Maier Tree & Lawn News

Spring is a great time for tree care hobbyists in Winona, MN to evaluate the health of their trees. These tree care evaluations can include anything from eyeing them for a little trimming all the way to removing trees entirely. Though it can be a tough call to make, it’s possible that the rough Minnesota winter has rendered some trees hazardous and because of this, it would be safer to have them professionally evaluated and removed. If you’re starting the spring tree care season with some reservations about your hazard trees, the tree care experts with Maier Tree & Lawn have a few pointers of what to look for when deciding who should stay and who should go.

When you’re trying to identify hazard trees, start by looking for obvious structural damage. If you see branches hanging askew or entire sections looking lopsided, make a note and keep an eye on the spot. Depending upon the size of the tree it can be difficult to determine what makes a hazard tree and what is just a few damaged limbs but making notes of these things is useful for tree care professionals as well. Always be sure to play it safe though and avoid walking beneath the loose looking sections.

If there’s no obvious damage, the next step is to check for unusual leaning or swaying. Hazard trees are often identifiable by their lack of sturdiness in adverse weather. If you have a big old tree that seems to be shifting in the breeze, be sure to contact a tree care professional with your concerns ASAP. A wiggly tree is one thing; a downed tree on your car is another.

If you can’t quite pinpoint the issue and you’re concerned that the damage is more internal, you could also do a simple knock test to check for hollow or soft spots. This process can be difficult to do without experience and sometimes problem spots can be subtle. As soon as you feel like something is off during the tree care process, consider contacting a professional familiar with signs of hazard trees.

Hazard trees can be unpredictable, and with the windy spring weather coming into Winona, MN soon, be sure to deal with it sooner rather than later! If you’ve noticed an odd spot, hanging branches, or other signs that a tree on your property may be hazardous, contact Maier Tree & Lawn today at (507) 454-7000 or by visiting our website here for more information.

Most adults who have heard of basic lawn care are probably at least aware of what fertilizer can do. They may not know exactly what it’s made of, but they can probably describe it on its basic level. The most rudimentary explanation is that fertilizer is food for lawn and plants that help them grow. But why does this happen? And how do you know if your lawn needs fertilizer? Luckily for lawn care novices, the professional fertilizing experts with Maier Tree and Lawn in Rochester, MN won’t only help you understand what fertilizer is capable of, we’ll even assist with the entire fertilization process.

Just like humans, plants can suffer from nutritional deficiencies that impact their health. But unlike humans, plants can’t simply tell you when they’re feeling under the weather. The good news is that instead, they’ll do their best to show you when something is wrong. Discoloration, breakage, wilting, and halted growth are all signs that your plants may be suffering from a lack of essential nutrients. Once you see these signs, it’s possible that applying fertilizer may be the key to improving their condition. This is because using fertilizer is a process that allows you to manually introduce essential nutrients into the soil where they are needed when nature isn’t doing enough.

The nutritional value of soil depends on a wide variety of environmental factors, but no matter where in the Midwest you live, there’s a good chance that your plants can benefit from professional fertilizing services. Even at a basic level fertilizer may be giving your weaker plants a fighting chance. So even if you think your soil is in great shape you may still benefit from proper professional fertilizing.

If you’re a resident of Rochester, MN and your plants are suffering from nutritional deficiencies, or if you’d just like to help them grow to their highest potential, contact the professional fertilizing team with Maier Tree and Lawn today at (507) 286-8733 or by visiting our website here today.

Spring is coming in Winona, MN, and with it the potential for some serious landscape maintenance on your property. Landscaping in Minnesota can be a lot of fun thanks to the wide variety of flowers, veggies, and other plant life that our hearty soil can support. If your yard has been lacking in years past, the landscape maintenance professionals with Maier Tree and Lawn can help you freshen it up. Sprucing up your garden with a little TLC might be just what you need to put a little pep back into your property.

If this is your first year looking into landscape maintenance for your property, you’ll probably want to do a little research into what exactly your landscape needs. You can work out the finer details out with landscaping professionals when you’re ready, but generally speaking, you should look into appropriate fertilizers, insecticides, and any other supplements that your garden can use to stay healthy and happy.

