Maier Tree & Lawn News

Native Minnesota trees are generally a hardy bunch having flourished in the harsh, fast-changing weather of the north. Even the sturdiest trees, however, can fall victim to the wide variety of environmental risks a true Minnesota winter offers. With winter looming, protecting your trees is as much about thinking ahead as it is reacting to issues as they arise. The tree care professionals at Maier Tree and Lawn want your trees to be ready for anything that winter in Winona, MN, can throw at them, and with professional tree consulting services, you can prepare for the worst and work to ensure the best.

Professional tree consulting services can cover any number of topics. It may be that one of your trees is looking a little droopy or discolored. Perhaps you’re tired of your trees not making it through the winter, or frustrated with local wildlife munching away at bark and low hanging branches all year long. Regardless of the specificity of your concerns, an effective tree consultation session will leave you with a much better sense of how you can keep your trees intact and healthy in every season. Preparing for harsh weather is an excellent reason to schedule a professional tree consultation.

You may have a variety of trees on your property that ranges from different species and ages to different levels of overall health. Even if the trees in question are well suited to winter, they may still be in danger of unexpected winter damage. New, young trees are especially susceptible to environmental damage such as freezing, wind damage, or snow-related breakage, but this type of damage is not exclusive to trees in the early stages of growth. Our tree care professionals are trained to help you pinpoint the support that all your trees will need to make it through the freezing months ahead.

If you’re concerned about the trees on your Winona, MN, property, contact our tree care professionals at Maier Tree and Lawn today for tree consulting services. For additional information on effective winter tree care, please give us a call at (507) 454-7000 or by visiting our website here.

Autumn can be a tough time to identify risks to your Rochester, MN area trees. The transitional nature of autumn means that colors will be changing, leaves will be dropping, and everything will be getting a bit brown. If your trees also happen to develop a tree pest problem, you might miss the signs without even realizing there are signs to miss. Maier Tree and Lawn’s tree care professionals offer these autumn tips to spotting tree pests even when everything in your yard is in a state of fall flux.

There will indeed be a lot of changing colors and dropping leaves in the autumn, but the rapidity in which your tree is transitioning can sometimes be cause for concern, especially if that transition is paired with rapid leaf loss. If you notice that leaves are browning and dropping at an alarming rate, it may be a sign of declining tree health or stress. However, depending upon your familiarity with the tree in question, you may not notice if the rate of transition is any faster or slower than previous years. If you’re still not sure, start to watch for other signs of potential tree pests.

If everything looks good in terms of leaves, the next tree care stop is the bark and trunk. Discolored bark, odd “bald” spots, and visible rot are all signs that something is amiss, but collections of small holes or burrows should be cause for alarm as well. Borers are a category of tree pest that, true to their name, bore into trees. Trees infected with certain types of borers, such as the emerald ash borer, may not survive longer than five years after infection. If you happen to spot some oddities in the bark of a tree, don’t hesitate to reach out to tree care professionals for a second opinion.

Regardless of the autumn signs you spot, you should never feel afraid to ask for a second opinion. Autumn in Rochester, MN is a time of change, and it can feel like it goes by in a blink. If you think you may have a tree with declining health, the tree care professionals with Maier Tree and Lawn are here to offer their expert eyes. Rochester, MN locals can call us at (507) 286–8733 or visit our website.

The word fungus has a lot of connotations when it comes to home and lawn care, and none of them are especially pleasant. Most Winona, MN, area residents will conjure images of mushrooms, mold, and any number of odd growths when fungus is mentioned, but unfortunately it can be much subtler than a large capped mushroom towering over your grass. As soon as symptoms appear, fast-acting fungus control from Maier Tree and Lawn is vital in order to maintain the look, feel, and overall health of your lawn.

Fungus control can become necessary relatively unexpectedly during your normal lawn care process. Spore growth can occur after a long rainy period, a drought, an overly close mow, and in the event of compacted soil as well as in other scenarios besides. If that sounds like a lot of causes, it’s because there are a lot of causes! Fungal spores are hardy and spread easily, which means that a little bit of growth can expand quite quickly into a lawn care hazard.

Along with the environmental causes, some types of turf are more susceptible to fungal growth than others. If you end up needing fungal control on a regular basis, you might have grass that isn’t especially suitable for the conditions on your property. But whether fungus is a recurring issue or a one-time problem, fungal control experts should be contacted quickly to assess and address the spore growth before it gets worse. If your grass is indeed ill-suited to your property, the lawn care professionals can help you determine what steps to take to rectify your fungal conundrum.

