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 sign 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 Sunset Beach! Educated to identify and diagnose diseases and insect pests, these tree specialists prescribe remedies for problems that afflict Wisconsin trees.
Changes in leaf color are another identifier. Yellow leaves can be evidence 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 interpret the messages of leaf colors!
Avoiding 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 Sunset Beach.
What are they hunting for? The aforementioned symptoms, of course. Another sign of concern is crevices or cavities in trees, where moisture and insects gather. The goal is to spot ongoing or possible problems early. Avoiding a disease or insect infestation is far simpler than curing them once established.
Colorado blue spruces fill many yards. A close look, though, might find evidence 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 stop the fungus from devastating and eventually killing these beautiful trees.
Another possibility – 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 Sunset Beach 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, an ailment that affects trees growing in wet soil. Root rot isn’t choosy, either – its decay affects trees from a multitude of species.
Insect pests pose serious dangers to residential trees. Insects are usually host specific, meaning they target one species. The lethal bronze birch borer attacks birches. Linden borers mostly target lindens.
The emerald ash borer has been an unwelcome introduction for Sunset Beach homeowners. The Asian invasive has decimated ash trees across Sunset Beach 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 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 skip visiting 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 Sunset Beach.