There’s no set rule on how you go about your landscaping as a homeowner. Some people prefer having their landscape maintenance process be very autonomous, while others like to get down and personal in the dirt. Regardless of your preferred method of gardening and landscaping, consulting an expert team of landscape maintenance professionals can help solidify a long-term care plan for your property. With the assistance of a trained landscaping team you can be as hands-on or hands-off as you like while allowing your garden to flourish.

For Winona, MN residents, the landscaping experts with Maier Tree and Lawn are ready to be a great resource. If you’re interested in performing some much-needed landscape maintenance this spring, we can be reached at (507) 454-7000, or by visiting our website here for more information. There’s still a bit of winter left, so there’s time to research your plants, plan your care, and prepare to have the garden of your dreams.

Keeping healthy grass is one of the best ways to make sure your yard looks its best in Rochester, MN. It’s also particularly impressive in a climate that swings wildly between extreme cold and sweltering heat. The lawn care professionals with Maier Tree and Lawn know that healthy grass can mean the difference between a lawn that looks like every other and one that looks exceptional. Keeping your turf health in mind means knowing how to see, touch, and sense trouble in the land of sod. Signs of grass health will vary slightly depending upon the type of grass you’re growing, but there are some universal signs that you can keep an eye out for during your lawn care process.

When it comes to turf health, sometimes all you need are a working pair of eyes to know there’s a problem. For instance, it’s pretty obvious that your grass is trying to tell you something if you notice brown spots, visible dirt, or prominent fungus while performing lawn care. All of these are clear signs that your grass needs a little extra TLC. But they aren’t the only signs.

Like most aspects of lawn care, what you see with the naked eye isn’t always all there is to see. If you’re trying to be thorough about the health of your grass, you may have to get up close and personal to understand whether or not your grass is in jeopardy. Occasionally, problems with grass health can be determined by touch. If your grass is dry or slimy to the touch, you could be dealing with an underlying health issue. During your normal lawn care routines, don’t be afraid to get close and check for inconsistencies.

If you have a feeling that something is off but can’t put your finger on it, more evidence may be hiding under the surface. The lawn care professionals with Maier Tree and Lawn can check for thatch build up and test the soil for other issues. If your Rochester, MN lawn is suffering from unhealthy patches, or if you’re concerned about your grass’ health in general, call Maier Tree and Lawn today at (507) 454-7000, or visit our website here for more information. Good turf health is the first step toward maintaining a comfortable, happy lawn for the long term.

Like most of Minnesota, Winona doesn’t mess around when it comes to getting snow. This is excellent for the winter sports enthusiasts who enjoy the frigid season, but for lawn care enthusiasts, heavy snow can be bad news for their hobbies come spring. The lawn health professionals with Maier Tree and Lawn know that heavy snow can lead to slow lawn growth in spring, and snow mold may be part of the reason why.

Snow mold is a type of fungal growth that can occur under heavy blankets of snow. Though it isn’t necessarily devastating in most cases, it can still negatively impact your overall lawn health. Lawn care hobbyists who are gunning for an early spring may be disappointed to find it lurking under the fading slush, and may also be confused about where it came from.

Though it doesn’t grow every year on every lawn, it’s more likely for snow mold to form when the snow falls early and hard. Snow mold forms when mold spores under the snow grow into a mature fungus. Heavy snow creates a tight-packed environment on the surface of your lawn that can trap moisture and dead leaves, feeding the fungus until it begins to spread. Once the snow melts, it remains on the surface and can become a thorn in the side of homeowners who pay close attention to signs of comprehensive lawn health.

Snow mold can make your lawn green at different rates and create an unattractive, patchy appearance. For lawn care enthusiasts who enjoy good looking, healthy turf, this can be frustrating. Your yard’s long-term lawn health may also be impacted, as in severe cases snow mold can kill grass down to the root. Some light raking may be enough to disperse the mold, but if you’re unsure as to how to proceed, consult with our lawn health professionals.

If you’ve noticed snow mold appearing on the surface of your Winona, MN lawn or have had similar lawn health issues, contact our lawn care specialists with Maier Tree and Lawn today. We can be reached at (507) 454-7000 or by visiting our website here for more information.

