Home › Tree Services › Plant Health Care
Plant Health Care in Essex & Morris County, NJ
Deep-root fertilization, soil care, disease diagnosis and pest management to keep your trees vigorous, defended and beautiful — a proactive program from the ISA Certified arborists Essex & Morris County have trusted since 1984.
T&D Tree Service is a family-owned tree care company in Livingston, New Jersey, and Plant Health Care (PHC) is where we do our most rewarding work — keeping the mature oaks, maples, ashes and ornamentals in your landscape alive and thriving instead of cutting them down. Most of the trees we’re asked to remove didn’t die of old age; they declined slowly from compacted clay soil, chronic drought stress, root damage from construction, or an insect or disease that went untreated one season too long. A good PHC program reverses that trajectory.
Our ISA Certified Arborists approach your property the way a doctor approaches a patient: diagnose first, then treat. We look at the soil, the root collar, the canopy density, the annual growth, and the pests and pathogens common to northern New Jersey’s Zone 6b/7a climate — then we build a plan of deep-root fertilization, soil decompaction, dormant-oil sprays, and targeted insect and disease treatments. It is honest, science-based care, backed by 40 years in the field .
Care that keeps trees standing
A complete program of feeding, soil work, and pest and disease control for the trees that make your property.
Deep-Root Fertilization
Liquid nutrients and biostimulants injected under pressure straight to the feeder-root zone — the fix for the poor, compacted clay soils under most NJ lawns.
Soil Care & Decompaction
Air-spading, mulch rings and organic amendments that loosen packed soil, restore soil biology and let roots breathe and drink again.
Insect & Borer Treatment
Systemic trunk injections and targeted sprays for emerald ash borer, spotted lanternfly, spongy moth, scale, mites and aphids.
Disease Diagnosis & Management
Identifying and managing anthracnose, apple scab, needle blights, cankers and root rots before they defoliate or kill the tree.
Dormant & Seasonal Sprays
Well-timed horticultural-oil and treatment windows — dormant oil in late winter, Btk at early instar, injections on the right cycle.
Arborist Reports & Monitoring
Documented health assessments, treatment schedules and follow-up visits so you always know where each valuable tree stands.
Why a proactive program pays off
A mature shade tree can take fifty years to replace and adds real value to a New Jersey home. Replacing one costs many times what it costs to keep it healthy. Plant Health Care catches problems while they’re still treatable — the season before an ash succumbs to emerald ash borer, before repeated defoliation kills an oak, before root rot hollows a trunk.
- Feeds roots the nutrients our lean, compacted clay soils simply don’t supply
- Builds the tree’s own defenses so it shrugs off pests and drought
- Protects high-value ash, maple and oak with well-timed injections
- Reduces deadwood, storm risk and the need for emergency tree service later
- Documented monitoring — you know exactly what each tree needs and when
Signs your trees need attention
Trees rarely fail overnight. They send signals for years first. Call for a plant health assessment when you notice a tree begin to:
- Thin out at the top, drop leaves early, or show dead branches high in the canopy
- Produce smaller leaves and shorter annual growth than it used to
- Show sap bleeding, oozing bark, mushrooms at the base, or splitting trunk
- Sit in hard, cracked, or foot-worn soil where roots can’t breathe
- Carry visible insects, egg masses, honeydew, sooty mold, or chewed foliage
- Struggle after nearby construction, driveway work, or grade changes
Any of these is worth a look. Pair PHC with proper tree pruning and, when a tree is truly beyond saving, an honest tree removal recommendation — never a hard sell.
Diagnose first, then treat
Real plant health care starts with a correct diagnosis — not a spray truck on a schedule.
On-Site Diagnosis
Dave or a certified arborist walks the property, examines soil, root collar and canopy, and identifies the pests, pathogens or stresses at play.
A Written Plan
You get a clear, prioritized treatment plan — what to feed, what to treat, when to spray or inject, and what it costs.
Targeted Treatment
Deep-root feeding, soil work, dormant oil, or systemic injections applied at the right time of year for real results, not guesswork.
Monitoring & Follow-Up
We track each tree’s response season to season and adjust the program — steady care, not one-and-done.
Every plan is backed by a documented arborist report, and we treat trees across every town in Essex & Morris County.
Plant health care built for New Jersey soil and pests
Northern New Jersey is a tough place to be a tree. The native soil is dense, rocky clay that compacts under lawns, foot traffic and construction until roots can barely find air or water. On top of that, Zone 6b/7a puts our trees in the path of nearly every serious pest on the East Coast right now. Emerald ash borer has infested the entire state and is killing untreated ash trees on a predictable timeline. Spotted lanternfly is now widespread across Essex and Morris County, stressing maples, willows and fruit trees with clouds of honeydew and sooty mold. And spongy moth (formerly gypsy moth) periodically defoliates whole stands of oak. A tree already fighting bad soil has little left to fight an infestation.
