Trees, like people and animals, get sick. How do you locate a “tree doctor” if your trees show symptoms of poor health?
Leaf loss, in one area or across a tree’s entire crown, is the most common symptom 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 top bet for prompt, responsive tree treatment service in Paddock Lake! Trained to recognize and diagnose diseases and insect pests, these tree specialists prescribe treatments for problems that affect Wisconsin trees.
Changes in leaf color are another red flag. Yellow leaves can be symptomatic of a fertilizer deficit, often with oaks. Yet, yellow is the normal color of leaves on a sunburst locust tree. A Certified Arborist recognizes the difference, and how to translate the messages of leaf colors!
Averting 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 Paddock Lake.
What are they hunting 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 existing or potential problems proactively. Avoiding a disease or insect infestation is much simpler 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 giveaway. Treatment can block the fungus from devastating and eventually killing these stunning trees.
Another option – again, long before reaching this point – is planting trees with similar appearance, yet far more resistance to insects and disease. Concolor firs and Norway spruces are substitutes for Colorado spruces.
Other tree species in Paddock Lake are susceptible 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 afflicts trees growing in wet soil. Root rot isn’t selective, either – its decay affects trees from a multitude 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 mostly target lindens.
The emerald ash borer has been a rude introduction for Paddock Lake homeowners. The Asian invasive has decimated ash trees across Paddock Lake and Wisconsin in recent years.
Another invasive, the spotted lanternfly, is inching 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.
Blocking insect damage, 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 take in.
Just as you wouldn’t skip visiting a doctor for years on end, don’t risk the health of your trees. Contact Dorshak Tree Specialists for a complimentary checkup. Yes, their “tree doctors” still make house calls to Paddock Lake.