Can you spot the difference between a dormant tree and a dying or dead one? It’s not always easy to tell.

Trees go through a dormant season when the weather gets colder. The dormant season can provide opportunities for tree care techniques like tree pruning and your trees have a chance to conserve their energy and prepare for the upcoming spring.

It’s possible, however, that your tree is exhibiting issues of decay and poor health. If spotted early enough, the situation can be remedied, but it must be spotted.

Here are a few tips to tell whether your tree is dormant or needs serious tree preservation help.

Check for Budding

A healthy tree will still have small leaf buds protruding from its branches. The buds are preparing themselves to bloom in spring. If you notice your tree doesn’t have any buds or the buds it does have look dry and weak, you could have dead branches on your tree, which can be an indicator of a dead or dying tree. 

Check the Trunk

 Healthy trees replace their bark in cycles. If your tree is healthy you should notice fresh and uncompromised bark. If, however, you notice cracks in your tree’s bark or it appears that it has shed its bark without replacing it with a fresh layer, it can also be a sign of a dead or dying tree. In fact, it’s one of the main signs arborists look for.

The Scratch Test

 The scratch test helps you check your tree’s health by peeking underneath the surface of its bark. Take a knife and scratch off a small area of tree bark. If you have a healthy tree, you should notice a moist bright green layer underneath it. If, however, you spot a dry and decayed looking brown layer, you could be looking at a dead or dying tree.

The Final Test

 The most important tree preservation step you can take is to contact Maier Tree and Lawn for an assessment done by an ISA Certified Arborist. This strategy will provide a definitive answer along with a plan to effectively handle the results of the assessment.

To learn more about tree preservation or to schedule an appointment at your Winona, MN home, please contact us at (507) 454-7000.

There’s no foolproof way to protect your trees from the winter elements when you’re a resident of Rochester, MN. Some saplings can be covered, and some weak trunks can be reinforced, but winter will always do whatever winter wants to do. The tree health professionals with Maier Tree and Lawn want to make sure that all winter tree care novices know how to identify the difference between normal winter wear and serious tree damage in the coldest months of the year.

Tree care in the winter is generally pretty hands off. The natural process of a healthy tree allows it to protect itself in the winter thanks to its sturdy, dormant state. However, not all winter tree care risks are created equal. A little cold and snow shouldn’t damage the core health of the tree, but extreme conditions can definitely have an impact.

When winter comes in with a vengeance like it did this year, sometimes your trees take the brunt of the seasonal damage right away. Freezing rain and sudden ice storms can do a number on trees that haven’t lost all of their foliage yet as well as trees that can’t bear the weight of the ice and snow. The sheer weight of winter weather can be enough to break branches, strip bark, and topple vulnerable boughs.

If you’re concerned about a tree’s health after a winter storm, be sure to consult tree care professionals instead of attempting to de-ice the tree yourself. If the temperature is still below freezing, standing beneath the branches and trying to free them from ice makes you a target for falling debris. This is especially dangerous if large branches have been severed and are only being held up by the ice itself.

For winter tree health concerns and tree care assistance, contact us as Maier Tree and Lawn for information or to make an appointment. Residents of Rochester, MN, can call today at (507) 286-8733 or visit our website here for more information today.

Tree pests come in all shapes and sizes and arrive throughout the year, but the most likely time they’ll catch you unawares is during the cold, cold months of winter in Rochester, MN. While you’re enjoying the holidays and shoveling snow, some pests are settling in to your trees and preparing to propagate in the spring. Our tree health professionals with Maier Tree and Lawn know that tree owners can’t see the future, but encourage everyone to be on the lookout for signs of contagious pest problems every season of the year.

It’s true that common tree pests like the emerald ash borer aren’t going to be completely active during the cold winter months, but that doesn’t mean your trees are safe from pests just because of frigid temperatures. Many tree pests, including EAB, are able to enter a low-energy, hibernation-like state until spring. This presents very temperature-specific risks to tree health, as signs of tree pests may be less apparent.

