Trees, like people and animals, get ill. How do you find a “tree doctor” if your trees show signs 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, 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 bet for prompt, responsive tree treatment service in Allenton! Educated to detect and diagnose diseases and insect pests, these tree specialists prescribe treatments for problems that afflict Wisconsin trees.
Changes in leaf color are another red flag. Yellow leaves can be symptomatic of a fertilizer deficit, often with oaks. However, yellow is the natural color of leaves on a sunburst locust tree. A Certified Arborist knows the difference, and how to interpret the messages of leaf colors!
Preventing problems is the most sound 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 Allenton.
What are they searching for? The aforementioned symptoms, of course. Another area of note is crevices or cavities in trees, where moisture and insects collect. The goal is to spot ongoing or potential problems proactively. Avoiding a disease or insect infestation is much easier than curing them once established.
Colorado blue spruces occupy many yards. A close inspection, though, might find 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 halt the fungus from decimating and eventually killing these beautiful trees.
Another option – again, long before reaching this point – is planting trees with similar appearance, yet much more resistance to insects and disease. Concolor firs and Norway spruces are alternatives to Colorado spruces.
Other tree species in Allenton are susceptible to fungi diseases, too. Oaks suffer oak wilt. Elms contract Dutch elm disease. Pre-emptive inspection can identify these realities in time to save the trees.
Application of fungicides can block root rot, a condition that afflicts trees growing in wet soil. Root rot isn’t selective, either – its decay affects trees from a variety 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 Allenton homeowners. The Asian invasive has decimated ash trees across Allenton 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 take in.
Just as you wouldn’t skip seeing a doctor for years on end, don’t gamble with the well-being of your trees. Contact Dorshak Tree Specialists for a complimentary checkup. Yes, their “tree doctors” still make house calls to Allenton.