Arizona Plant, Soil and Tree Health

Arizona Plant Care & Soil Optimization

Soil Optimization

Soil often needs to have amendments added to improve performance for plants and trees. They reduce compaction and aerate the soil, allowing water and nutrients to more easily penetrate it and reach the plant’s roots.

Compacted Soil  is Common in Arizona

If your plants, shrubs and trees are struggling to survive, it may well because of compacted soil, a common problem in the Arizona desert.

Symptoms include trees with only a thin canopy and twigs the tips of the branches, and stressed shrubs and plants that just don’t grow.

Compacted soil does not allow water to penetrate sufficiently to provide nourishment to the roots of trees and plants. Additionally, roots have a hard time pushing through.

Caliche, which is compacted soil due to too much lime (calcium carbonate - an ingredient used in cement), is found throughout the Phoenix area and can make the ground rock-hard. Because of its PH vegetation does not get the nutrients it needs.  Our service includes removing or breaking up the caliche and adding soil amendments, such as soil organic carbon, which increases soil health and fertility.

Soil salinity becomes a problem when soil containing too much alkali salt becomes compacted and affect trees and plants. Soil that is saturated with saline will often not absorb water, or only penetrate an inch or less into the soil. Gypsum is effective in combating salinic soil.

Plant Hormones

Plants produce hormones that control or regulate germination, metabolism, growth and other aspects.

The 5 primary plant hormones are auxin, cytokinin, gibberellin, ethylene and abscisic acid.

They can work independently or together to influence plant growth and health.

Custom Weed and Spray uses plant hormones to help  improve overall plant vitality.

Tree Fertilization

The following 5 signs indicate that your tree is lacking nutrients and needs to have fertilizer added to the soil:

1. Shorter than normal annual twig growth

2. Undersized leaves that are fewer in number

3. Dead branches and branch tips

4. Leaf veins darker than leaf margins

5. Leaves any other than dark green, such as yellow or purple

Custom Weed and Spray can test the soil, measuring the key nutrients required - nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium (NPK). They provide a plan for the proper elements needed to fertilize your tree, which we then implement.

We provide deep root fertilization, where the root zone of the tree is injected, under pressure, with a high quality nutrient solution. This helps aerate and provide oxygen to the root system.

Plant Growth Regulator (PGR)

Plant growth regulators are natural or synthetic chemicals that can be sprayed or applied to the soil of a plant to increase insect and disease resistance, increase root strength, or to stunt growth in some instances.

Shortstop® and Cambistat® are is used to extend the life of trees by keeping them at a manageable size for longer.

They gently slow the growth of a tree by redirecting its energy, resulting in a healthier, more durable tree. They are also beneficial in keeping urban trees smaller, so that they don’t outgrow their living space.

We Partner with Tree Theory

Trees in Arizona are susceptible to many types of damage, which is why we have partnered with Tree Theory to provide you with comprehensive care that helps you maintain your landscaping.

Since many tree problems are difficult for a layperson to diagnose, an inspection by one of the leading arborists in the Phoenix area is the ideal way to begin the process of restoring your trees back to good health.

Often, a combination of pest control, irrigation and soil treatments are the ideal way to keep trees healthy in this arid climate.

Tree and plant care take a lot of work when you live in a desert climate, but the effort is worth it when you are greeted by a beautiful landscape every time you drive up to your property.

Whether you are still in the planning process for your landscape or are struggling to care for established plants, remember that a professional in tree and plant care can show you how to maintain your landscaping through every season.