That’s why our program pairs feeding and soil work with targeted pest control. Deep-root fertilization and decompaction give the tree the vigor to defend itself; a dormant-oil spray in late winter knocks back overwintering scale and mites; and precisely timed systemic injections protect the highest-value specimens. From the estate oaks of Short Hills and Mendham to the street maples of Montclair and Morristown, we tailor the plan to the tree in front of us — and we’ll always tell you honestly when a tree is worth treating and when it isn’t.
What affects plant health care cost in NJ
PHC is quoted per property after an on-site assessment, because no two landscapes need the same care. The main factors are:
- Number and size of trees — dosages scale with trunk diameter, so a mature oak costs more to feed or inject than a young ornamental
- What’s wrong — a simple feeding is modest; a systemic borer injection program or a multi-tree disease plan is a larger investment
- Type of treatment — deep-root feeding, soil decompaction, dormant oil and trunk injections each carry different costs
- Frequency — some treatments are annual, some are every two years (like ash-borer injections), some are one-time soil work
- Access and site — open lawns are quick; tight, sloped or planted-in trees take more time
Because we’re a family-owned local shop, our pricing stays fair and there’s never a hard sell. Explore the specific programs below, meet the team, read our reviews, or request a free estimate.
- Emerald Ash Borer Treatment — save high-value ash with trunk injections
- Spotted Lanternfly Control — protect maples, willows and fruit trees
- Spongy Moth (Gypsy Moth) Treatment — stop repeated oak defoliation
Caring for the trees of Essex & Morris County
From the estates of Short Hills and Mendham to every street in between, T&D Tree Service is the local, licensed arborist New Jersey homeowners call first.
Essex County
What Essex & Morris County says about T&D Tree
This service is THE BEST! A huge tree came down on my shed and they came out same-day. The crew worked hard to save the shed and removed the heavy limbs very carefully. Cleaned up nicely — excellent service.
I have been using T&D for years. There is no reason to use anyone else. They are reliable, competent and fairly priced. Thank you Dave.
Best tree services in Essex and Morris counties. Dave came for a prompt estimate, pulled the permit quickly, and his crew did a great job above our expectations — covered the siding and pathway to avoid damage.
I’ve used T&D multiple times and they never disappoint. Professional, friendly, efficient. They leave the area spotless — it’s clear they take pride in their work. Highly recommend!
T&D was wonderful — always on time, always when promised. David showed a vast knowledge of local trees, his team used a crane and wore safety equipment, and they cleaned up completely.
They do exceptional work at extremely reasonable prices. Dave was an absolute pleasure to work with. The tree was a monster and came down seamlessly — they truly go above and beyond.
Dave arrived on time with a reasonable quote, and the crew showed up the very morning he promised. Courteous, efficient and professional — they protected our property and cleaned up well.
Massive 50-ft tree removed at the last minute, leaving no trace on my neighbor’s yard. Amazing work for just 3 guys. Fair pricing and easy to work with.
Responsive, dependable, and his team is neat and very careful. I’ve used T&D in the past and would not do business with any other tree company in Livingston.
Very reasonable pricing. Great service. Crew arrived at the time promised. Yard was left spotless.
Plant health care questions, answered
Plant Health Care (PHC) is the preventive, ongoing side of tree care — feeding, soil work, and insect and disease control that keeps a tree healthy — as opposed to reactive work like removal or storm cleanup. T&D Tree Service’s ISA Certified Arborists diagnose what a tree needs, then treat it, so you keep valuable trees instead of losing them. Call (973) 434-5557.
Yes — especially here. Northern NJ’s compacted clay soils are low in available nutrients and hard for roots to penetrate. Deep-root fertilization injects liquid nutrients and biostimulants under pressure right into the feeder-root zone, bypassing the turf and hardpan. It’s one of the most effective ways to restore vigor to a stressed shade tree.
It depends on the treatment. Dormant-oil sprays go on in late winter; Btk for spongy moth is applied at early instar in spring; emerald ash borer injections run on a roughly two-year cycle; and deep-root feeding is done in spring or fall. T&D times each treatment to the calendar and the pest so it actually works — that timing is half the battle.
Often, yes — if we catch it in time. Many declining trees recover with soil care, feeding and the right pest or disease treatment. Some are too far gone, and we’ll tell you so honestly and recommend a safe removal instead. A written arborist report documents the diagnosis and the plan either way.
T&D Tree Service provides plant health care throughout Essex County and Morris County, NJ — including Livingston, Millburn, Short Hills, West Orange, Montclair, Morristown, Chatham, Madison and Mendham. See all service areas.
Ready to keep your trees healthy for decades?
Get a free, no-pressure estimate from the arborists Essex & Morris County have trusted since 1984. Same-week scheduling and 24/7 emergency response.