Trees, like people and animals, get ill. 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 indicator of a problem. Mushroom growth, usually 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 choice for prompt, responsive tree treatment service in Saint Martins! Educated to detect and analyze diseases and insect pests, these tree specialists prescribe treatments for problems that affect Wisconsin trees.
Changes in leaf color are another symptom. Yellow leaves can be symptomatic of a fertilizer deficit, often with oaks. However, yellow is the normal color of leaves on a sunburst locust tree. A Certified Arborist understands the difference, and how to translate the messages of leaf colors!
Averting problems is the most efficient 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 Saint Martins.
What are they searching for? The aforementioned symptoms, of course. Another sign of potential alarm is crevices or cavities in trees, where moisture and insects collect. The goal is to spot existing or possible problems proactively. Blocking a disease or insect infestation is far easier than curing them once established.
Colorado blue spruces occupy many yards. A close viewing, though, might discover signs of Rhizosphaera needle cast, a fungus that attacks this non-native species. Brown needles, or piles of needles beneath a tree, are a symptom. Treatment can halt the fungus from devastating and eventually killing these beautiful trees.
Another possibility – again, long before reaching this point – is planting trees with similar aesthetics, yet far more resistance to insects and disease. Concolor firs and Norway spruces are alternatives to Colorado spruces.
Other tree species in Saint Martins are susceptible to fungi diseases, too. Oaks suffer oak wilt. Elms contract Dutch elm disease. Proactive inspection can identify these conditions in time to save the trees.
Application of fungicides can prevent root rot, a condition that affects trees growing in wet soil. Root rot isn’t choosy, either – its decay affects trees from a variety of species.
Insect pests pose serious dangers 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 Saint Martins homeowners. The Asian invasive has decimated ash trees across Saint Martins and Wisconsin in recent years.
Another invasive, the spotted lanternfly, is heading 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.
Preventing insect damage, once again, is about 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 visiting a doctor for years on end, don’t risk the well-being of your trees. Contact Dorshak Tree Specialists for a complimentary checkup. Yes, their “tree doctors” still make house calls to Saint Martins.