It’s also key to remember that fungus is a lawn care issue that can be difficult to pinpoint, thanks to the many forms it can take. It might appear reddish or rusty in color, white and ringed, or can manifest as patches of yellow and brown. To the untrained eye, some types of lawn fungus may just look like a dry patch. Some of the giveaways of a real fungal problem are if that spot seems to spread, change color, or have a noticeable slippery or slimy texture. Plus, even if you aren’t sure about that odd spot on your lawn, it’s never a bad idea to confer with a lawn care professional.

If you’ve noticed signs and symptoms of fungal growth during your lawn care routine, be sure to contact the fungus control professionals at Maier Tree and Lawn. Lawn fungus doesn’t have to plague your grass forever, and the experts at our Winona, MN, branch are trained and ready to help you “de-fungus” your lawn today. Call us at (507) 454-7000 or visit our website for more information.

There are probably plenty of reasons why you haven’t had that sick tree removed from your Winona, MN, lawn: lack of time, indecision on whom to contact, or perhaps, lingering attachment to the tree that has yet to completely die. But a dying tree isn’t necessarily a lost cause. Leaving it to its own devices may seem easier at first thought, but as more time passes, the potential risk factors that a dying tree poses can increase. And if a tree is lagging or is simply a little under the weather, ignoring those symptoms can seal the tree’s fate. Relying on the Maier Tree and Lawn tree care professionals to discern, diagnose, and treat your trees is the perfect way to help spruce up your trees and nurse them back into tip-top shape.

Expert tree care can accomplish several goals at once. Not only does it restore a healthy look to your yard, but it also helps ensure that your property is safe for visitors and family members alike. It can be difficult to tell at a glance, but sick trees may have interior decay and structural weaknesses, causing instability. Depending on how long the tree has been sick and its location on your property, it could also be a potential fire risk. Having your sick tree evaluated can alleviate those risks, including additional side effects that the sickness may be triggering.

Sick trees can also be something of an attraction for all manner of pests—burrowing, infesting, or roosting on the branches. Whatever is killing the tree in the first place may still be alive and thriving inside. This may encourage these types of unwelcome visitors to set their sights on the dying tree as well as other nearby trees and plants. Without intervention, pest and fungus infestations can spread fast when sick trees are in the equation. Tree care and mitigation can kill pests before they spread and potentially even give your tree a chance to bounce back.

Regardless of how long the tree in question has been sick, it’s important to remember that extensive tree care should not be attempted without the assistance of a professional. A professional consultation not only ensures that the sick tree is treated safely, but it’s also the perfect chance to get tips on how to keep your trees healthy and intact for as long as possible.

Even if you thought that sick tree was done for, there might be a chance that recovery is possible. Tree care professionals can evaluate the state of the tree and the potential risks it poses while considering options for possible recovery. Instead of allowing dying trees to dictate the overall health of your yard, contact the tree care professionals with Maier Tree and Lawn today. Winona, MN, area residents with tree care needs can call at (507) 454-7000 or visit our website here for additional information.

Keeping a lawn healthy year-round can be a bit of a struggle for Rochester, MN, area homeowners. There are a multitude of factors that go into well-maintained grass and turf, and sometimes long bouts of dry or excessively hot weather can leave your lawn looking wilted or a little worse for the wear. Spotting signs of health trouble for your grass is sometimes straightforward, but getting the treatment you need requires a little bit of know-how and enough concern to request a visit from the lawn care professionals with Maier Tree and Lawn.

One of the simplest visual indicators of lawn health is tied directly to color. The color of your grass likely goes through a variety of hues throughout the year, but sudden or drastic color shifts may be indicative of an underlying issue. Yellow patches, brown spots, or even unusual grayish hues can all be signs of poor grass health. Even one or two spots that appear dead or dying could be a precursor to a long-lasting, frustrating lawn care conundrum. Having a lawn care expert check out unexpected changes is a great way to prevent a small brown spot from becoming unmanageable.

Another indicator of problems that sometimes goes unnoticed is feel. This might be the blades of the grass feeling dry or brittle, certain patches feeling slimy to the touch, or it could be an odd, mushy spot in the soil that is signaling something amiss under the surface. This doesn’t necessarily mean that you need to go around petting your lawn to check for good grass health, but it also isn’t something to ignore when encountered. Following up on irregularities is a vital tenet of long-lasting lawn care.

And finally, a surge of visible insects on your lawn are a pretty obvious sign that you have a pest problem, but it might not always be that clear. Instead of seeing the perpetrators themselves, you might be faced with the results of their attraction to your lawn. Depending on the type of grass you keep and the time of year, the actual culprit can vary, but some of the side effects of a pest problem are fairly consistent: webbing, thin sections, patchy dead spots, and occasionally, chewed-down crowns. Any irregularities that look somewhat gnawed are worth an investigation as pests don’t always tend to stay in one place.

