stress.
Tree Injections & Inoculations
We administer Dutch elm disease inoculations to prevent decline and death of elm species, as well as emerald ash borer.
We can provide specialty micro-injections in hard-to-spray areas, and for prevention and treatment of various leaf-eating insects, and vascular diseases.
Disease Diagnosis & Treatment
From leaf spots, to rust, to blight and root rot, there are dozens of common diseases throughout NYC we have experience identifying and treating.
Spotted Lanternfly Mitigation
Spotted lanternfly are highly mobile and reproduce in great numbers. While they are not terribly destructive to most plants in a garden, they pose a nuisance based on their size and numbers, produce “honeydew” waste from sucking on sugary sap, and can weaken a host tree over time. We can help with targeted reduction of spotted lanternfly. Many plants can benefit from application of specialty products, and for ailanthus trees we offer an annual injection that helps curb populations.
We opt for treatments with the lowest possible impact on the surrounding environment.
We apply the Northeast Organic Farming Association’s Organic Land Care principles to all Plant Health Care services. This means while we’re knowledgeable in an array of organic and inorganic products, we take an organic-first, holistic approach and consider environmental factors when choosing our fertilizers and oil treatments. We opt for natural ingredients in many of our products.
Learn more about organic, natural, synthetic, and chemical product design here.
Get Started With A Complimentary Consultation
R.C. leads our Plant Health Care team with more than 15 years of experience caring for trees, gardens and clients throughout New York City.
“Every client is different, so the first thing I do is listen to them and see what they care about most. Then I tailor a program that meets their garden’s needs and we talk about the options. The aim is to share the knowledge, to help manage the health of your garden.”
“You took your time inspecting and treating our holly plants and explained the treatment process to us in great detail. Thank you so much!” - Tim, Cobbie Hill
Organic Plant Health Care
Using natural fertilizers, pest control, and traditional products to improve the health of trees and city garden scapes.
Arborpolitan believes in providing holistic solutions to preserving the health of urban and suburban greenspaces. It is our belief that through sustainable and natural methods, landscapes can thrive with little to no chemical products. From the initial planning of the landscape to management and alterations, it is Arborpolitan’s goal to provide services that promote nature taking care of nature.
Green Garden Care
Customized to each client’s need, Arborpolitan uses timed applications and cultural methods to treat gardens traditionally and organically during seasonal outbreaks of insects, pests, or environmental factors that effect plant biology. Whether annually, monthly, or weekly, our visits to your garden or estate can help to preserve its long term health and beauty.
Custom Soil Care
Using an assortment of natural fertilizers and bio-stimulants, including sea kelp extract, fish oil, yucca, and worm castings, we can bring the nutrients found in the forest floor to your city garden or suburban tree. By using a deep root spike powered by a high-pressure water pump, we can deliver nutrients directly to the roots of trees and shrubs, which is much more efficient than topical fertilization.
Managing your soil health is about more than just promoting plant growth. By taking initiative with your soil, you will also stimulate slow, healthy growth in roots and shoots, encourage beneficial baceria and fungi to colonize soil, attracting earthworms and arthropods, aid soil friability and aeration, and allow the tree to improve its tolerance to disease, insects, droughts, and pollution by improving its “immune” system.
Air Spade
Wielding a spike with air traveling at a Mach 2 velocity, our technicians can use an Air Spade to excavate soil around a plant without doing damage to its root system. This is an invaluable tool when digging large holes or trenches around an existing tree, and has many other uses.
Synthetic Alternatives and Specialty Tree Care
In addition to organic bio-stimulants and insect control, we can service trees using synthetic products for important issues. We administer Dutch Elm Disease Inoculations to prevent decline and death of elm species, Tree Growth Regulation and Rehabilitation products for trees in tight courtyards or trees in decline that need to focus on replenishing their energy stores, Specialty mirco-injections in hard to spray areas, and prevention and treatment of Phytophthora disease which causes masses of bleeding cankers through bark.