PHC Programs: Selling Plant Health Care

Plant health care (PHC) is one of the best revenue opportunities in the tree service industry. It creates recurring income, builds long-term customer relationships, and positions your company as more than just a removal service.

What PHC Includes

A PHC program is a proactive approach to tree and shrub health. Rather than waiting for problems to develop and then reacting, you monitor and treat on a scheduled basis. A typical residential PHC program includes:

• Spring and fall inspections
• Dormant oil applications for overwintering insects
• Targeted insecticide or fungicide treatments as needed
• Soil testing and amendment (fertilization, pH adjustment)
• Deep root feeding or soil injection
• Mulching recommendations
• Annual report with photos and findings

Why Customers Buy It

Homeowners with mature landscapes have tens or hundreds of thousands of dollars invested in their trees and shrubs. A PHC program protects that investment. The pitch is simple: it costs less to maintain a healthy tree than to remove a dead one.

Frame the program as preventive care, like going to the dentist. You catch small problems before they become expensive problems.

Pricing PHC Programs

Price based on the number and type of plants being managed. A property with 15 shade trees and 30 ornamental shrubs requires a different level of service than a property with 3 trees.

Annual PHC contracts for residential properties typically range from $600 to $3,000 per year depending on property size, plant inventory, and treatment intensity. Break this into quarterly or bimonthly payments for easier customer adoption.

The profit margins on PHC are generally better than removal work because material costs are low and the work is less labor-intensive.

Building Your PHC Team

PHC requires diagnostic skills that production crews may not have. The person running your PHC program needs to identify insects and diseases, understand soil chemistry, and make treatment decisions. This is often an ISA Certified Arborist or someone working toward that credential.

Invest in training. Many state extension services and ISA chapters offer workshops on pest identification, soil science, and PHC program development.

Scaling PHC

PHC programs scale well. Once you have a route of 30 to 40 residential accounts in a geographic area, one person with a spray truck can service them efficiently. Add accounts as your route density increases. The key is geographic concentration, as driving an hour between appointments kills profitability.

Sources and Further Reading

• • USDA Extension Service: Provides research-based information on integrated pest management, plant disease identification, and sustainable plant care practices for professionals
• • International Society of Arboriculture (ISA): Offers certification programs, best practices guidelines, and industry standards for tree and plant health care professionals
• • Professional Landcare Network (PLANET): Delivers business management resources, industry benchmarking data, and sales training specifically for landscape and plant health care service providers
• • Land Grant University Extension Programs: Supply peer-reviewed research on plant pathology, soil health, and treatment protocols that support evidence-based plant health care recommendations

Try These Free Tools

Put these insights into practice with our free calculators and planners:

• Customer Estimate Builder
• Tree Health Assessment Checklist
• Canopy Coverage Calculator
• Seasonal Service Planner