Signs of declining grass health can be treated best if they’re caught early. Follow up your Rochester, MN, area lawn care concerns with the experts at Maier Tree and Lawn. Our professionals can be contacted regarding any questions and concerns at (507) 286–8733. Residents can also visit our website here for details on how to schedule a lawn care checkup appointment.

Trees are fairly low maintenance when it comes to the wide world of gardening and yard care, but that doesn’t mean there isn’t a certain level of technique required in order for your boughs to really flourish. Living in Rochester, MN, means dealing with harsh, rapidly changing weather, and for certain tree types, these conditions plus poor care can result in tree death. Sometimes, getting a little tree care advice from the professionals at Maier Tree and Lawn is all you need to help your Minnesota tree species grow up big and strong.

There are a wide variety of popular tree types in the Midwest, and getting good tree care advice is only possible if you know what you’re dealing with. Some trees with a long history flourishing in Minnesota can often be left to their own devices while other less common trees require a little more awareness. The success of your trees also depends on the age of the tree, the abundance of pests in your area, and any unexpected damage from storms and wind.

Tree care advice isn’t always universal, even among the same species. There is a lot of variation in a simple seeming designation such as elm. Elm trees include plenty of subtyping such as the Patriot Elm or the Cathedral Elm, and depending on what you’re growing, there may be minor subtleties in what tree care advice applies. Plus, the soil quality, how crowded your yard is, and the availability of water can also dictate whether or not a tree thrives. But even with this variety, tree owners can learn to spot trouble for all sorts of tree types with a little bit of training.

Wilting leaves, rotting trunks, discoloration, and significant foliage loss are all fairly universal warning signs that anyone interested in tree care can watch for. Sometimes these warning signs can be subtle, or they may manifest in different ways depending on the tree type. Regardless, in the event of these signs, contacting professionals for follow up tree care advice can help put your boughs on the road toward recovery.

If you are dealing with a specific tree health issue or would like tree care advice for any of the tree types that you have on your Rochester, MN, property, contact us today for more information. Call Maier Tree and Lawn at (507) 286–8733 or visit our website for hands on tree care advice.

Summer is the time for wild storms in Winona, MN, and that can be bad news for even the toughest trees on your lot. Storm damage has the potential to catastrophically injure trees in mere moments, and without some emergency tree first aid, you could be left with trees that just can’t survive the trauma.

Contacting Maier Tree and Lawn’s tree care experts is the best way to guarantee that your trees will get the care they need to make a full, post-storm recovery whenever possible.

Once the storm has passed and damage has become apparent, tree owners must resist the urge to jump into action. Hasty choices after tree trauma can lead to further damage very quickly. One of the most common mistakes is over-pruning. Not only is pruning after storm damage dangerous, it’s also very easy to go overboard and cause additional, undue stress to the tree.

Instead of trying to perform all aspects of emergency tree care on your own, contacting tree care professionals is usually the best way to be sure that you’re maintaining your own safety as well as the health of your tree. Storm damage teams will assist with debris removal, loose branch removal, and also help you conduct an expert tree care assessment.

Tree care professionals can inspect cuts and abrasions to judge if your tree might be susceptible to further damage. Though they seem simple on the surface, trees are concealing a complex structure beneath their outer layers. If certain parts of a tree are compromised, it could prevent the entire tree from receiving the vital nutrients that keep it alive. Plus, damage to the bark or trunk can leave trees vulnerable to infestations or other pests. Tree care experts can identify these risk facts and assist with mitigation wherever possible.

Ignoring storm damage is one of the worst mistakes you can make if you want to keep your trees healthy and flourishing. If your Winona, MN, trees have been impacted by storm damage, contact the tree care professionals at Maier Tree and Lawn immediately at (507) 454-7000 to discuss your options.

Oak wilt is a fungal tree disease that’s notorious in over 20 states in the U.S., including Minnesota. It’s fast moving, deadly, and can rapidly spread between oaks which makes it a frustrating opponent for oak owners. Once oak wilt appears, requesting Maier Tree and Lawn’s professional tree disease control services is essential to prevent it from spreading further. Rochester, MN, residents who are concerned that their oak trees have contracted oak wilt should watch for telling symptoms and be prepared to quickly request professional intervention as soon as possible.

The symptoms of oak wilt vary from species to species, but as the name indicates, wilting is a common sign of trouble. Specifically, rapid wilting starting from the top of the tree and moving steadily downward. Wilt is also accompanied by discoloration of leaves and bark and significant leaf death. For red oaks, this process is often swift and brutal. For white oaks, it may appear more gradual. Knowing what type of tree you’re dealing with can make oak wilt much simpler to identify.

