Maier Tree & Lawn News

Insects are just part of life in Winona, MN. When it comes to your lawn, however, sometimes you have to draw a line at how many bugs are just too many. This is especially true when bugs are causing ongoing damage to your property, garden, and grass. For lawns struggling with pests, Maier Tree and Lawn offers comprehensive insect control. Our services can keep your yard healthy and safe, even if the pests seem too numerous or stubborn to treat.

Despite their small stature, insects can do a lot of damage to a lawn’s ecosystem. With eating, laying eggs, and attracting predators looking for snacks, pests can become a major thorn in the side of your lawn care. In fact, in some cases, pest damage is ongoing and may not be possible to fully resolve with your regular lawn care routine. If you have pests that are regularly laying eggs, making nests, and hatching grubs, without expert insect control you could find yourself fighting an uphill battle.

Pest damage to a lawn can vary depending upon the insects in question and the duration of the infestation. Plus, not all insects are inherently dangerous. Rather than panicking every time you see something crawling, it’s important to watch for signs of damage during your lawn care routines. If your lawn is experiencing odd dry patches, yellowing or discoloration, new holes, visible pests, or webbing, that means it may be time to ask for help.

The insect control professionals with Maier Tree and Lawn have a wide skillset and carefully catered toolbox for safely contending with pests while keeping your lawn healthy. Insects can be reigned-in with insecticides, grub control, and careful monitoring and treatment. Relying on the support of trained and experienced lawn care experts is essential to prevent additional damage to your lawn. Applying insect killer without proper knowledge and technique can end up doing more harm than good. 

Don’t let destructive grubs and insects ruin your lawn! If you’ve noticed pest damage on your Winona, MN property, contact Maier Tree and Lawn today for expert insect control and pest removal services. Take action by calling (507) 454-7000 or visiting our website here for more information. 

Tree damage isn’t exactly a one-size-fits-all scenario. It can manifest in dozens, if not hundreds of ways. Depending upon the species, the season, and the age of the tree, you have to stay observant to everything, from obvious breakage to an overabundance of pests. Maier Tree and Lawn’s tree health experts remind tree owners that it’s important to remember that some tree damage isn’t quite so obvious. Watching for these indicators of subtler tree damage may be the difference between healthy growth and withering trees on your Rochester, MN property.

Noticing a large number of leaves falling from a healthy-looking tree is one sign of a change in tree health. It’s important, however, to look beyond the leaves when you’re concerned about the health of a tree. Specifically, examining and noting any damage or changes on the trunk itself. Tree bark acts as a protective shell for your trees, but it can also be an indicator of tree health. Check the trunk semi-regularly for gouges, stripped bark, discoloration, excessive brittleness, fungus, holes, or strange textures such as spongy spots. Spotting any of these concerns early and requesting a consultation can be a great way to mitigate further tree damage.

The angle of your tree is also something to keep a close eye on. This is especially true after significant blunt damage or a severe windstorm. It’s possible for a tree to be pulled up and dislodged, even if you don’t have a full tornado on your hands. Being proactive when you see a new tilt, lean, or sway in your trees can help catch hazards and root damage before it becomes worse. After flooding or significant rain, it’s possible for trees to suffer from root rot and death. If a tree appears to be leaning significantly, be sure to contact a tree health expert before getting too close on your own. With enough of a lean, the tree could be a serious hazard.

It’s always best to err on the side of caution when there’s a new injury or existing tree damage appears to be spreading. Even if it appears minor on the surface, there could be a deeper problem that just hasn’t made itself apparent. Watch for new fungal growth, pest nests, or discoloration around the base of the trunk as well. If any of these become apparent don’t hesitate to contact a tree health professional.

If you have concerns about the health of one of your Rochester, MN area trees, the tree health professionals with Maier Tree and Lawn are here to help. Reach out today for a consultation at (507) 286–8733 or by visiting our website here for more information.

