Horticultural oils can help in the protection of your plants, shrubs and trees!  It’s that time of year again to begin mapping out your seasonal plant health care plan, and Westchester Tree Life is here to help!  Our certified arborists are here to assist you in maintaining the health and beauty of your plants, trees and shrubs!  Horticultural oil applications are a very necessary procedure that should be on your spring to-do list!

Prunicola Scale

This photo shows Prunicola Scale, a very hard to control scale insect that damages and can even kill cherry trees and other ornamental trees, and horticultural oils are very helpful in controlling this pest.

Note the white substance on the trunk of this tree is the scale; these are the males. The females are much harder to detect because they are dark in color and blend into the background color of the bark.  Early in spring, the males are hardly present,  so great care must be taken by the arborist to monitor and treat for this insect. Controlling this harmful insect and preventing damage is possible through horticultural oil application.

Spider Mites

Many different trees and shrubs can be attacked by mites.  Mites are very, very small; you need a powerful hand lens or small microscope to see them.

The Spruce Spider Mite can attack Arborvitae, Norway spruce, Alberta Spruce and many other hosts.  There are also many different types of mites which occupy many other host plants.
The following is damage on Norway spruce from Spruce spider mite:

Hemlock Adelgid

The Hemlock Woolly Adelgid Is another insect that can be controlled with horticultural oils.
The following are pictures of hemlock branches infested with Adelgid:

Scale Insects

Scale insects are another group of insects often targeted with horticultural sprays.  Holly trees are susceptible to the damage of scale insects.  The black residue shown is called sooty mold, and is caused by mold colonizing on the honey dew which is a byproduct from the scale.  The scale insect’s excrement is almost pure sugar, which is the ideal breeding ground for mold to colonize.

The following photo gives a closer look at scale insects (the white shapes are the scale).  These white insects are usually resting on the underside of the leaves.

Prepare your landscape for a healthy season, with a horticultural oil application!  To schedule an appointment with a professionally certified arborist, call Westchester Tree Life at (914) 238-0069!