Healthy Trees, Healthy Yard

Take Care of Your Trees

Are your trees looking sick or wilted? Diagnosing the problem might be difficult, but luckily, ArborDay.org provides a great guide to keeping your trees healthy and figuring out the problem.

To sum up the Tree Health Guide, the first step is to contact a Cooperative Extension Service to diagnose your problem.

Current tree health issues include drought, disease, pests, invasive species and improper planting.

Signs of drought may include leaf wilting, leaf scorch, stem dieback and/or increased susceptibility to pests and diseases. Make sure you start by choosing the species that will grow well in your conditions and follow the basic tree watering guidelines.

Some of the most common tree diseases include Dogwood Anthracnose, Dutch Elm Disease, Eastern Filbert Blight, Oak Wilt, Pine Wilt, Sudden Oak Death and Thousand Cankers Disease. To learn more about these tree diseases (and the following pests), click HERE.

When it comes to pests, some of the main culprits include Asian Longhomed Beetles, Bark Beetles, Emerald Ash Borers, Hemlock Woolly Adelgids, Japanese Beetles and Periodical Cicadas.

Invasive species – plants, animals or pathogens foreign to your region are likely to make your trees unhealthy. Visit the National Invasive Species Information Center to find invasive species in your area.

Improper planting is another cause of unhealthy trees. According to ArborDay.org, one common mistake is planting the root flare too deep. Root flare is the point where the trunk begins to spread out as it meets the roots, and will cause a slow decline, eventually killing the tree.

If you’re looking for help with treatment of your unhealthy trees, give Dudley’s Dew Right a call today! We’d love to be able to help you out!