Lawn fungus is a common problem in the Midwest thanks to a variety of factors including fluctuating weather conditions and lawn care techniques. It may manifest as an occasional seasonal frustration, or it could be a chronic and deadly struggle for your lawn. At Maier Tree and Lawn, we provide anti-fungal treatments and lawn care methods that support every aspect of your Rochester, MN lawn year-round.

Mold and spores exist all over in nature. Occasional mushroom growth and small patches of fungus are normal, but it’s possible for lawn fungus to become severe enough to kill large patches of turf. It’s important during your lawn care routine to look for changes in growth or color, especially following long periods of rain or drought.

Fungus can manifest as rings of spores, grass discoloration, slimy textures, or even powdery and fuzzy growths. Different textures and appearances indicate different types of diseases or fungi, but every type of lawn fungus is potentially damaging if left untreated. Early detection and treatment are key in preventing spread and limiting the damage to your lawn.

The conditions that facilitate fungal growth are wide ranging. Too little or too much water can both contribute to lawn fungus. Improper lawn care, such as over-mowing and compacted soil, can make an impact as well. It’s also possible for fungus to grow even if you’re doing everything right. What’s most important is watching for these signs and investing in proper treatments before a small problem becomes a danger.

Our lawn care professionals at Maier Tree and Lawn provide anti-fungal treatments as well as spot treatments and lawn care consultations. Our lawn care experts are trained to recognize a wide range of lawn diseases and treat them effectively and quickly.

If your lawn has been impacted by lawn fungus or you suspect the health of your lawn is suffering, Maier Tree and Lawn is prepared to help. Rochester, MN residents can contact us today at (507) 286–8733 or by visiting our website here for additional information.

Soil has a reputation for being a fairly self-sufficient aspect of your lawn. Unless you’re an avid gardener, there’s a chance you’ve never really thought about the soil at all during your regular lawn care routine. Like every aspect of lawn care, however, there’s more than meets the eye when it comes to soil. Treating your soil well and ensuring it receives all the nutrients it needs can help everything on your property thrive, from flowers and trees to sod. At Maier Tree and Lawn, we help address every level of lawn care from bottom to top so your Winona, MN lawn looks its best and stays healthy.

When it comes to soil, there are some basic lawn care aspects that most homeowners are familiar with; fertilization, watering, and sunlight being chief among them. Before water and fertilizer come into the mix, your soil has to be primed to absorb everything they have to offer. This absorption can be encouraged by the incorporation of pro-soil habits into your lawn care such as taking active steps to reduce soil compaction.

Soil compaction occurs when soil is compressed so tightly that it can no longer properly absorb air, water, or nutrients. This is especially common for lawns that experience a lot of foot traffic, but soil compaction is possible even when there are no extreme stressors present. Any amount of pressure applied to your lawn over time can gradually compress the soil until it’s too dense to penetrate. In severe cases, compaction can even lead to plant and grass death. The good news is that this condition can be alleviated with proper aeration. Aeration decreases compaction, helps reduce lawn thatch, preps a lawn for additional care, and allows valuable nutrients to seep deeper into the root system.

Though there are a variety of forms of aeration that you may encounter, core aeration is the most common. This process systematically removes small plugs of soil from your lawn in a gentle and non-damaging way and allows all of those good nutrients to work their way deeper into your lawn. Plus, it’s a great way to prep for the rainy season or for fertilizer application if you’re looking to get the most bang for your buck.

If your lawn doesn’t seem to be supporting growth effectively, Maier Tree and Lawn’s lawn care experts are here to help. Our aeration services can help reduce soil compaction, encourage new and sustained growth, and help you create a lawn care routine that will support a great looking lawn year-round. Winona, MN residents can call us today at (507) 454-7000 or visit our website here for additional information.

As members of the Rochester, MN, community, it’s part of our responsibility at Maier Tree and Lawn to protect the trees that surround our city. Sometimes this means providing basic care or implementing damage mitigation after storms. However, other times, it means collaborating to ensure that dangerous tree diseases like oak wilt don’t spread in our area. Maier Tree and Lawn is committed to providing tree disease consultations and disseminating information to ensure that all of our local trees live long and healthy lives.

