How to Spot and Prevent Spring Infections
Apple scab and cedar-quince rust are both diseases that can affect your trees in the spring. The cool, damp conditions are a breeding ground for fungal growth. Both infections begin as yellow coloring on leaves. Maybe you’ve seen this on your trees in the past. As a homeowner, here’s what you need to know, how […]
Why Do I Need to Prune Oaks During Winter?
As the days get longer, spring starts to feel like it might be around the corner. Seasonal birds return, the sun’s warmth comes back, and snowbanks recede. After the long slumber of winter, trees will be hectic soon. After the thaw, insects will be too. Trees and insects have a long and complicated relationship that […]
Why is There Paint on My Tree?
Ask anyone around before the arrival of Dutch elm disease in the 1960s, and they’ll regale you with descriptions of majestic elms arching over streets from both sides. Although most old elms are long gone, you can still find them in isolated locations. That isolation protected them from Dutch elm disease; now they stand as […]
Managing Large Tree Inventories
Caring for one tree includes routine pruning, monitoring, and diagnosing issues. Every additional tree on a property or in an inventory compounds this. Our ISA-certified and Board-Certified Master Arborists take a holistic approach to managing inventories. We listen to and prioritize our client’s concerns when developing a tree maintenance plan. Development consists of an initial […]
So You Hate Your Neighbor’s Tree
Trees provide us with a lot of benefits, from reducing runoff and erosion to providing shade and fresh air. They can cause problems, from dropping seeds, leaves, and fruit to roots invading foundations and plumbing. These issues can be particularly frustrating when caused by your neighbor’s tree. Residents in every state have some legal ability […]
Winter Tree Pruning and Removal
Minnesota winters are harsh, characterized by below-freezing temperatures and feet of snow. Despite the harsh conditions, tree pruning and removal is still an option. Can tree care be done during the winter? It’s a common misconception that tree maintenance stops during the winter months. However, there are many benefits to performing tree pruning and tree […]
Drought: Causes, Implications, and What You Can Do About It
Despite our abundance of lakes, Minnesota summers have been dry. A dry summer is stressful for people, trees, and plants. Although droughts are regular, dry weather during crucial growth periods can cause irreversible damage. The term “drought” refers to a period of time without precipitation. As the water content declines, trees can no longer extract […]
How to Help a Tree Fight Summer Issues
Summer provides many challenges to trees, from heat and drought, to attacks by other living things. Many things are beyond our control, but there’s a lot we can do to help our trees. Watering and providing good soil for a tree to grow in can help boost the tree’s natural defenses. Some issues, especially non-native […]
Starting a Career in Arboriculture
Arborist, tree surgeon, arbolista, Baumpflegerin, arboriste; whatever the title, professionals in the arboriculture industry exist worldwide. Everywhere there are trees, people practice the broad field of arboriculture in some sense or another. What is arboriculture? Arboriculture is defined as “the cultivation, management, and study of individual trees, shrubs, vines, and other perennial woody plants.” The […]
Woodpeckers and Emerald Ash Borer
At the Northern Green conference in January of 2017 Mark Abrahamson, Assistant Director of the Minnesota Department of Agriculture, presented copious evidence of the direct correlation between woodpecker damage to ash trees and an Emerald Ash Borer (EAB) infestation. Woodpecker damage is described in two ways: Flecking, vertical strips of bark are missing Pecking, making […]