The biggest winter risk, when it comes to tree pests, is the thoughtless transportation of wood. Fire wood, wood for building, and any other form of material derived from infested trees could spread tree pests far beyond its original bounds. This is dangerous to tree health because once an infestation begins in a certain area, it can be incredibly difficult to contain effectively.

If you’re a resident of Rochester, MN and concerned about tree pests or general winter tree health and are looking for advice, call the tree health experts with Maier Tree and Lawn today at (507) 286-8733, or visit our website here for more information.

There’s plenty to consider when you’re venturing into the wide world of lawn care in Winona, MN. When and how much to water, how and why to fertilize, and what signs to look for when you’re trying to judge if your lawn is healthy are some topics that only scratch the surface of proper, long-term lawn care. The professionals with Maier Tree and Lawn want you to feel comfortable judging for yourself when your lawn needs a little help, but knowing the signs of common issues like lawn fungus is the first important step in the long journey towards being an annual lawn care master.

The term “lawn fungus” covers more ground than just referencing the occasional mushroom. Fungal lawn diseases can take the form of brown spots, slimy patches, powdery substances, and more. Identifying the specific type of lawn fungus you’re dealing with can require the consultation of a professional lawn care specialist, or at the very least, a good amount of grass-specific research. The causes can also vary widely; over-watering, under-watering, poor mowing techniques, and unlucky weather conditions cover a small portion of the potential triggers. Plus, it’s good for Minnesota lawn care enthusiasts to know that snow is also a potential trigger.

During the winter your grass may be dormant, but the snow that rests on top of it can still impact its awakening in the spring. Depending upon how much snow falls and how compacted it becomes, it may foster the perfect environment for lawn fungus to grow. This is especially true if leaves were not raked before snowfall began, as the extra layer of leaves can provide nutrition and breeding grounds for several types of lawn fungus. Though you can take some steps to prevent this, even raking and avoiding compressing the snow may not be foolproof.

Thanks to the wide variety of existing lawn fungi, the types of treatments are just as varied. If you see signs of lawn fungus on your Winona, MN, lawn come spring, contact the lawn care professionals with Maier Tree and Lawn. Any signs of browning, discoloration, or other oddities should be checked before they’re allowed to spread to other parts of the lawn, even if it turns out to be a fungal red-herring. We can be reached at (507) 454-7000 or by visiting our website here for more information.

Winter in Rochester, MN, is the time of year where many homeowners kick back and ignore their lawns for 100 odd days or so. Thanks to heavy snow and bitter temperatures, a large portion of your yard’s population settles in to take a little time off as well. Whereas grass and flowers can hide under a blanket of snow and enjoy the dormant months, your favorite trees may not be quite so lucky. Even though the winter may feel like your vacation from lawn work, the tree care professionals at Maier Tree and Lawn want you to know that in your times of tree removal need, we’re available year-round.

Trees are generally dormant in the winter, but unlike the other plant life on your lawn, trees tend to be more exposed to the elements. Even short and squat tree types have to deal with heavy snow, brittle winds, and sheet ice on a good day during the Minnesota winter. Anyone familiar with tree care knows that a little ice and snow shouldn’t be enough to knock out your trees for good, but that doesn’t mean it never happens.

Even though they generally lose a lot of their vibrant colors and foliage come winter, there are still many signs a tree care novice can look for when considering professional tree removal. If the bark is shedding or cracking, is hollow or dry underneath, or is discolored, you should consult a tree care expert for follow ups. If the branches of your tree have buds that have gone dry, or you’re losing branches entirely, your tree may already be too far gone. In each of these cases, a tree care expert will be able to help you decide if a complete tree removal is appropriate.

Because of the numbing temperatures, some homeowners may not consider tree removal at all until spring comes around. In some cases, this may be fine, but for trees in more precarious positions, it may be a bad idea to wait until all the snow melts away. Issues like rot, disease, or pest infestations can pass in the spring much more easily than in the winter as everything comes out of dormancy. If you’re not sure if tree removal is right for you, requesting a professional consultation could still save you grief down the line.

If you’re a Rochester, MN, resident interested in having a tree evaluated for tree removal, or are interested in more winter tree care tips, call Maier Tree and Lawn at (507) 286-8733 or visit our website here for more information today.