What does oak wilt do to trees?

True to its name, oak wilt prompts extreme and rapid wilting of leaves among oak trees. Signs of the disease include everything from wet-looking, wilted leaves to necrosis (death) of the leaf tips, especially throughout the tree crown. With enough leaf damage and leaf loss, the trees may lose their ability to adequately gather and process essential nutrients. This disruption can quickly lead to tree death.

Which trees are impacted?

Oak trees are, appropriately, the most vulnerable tree category when it comes to oak wilt, with red oaks being the most visibly and dramatically impacted by the tree disease. In fact, a red oak that has been infected can wilt completely in as little as six weeks! Though any oak species is susceptible, the signs and symptoms may vary slightly based on the specific tree type in question. When in doubt, don’t hesitate to consult a tree disease professional like Maier Tree and Lawn when tree health begins to wane.

Once a tree contracts oak wilt, it can quickly spread the disease to surrounding oak trees. This is especially true in heavily forested areas that have a high density of oak trees and intricate, interconnected root systems.

How can I do my part?

It’s important to remember that oak wilt is highly contagious. It can be spread by insects, by root grafting, or via exposure to diseased wood. Part of keeping your trees and Minnesota forests safe means staying educated and aware of the progression of this tree disease as well as other risk factors that surround it. Some simple steps you can take include limiting firewood transport and learning to recognize common signs and symptoms of oak wilt before trimming or disposing of branches.

Rochester, MN, area residents can take steps today to ensure that local forests and trees survive tomorrow. When it comes to tree diseases, it’s difficult to underestimate the power of education. If you suspect that oak wilt or another tree disease is impacting your local trees, call Maier Tree and Lawn now at (507) 286–8733 or visit our website here for additional details.

There is endless advice out in the world and on the Internet about the best steps to take to ensure you have a beautiful, healthy lawn. While this wealth of information is great in theory, in practice, sifting through all the lawn care information can be overwhelming for Rochester, MN, lawn novices. Sometimes it can be simpler to just nail down what not to do and go from there. And if your experimental lawn care techniques ever end in failure, Maier Tree and Lawn is here to help. 

One of the simplest tenets to remember about lawn care is to beware of providing excessive care. While watering, mowing, and fertilizing your lawn are all good for maintaining a healthy lawn, if you take any of these steps too far, you can end up doing more harm than good. Over-watering can essentially drown your lawn’s roots, over-mowing or mowing the grass too short can cause undue stress to the grass blades and inhibit their growth, and over-fertilizing can lead to burning out your lawn. It’s important to provide care in moderation, and with enough time in between for your lawn to absorb and recover.   

While over-care can do damage to a healthy lawn, it only makes sense that under-care can make a similar impact. It’s possible to be too hands-off for your lawn care, especially in cases where a lawn care concern is going untreated in the process. While a lot of nature is fairly self-sufficient, it’s a mistake to think that everything will work itself out every time without intervention. Healthy lawns can be seriously damaged by health concerns like molds, pests, or diseases. In some cases, these issues will run their course and your lawn will indeed recover, but in other cases, you may end up with dead patches of grass or widespread discoloration in your lawn.

And, finally, it’s important to remember that you should not expect that your lawn will be immune to repeated physical trauma. It’s possible to kill grass and do damage by introducing consistent friction or weight to your lawn. Some examples include repeatedly walking on the same path to your car, parking a vehicle on the grass to make space in your driveway, or even installing a trampoline in your backyard. This doesn’t mean that you can’t use your lawn for outdoor activities, but repeatedly putting pressure on the same spots in your lawn can weaken and kill the grass in those areas. If you’re hoping to avoid car-shaped brown spots, you may want to consider alternative parking options.

