Tree & shrub care · Yakima
Tree and shrub care, from the spray tank to the pruning saw
Insect and disease sprays, pruning and soil injection for the trees and shrubs that shade and shelter your property.
Chapter 01
The pests that show up on Valley trees
Shade trees cool a house in summer and break the wind in winter, and they carry a steady load of insects. The common ones around Yakima and the Tri-Cities are aphids, scale, mites and elm beetle, plus the relatives of each. A homeowner usually spots them late, once leaves curl or branches thin.
The plants are worth the attention. Mature trees and shrubs can add to a property's value, shade the house in summer, which lowers cooling costs, and slow the wind in winter. They also give birds somewhere to spend the day.
Colonial's technicians check the plants on a regular schedule and treat as needed. Disease control is not a promise to cover every disease on every species, but the spring bactericide and fungicide pass reduces the fungal spores and bacteria that multiply through the winter moisture. Not every plant needs treatment either. Some species, cedars for one, resist insects and common diseases on their own.
Colonial technician in safety glasses pruning a tree
Spray, prune or inject
A spray program is the starting point for most properties. When the damage is more invasive or widespread, the technician can move to systemic soil injection, which treats the plant from inside and holds for the year. Pruning is the other half: where and when you cut decides whether a shrub fills in or struggles.
The tools do different jobs, so the choice follows the damage. Ordinary insect pressure fits the spray program. Heavier or more widespread damage points toward injection, which works from the soil up and leaves the leaves untouched by topical product.
Fertilizer is a separate service. A foliar spray does not feed every tree or shrub, so the better method is a granular application watered in at the soil level, roughly 90 days apart. It stays out of the insect and disease program on purpose.
Chapter 03
Timing around bloom and bees
Washington law prohibits applying product to a plant in full bloom while bees are present. That makes timing tricky when a flowering tree is also under pest pressure, and the technician schedules around it.
Tree and shrub care is offered from the Yakima office. Availability differs by office, so if you are in Richland, Kennewick, Pasco or West Richland, call the Tri-Cities line at (509) 371-1655 and ask before you book.
Colonial Lawn & Garden · WA L&I COLONLG022LA · Yakima (509) 966-1655 · Tri-Cities (509) 371-1655
Pests named
What the spray program goes after
These are the four Colonial names first, and the program covers the pests like them on trees, shrubs, perennials and annual plantings.
- 01Aphids
- 02Scale
- 03Mites
- 04Elm Beetle
Three tools
One property, three ways to treat it
Tool 01
Spray
The insect and disease program covers most pests on trees, shrubs, perennials and annual plantings, with a bactericide and fungicide in early spring for the spores that build through the wet months.
Tool 02
Prune
Trimming and pruning with the proper technique and at the right time of year, so the plant keeps its vitality and keeps growing.
Tool 03
Inject
Systemic soil injection for heavier pest damage. The plant is protected from the inside out all year, and an injected plant needs no topical sprays.
The bloom rule
No spraying a plant in full bloom with bees on it
It is state law, and it shapes the calendar. If a flowering tree needs treatment, the technician works out the window rather than skipping the plant or breaking the rule.
Tree and shrub care is offered through the Yakima office. In the Tri-Cities, call (509) 371-1655 to check what is offered near you, or reach Yakima at (509) 966-1655.
Tree work, in a customer's words
“Ernesto cut a tree down that was tricky. It was growing amongst my beloved lilacs, into the fence and only accessible by a narrow path along the pool. Not a problem for Ernesto! He did a great job, no damage to the lilacs or the fence. It was all cut and cleaned up in a timely manner. I appreciate the skill and professionalism by everyone at Colonial.”