The Value of a Plant Health Care Program
Plant health care is an umbrella term that encompasses pruning, insect and disease inspections, pest and disease treatments, and a nutrient management plan that involves testing the soil and prescribing a fertilizer that best suits your plants’ needs.
So why invest in professional plant health care in South Central PA? While you may not be able to spot issues with your plants right away, our skilled technicians rely on years of experience to identify potential problems with your plants, and fix them before it’s too late. That way, you and your family can enjoy a beautifully lush landscape season after season.
What Plant Health Care Includes
A Good’s plant health care program is built around five services, layered to fit each property. Some trees need ongoing seasonal monitoring; others need a single targeted application; mature specimens often benefit from fertilization, growth regulators, or root air spading to relieve compaction. Your plan is built from the ground up by your assigned arborist — nothing on this list is required, and nothing gets recommended unless your trees actually need it.
Seasonal Monitoring Visits
Our plant health care monitoring visits give your trees and shrubs ongoing evaluation across the Central PA growing season — not a one-time inspection. During each visit, our ISA Certified Arborists® assess plant health, look for early signs of pests, disease, or environmental stress, and adjust your treatment plan as conditions change.
The point is to catch problems while they’re still small. A spotted lanternfly egg mass found in March is a different conversation than the same infestation in July. Same with anthracnose, scale, mites, and the seasonal stress that follows a hot, dry stretch — we’d rather see it early than diagnose it from a dropped canopy.
Targeted Applications
Targeted applications address specific issues we find on your property — nutrient deficiencies, insect activity, or disease pressure. Each treatment is selected for the species, the season, and what we observed during your monitoring visit. We don’t blanket-spray when we don’t need to, and we won’t recommend a treatment your trees don’t actually need.
That includes systemic insecticide for emerald ash borer, dormant oil for scale and mites, foliar fungicide for needle cast and apple scab, and trunk injections when soil applications won’t reach the root zone. The right product, at the right rate, at the right time of year — that’s the difference between a treatment that works and one you pay for twice.
Fertilization for Trees & Shrubs
Trees and shrubs in Central PA landscapes rarely get the natural leaf-litter cycle that feeds them in the woods. Our customized fertilization programs replace what’s missing — timed to seasonal need, calibrated for soil chemistry, and applied to support strong root systems and improved color without forcing the kind of excessive growth that invites pest problems.
Most often that means a slow-release deep-root injection in early spring or fall, placed where the feeder roots actually live. Lawn fertilization is a separate program with different chemistry and timing — see our lawn fertilization & weed control page for that side of the property.
Growth Regulators
Growth regulators help mature trees manage stress, develop deeper roots, and grow more deliberately. They’re especially useful in challenging environments — utility-line conflicts, post-construction recovery, drought-prone soil, and structural balance on heavy-canopied trees.
Root Air Spading
Root air spading uses high-pressure compressed air to break up compacted soil around the root zone without damaging the roots. The result is improved oxygen flow, better nutrient uptake, and a healthier environment for root development — exactly what construction-stressed and urban trees need to keep going.
Curated Care For Optimal Plant Health
Our plant health care technicians aim to make your plants pop. Upon visiting your property, they can diagnose problems that stem from insects, diseases, or other environmental factors and come up with a specialized treatment plan. What’s more, if they notice that your plants are lacking nutrients, our experts will test the soil and create a fertilizer formulation that’s right for you.
Trusted Experts Delivering Personalized Plant Health Care
We know that every yard is unique, so we tailor our plant health care service to find the perfect program for your yard. Plus, our trained and certified technicians know exactly what your plants need, so you don’t get stuck paying for treatments that aren’t necessary.
When you choose us for your plant health care needs, you can relax knowing your plants are in the best possible hands, Good’s hands.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is this service just for trees?
No, we care for all types of ornamental shrubs, hedges, perennials, and small trees.