For Rochester, MN, property owners looking to keep a healthy lawn, following these tenets may get you started, but they can’t guarantee that you’ll never run into lawn care trouble. If you’re struggling with keeping your lawn looking its best or are contending with other problems, Maier Tree and Lawn is waiting for your call. Property owners in need of lawn care assistance can call today at (507) 286–8733 or visit our website here for more information.

Pruning is an essential component of regular tree care that tends to fly under the radar a bit in terms of property maintenance. Though tree pruning is not required every day, it’s still a key part of keeping your Winona, MN, area trees healthy and looking good. Understanding why and how pruning can help your trees will ensure a longer life and higher value for your trees. Maier Tree and Lawn’s professionals eagerly provide assessment of all your property’s trees and help you take action to keep them in the best shape possible.

Why is pruning good for trees?

The obvious benefits of tree pruning tend to center around the tree’s structure and branch integrity. If a tree is growing into a shape that isn’t fitting for your property, for its location, or for the sake of the tree’s health, then doing some careful pruning can help put the tree structure back in order. Similarly, if a tree has a variety of branches and boughs that may be damaged, sick, or loose, pruning may help alleviate some health concerns for the tree. Ultimately, pruning is good for trees because it addresses all these potential issues and more. When done properly, tree pruning can help manage all manner of tree care problems quickly and safely. 

Why should pruning be done semi-regularly?

One-time tree pruning is only going to get you so far. Since healthy trees keep growing, any amount of pruning that you do will likely need to be maintained after more growth has occurred. With proper, continuous pruning, you may be able to sculpt your trees into a maintainable shape, but even then that doesn’t mean that the need for tree pruning will completely disappear. Like most forms of tree care, pruning isn’t an everyday necessity, but it is still an essential component of regular grooming and growth.

Why does the season matter?

Tree pruning, when done properly, is planned and scheduled around the annual cycles and dormant periods of your trees. Tree pruning during the trees’ dormant periods allows for safe cuts and also ensures that their growth cycles are not interrupted, other tree species may respond better when pruned during the growing season. If you’re not sure when to prune your trees, our tree care experts at Maier Tree and Lawn can offer species-specific advice.

If your Winona, MN, trees are in need of pruning or other forms of tree care, Maier Tree and Lawn’s care experts provide carefully timed and executed tree pruning. Contact us at (507) 454-7000 or via our website here for information on how to determine which trees are ready to prune or to schedule an evaluation today.

Storms can damage your trees in a matter of minutes, and depending upon the damage in question, you may find yourself struggling to identify how exactly your tree was impacted until it’s too late. A lightning strike can burn, winds can tear, and ice can snap branches, and all of the above can leave your Rochester, MN area tree vulnerable to further damage. Luckily, preventing lasting tree damage is possible thanks to the tree care professionals with Maier Tree and Lawn.

When property owners envision tree damage after a storm, it’s reasonable to think of downed or broken branches. Strong winds can indeed do a number on a tree in a relatively short period of time, but not all forms of storm damage are quite so straightforward. Storm damage can do more than bend and break, it can also lead directly or indirectly to vulnerabilities in the health of your trees.

Any tree damage that breaks the surface of your trees can be a gateway to further injury. Tears and cracks can make your trees vulnerable to pests, decay, breakage, or even total structural failures. The trick is to resist underestimating tree damage even if it doesn’t look impressive on the surface. For instance, patches of loose or missing bark could be the precursor to new problems. Staying on top of your tree’s health after storm damage means paying close attention to all aspects of the tree’s condition.

If you’ve noticed any new damage after a storm, it’s important to reach out to a tree damage specialist quickly. Our goal at Maier Tree and Lawn is to prevent tree removal whenever possible by treating and restoring your trees. While some instances of storm damage might require just a bit of cleanup and some trimming, more severe forms of damage could leave your trees in need of more detailed care. Acting fast before damage can worsen is a great way to protect your trees now and in the future.

