Trees, like people and animals, get ill. How do you identify a “tree doctor” if your trees show indicators of poor health?
Leaf loss, in one area or across a tree’s entire crown, is the most typical evidence of a problem. Mushroom growth, typically from a trunk or base, is another. A spate of dead limbs can be a symptom.
An ISA-Certified Arborist from Dorshak Tree Specialists is your best bet for prompt, responsive tree treatment service in Fox Lake Junction! Educated to recognize and diagnose diseases and insect pests, these tree specialists prescribe remedies for problems that afflict Wisconsin trees.
Alterations in leaf color are another identifier. Yellow leaves can be reflective of a fertilizer deficiency, often with oaks. Yet, yellow is the natural color of leaves on a sunburst locust tree. A Certified Arborist knows the difference, and how to translate the messages of leaf colors!
Avoiding problems is the most effective approach to tree health. It’s advisable to have your trees inspected every three to five years by a Certified Arborist. Dorshak Tree Service, with seven Certified Arborists on staff, offers this service for free for tree owners in and around Fox Lake Junction.
What are they watching for? The aforementioned symptoms, of course. Another sign of note is crevices or cavities in trees, where moisture and insects collect. The goal is to spot ongoing or potential problems early. Avoiding a disease or insect infestation is much easier than curing them once established.
Colorado blue spruces fill many yards. A close look, though, might discover evidence of Rhizosphaera needle cast, a fungus that attacks this non-native species. Brown needles, or collected needles beneath a tree, are a symptom. Treatment can block the fungus from decimating and eventually killing these stunning trees.
Another possibility – again, long before reaching this point – is planting trees with similar aesthetics, yet much more resistance to insects and disease. Concolor firs and Norway spruces are alternatives to Colorado spruces.
Other tree species in Fox Lake Junction are vulnerable to fungi diseases, too. Oaks suffer oak wilt. Elms contract Dutch elm disease. Pre-emptive inspection can identify these circumstances in time to save the trees.
Application of fungicides can prevent root rot, an ailment that affects trees growing in wet soil. Root rot isn’t picky, either – its decay affects trees from a wide range of species.
Insect pests pose serious threats to residential trees. Insects are usually host specific, meaning they target one species. The deadly bronze birch borer goes after birches. Linden borers mainly target lindens.
The emerald ash borer has been an unwelcome initiation for Fox Lake Junction homeowners. The Asian invasive has decimated ash trees across Fox Lake Junction and Wisconsin in recent years.
Another invasive, the spotted lanternfly, is moving west after its discovery in Pennsylvania in 2014. The China native feeds on more than 70 tree species, including maples, oaks, lindens, hickory and black walnut.
Avoiding insect harm, once again, is often a matter of proactivity. Repellents are applied in two ways: injecting directly into trees, or drenching soil beneath for roots to absorb.
Just as you wouldn’t miss seeing a doctor for years on end, don’t gamble with the health of your trees. Contact Dorshak Tree Specialists for a complimentary checkup. Yes, their “tree doctors” still make house calls to Fox Lake Junction.