Identifying oak wilt can also be difficult as some of the symptoms are similar to other common tree afflictions. For novice arborists, the signs can be mistaken for bur oak blight, certain borer infestations, or other types of common fungi. Depending upon how intense the summer heat is some may also mistake the wilting for dehydration or sun damage. The identification of oak wilt matters because treatment is only possible when tree disease control experts know what they’re treating.

Unfortunately, tree disease control is a process that isn’t always a find-it and fix-it situation. Tree diseases can spread quickly and be hard to identify without a trained eye, and sometimes the disease moves so quickly that containment becomes more vital than recovery. If your oaks are too sick to save, tree disease control professionals will instead be able to focus on preserving all of the other trees on your property. This process entails separating the root system of the affected tree from others nearby.

Thanks to the efforts of tree disease control experts, oak wilt isn’t always a death sentence for your trees. If you notice signs of oak wilt on your Rochester, MN, property, contact Maier Tree and Lawn for information on how to proceed at (507) 286–8733 or visit our website for additional information.

Spring has finally begun in Winona, MN – just in time for summer! That means lawns have finally emerged from their snowy prisons. The grass is greening in full force, which is great news for lawn care. But along with that grass may come a few unwelcomed weeds. Luckily, the weed control and lawn care services experts with Maier Tree and Lawn have the tools and know-how to keep your grass weed-free this spring so your lawn can flourish.

Though many “weeds” are simply local native types of vegetation, they can look messy, steal nutrients from healthy grass, and overtake a lawn when left unattended. Generally speaking, the word weed refers to any plant that grows where it isn’t wanted. Weeds are highly aggressive plants that are very interested in taking over as much of your lawn as they like. Because of this, weed control is an important part of any effective lawn care service. Leaving them to their own devices can cause trouble not only for your own lawn, but for the entire local ecosystem in your neighborhood.

Part of the lawn care process is deciding when, how, and how much to practice weed control. Too many chemicals, powders, and sprays can result in a patchy, damaged lawn. Too little too late, however, can trigger a nasty weed infestation. Making this judgment call on proper lawn care and weed control can be difficult for new and experienced homeowners. Weed control can be erratic and inconsistent, which is why a professional touch always comes in handy.

Weed control, when done by lawn care professionals, can often be bundled with other forms of lawn care to maximize the effectiveness of the weed control solution. A trained lawn care professional may also be able to assist with fertilizing, aeration, and seeding along with the weed control process. This way, each aspect of lawn care has a chance to do its job properly.

If your Winona, MN, area lawn needs weed control assistance or you’re interested in a weed control and lawn care service bundle, contact the lawn care professionals at Maier Tree and Lawn today at (507) 454-7000, or visit our website for more information!

Keeping a healthy lawn in Rochester, MN, takes a fair amount of attention and expertise. It’s not always as simple as misting a little water and leaving your grass to its own devices. Maier Tree and Lawn’s experts remind homeowners that healthy lawns come in contact with a plethora of outside influences whether they arrive via shoes, animals, wind, or other nearby lawns. Sometimes the result is some minor weed growth or physical damage, but in other cases, your healthy lawn might come in contact with a lawn pest. With a little bit of regular lawn maintenance, however, you can keep your lawn happy and in great shape regardless of what sort of pests your grass encounters.

There is significant variety in the world of pests. Minnesota alone is home to worms, beetles, grubs, and all manner of troublesome creepy-crawlies that can cause trouble for your turf. For instance, Japanese beetle grubs are one of the many potential pests that may pay you a visit. These pests eat grass down by the roots, preventing new blades from growing and killing healthy grass. They can create extensive brown spots and dead spots over time. Because these visitors can be tiny and hard to spot, you may have to keep your eyes peeled for those signs of damage in order to search them out. Part of your normal lawn maintenance process should include noting troubling spots and paying attention to how and if they degrade further.

If you notice discoloration, webbing, dead spots, or visible pest movement in your grass, you may need to consider incorporating pest removal options into your lawn maintenance routine. The nature of pests is that they don’t only cause damage, but also attract other creatures that reside above them on the food chain. Grubs, bugs, and mites attract mammals and birds who may peck or dig them out for food. This can cause additional damage to the root systems due to frequent intrusions and root trauma. Without lawn maintenance, your lawn could be pecked-away little by little.

Alternatively, lawn maintenance professionals can also assist you with pest mitigation tools and techniques. If you don’t want to wait until damage becomes apparent, you can request anti-pest lawn treatments from your local lawn maintenance professionals. Regardless of which option you choose, the only wrong choice is to ignore a lawn pest problem until it’s too late to save portions of your previously healthy lawn.

If your Rochester, MN, lawn is showing signs of pest problems, contact Maier Tree and Lawn for information on how to treat damaged lawns and fight back against lawn pests. Call us at (507) 286-8733 or by visiting our website here for additional info on our lawn maintenance services today!