If your Rochester, MN property has been impacted by storm damage, our tree damage professionals are available for consultations, care, and beyond. Property owners can reach out to us at (507) 286–8733 or contact us online for additional information.

Maintaining a group or forest of trees doesn’t always mean leaving them to their own devices. Even developed areas have a unique ecosystem that needs to be kept in good condition in order for trees to flourish. At Maier Tree and Lawn, our forestry professionals provide in-depth forestry services risk assessments and all the tools you need to ensure your Rochester, MN area trees are healthy, managed, and looking their best year-round.

If you don’t have access to a staff forester, knowing what actions to take to best benefit your trees can be a complex and nuanced process. Even decisions that seem simple, such as tree removal or pruning, may ultimately have adverse effects if they’re not done with the health of the surrounding trees and plants in mind. In situations like these, our professional forestry consultants can offer their expertise in order to help all of your trees to thrive. The tree management team at Maier Tree and Lawn pinpoints and addresses problem areas in each ecosystem through careful assessments and tree risk management.

It’s important to remember that a tree doesn’t have to be totally and visibly rotted for it to be a risk. A wide range of factors may influence whether or not a tree is considered risky to a property or the trees around it. Risk assessments, inventory, and management completed by forestry service experts allows you to plan for the health and safety of your entire property or an entire forest region. After assessments are made, our forestry consultants can also assist you in selecting the appropriate treatment or the next steps you can take.

Depending upon what is discovered during risk assessment, treatment may be a possibility. In some cases, careful pruning, soil care, or other treatments such as fungicides or insecticides can remove the risk from the area and make it safe for trees and people alike. But in other cases, our assessments may recommend tree removal, aggressive pruning, or other large-scale changes. No matter the condition of the tree, our forestry service professionals can help guide you towards a decision that will benefit the forest and its ecosystem as a whole.

If your forest or local ecosystem would benefit from professional forestry services, contact Maier Tree and Lawn today for information on our tree risk management and more. Rochester, MN area residents can reach us at (507) 286–8733 or online for additional details on our forestry services and forestry consulting options.

The idea of comprehensive tree care tends to mean different things to different people. Some Winona, MN, residents may consider fertilizing, pruning, and watering to be the absolute pinnacle of tree care. But truly comprehensive tree care doesn’t end with these actions. Maier Tree and Lawn understands that proper tree care has to be done both above and below the surface. This means that while aesthetics and general health is certainly considered, our tree professionals also consider unseen factors such as soil quality and root care.

The roots are, in many ways, the heart of a healthy tree. If they’re compromised, it’s possible that the health of your trees will be compromised in turn. Well-rounded tree care plans involve prioritizing root health when necessary. This may include treating soil compaction, actively mitigating water stress, or managing other factors that may inhibit essential nutrients from proper uptake from the root system. 

Soil compaction is a common impediment of urban tree care. Compacted soil is essentially what it sounds like; it occurs when soil is pressed too tightly together. This can be caused by excessive foot traffic, construction and machinery, and just about any other force-exerting factors over time. As soil is pressed more tightly, it makes it difficult for water to soak into it. This, in turn, prevents tree roots from getting the best access to food and water. Even in less-traveled areas, it’s still possible for your trees to be impacted by poor soil quality or other root care complications such as water stress.

Water stress occurs when a plant or tree is not getting access to enough water. This may be due to the aforementioned soil compaction, but it could also simply be due to a drought or underwatering. Regardless of the cause, water stress can have a serious impact on the growth and longevity of just about every species of tree. Roots that aren’t absorbing adequate water may lead to trees that suffer from leaf loss, wilting, stunted growth, and more. If your tree is growing in an area with tight soil and dry conditions, the detrimental impact can be even more enhanced.

If you suspect that your tree has been impacted by environmental damage to the roots or is not receiving adequate nutrients, our tree care professionals can help. Maier Tree and Lawn offers root care treatment to mitigate tree health concerns from damaging environmental conditions. Winona, MN, residents can call us today at (507) 454-7000 or visit our website here for more information.