Maier Tree & Lawn News

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!

Living in Rochester, MN, means that, at least for part of the year, you’ll be sharing space with a wide variety of insects. Sometimes this simply results in a few ants in the kitchen or some boxelders in the garage. A minor irritant and annoyance to you, but for your trees, there are bugs out there that pose a real and lethal threat.

At Maier Tree and Lawn, we take insect control seriously when it can put your trees at risk. Knowing how to identify signs of resident tree pests is a great way to ensure that your trees get the help they need before the damage becomes irreparable.

Tree pests come in all shapes and sizes, and the damage they are capable of varies just as widely. In some cases, you might just be dealing with a few webbed nests here and there. Tree pests are also capable of boring out trunks, devouring leaves, and infesting neighboring trees with the power of sheer numbers. Professional insect control can either eliminate the issue entirely, or, in especially severe cases, give your trees a fighting chance.

You may not always need the eyes of a professional to identify a tree pest problem. If you’re lucky, the tree pests will have left some type of obvious evidence of their existence. If you find yourself spotting chewed up leaves, excess webbing, trunk holes, or anything else that indicates your tree might have undesirable visitors, contact insect control specialists immediately. Catching tree pest infestations early is the best way to ensure they don’t spread to other nearby trees.

Now that spring has come, your Rochester, MN, trees are likely springing back into action. If you catch sight of a potential tree pest interfering with the spring blooming process, contact insect control experts immediately. At Maier Tree and Lawn, we offer expert tree pest knowledge and professional insect control services. Don’t let some little pests become the end of your otherwise healthy trees. Call us today at (507) 268-8733 or reach us by visiting our website.

Finally getting to spring is an arduous process for Winona, MN, residents. Often, the first thaw is quickly overthrown by the thousandth snowfall, and even moderate temperatures during the day can be followed by freezing temps overnight. Because of this, trying to judge when to start your lawn care when winter is still lingering can be a game of luck and an exercise in frustration. When it comes maintaining a healthy lawn, the lawn care professionals at Maier Tree and Lawn encourage homeowners to exercise patience, because managing your timing is the most important skill to master.

Acting too soon or too late can put unnecessary strain on an otherwise healthy lawn.

Watering is one of the simplest aspects of lawn care that’s the hardest to resist doing too early. Though it’s true that your lawn will likely need a little extra moisture heading into spring, watering too early can leave the water sitting on frozen ground instead of soaking into the soil. A great way to stress a healthy lawn after a tough winter is to turn it into a lake as soon as the temperature creeps above freezing.

It’s also important to remember that your lawn is likely coming out of its dormant state gradually. Treating it too aggressively right off the bat could cause side effects like growing delays. For instance, you should try to delay your lawn mowing until things perk up a little bit. If the grass is still dormant, frozen, or brittle, then mowing it won’t be doing it any favors. Once the growing season has begun, feel free to tackle your lawn with a bit more vigor.

It’s unlikely that you’ll kill your lawn if you make a minor misstep like watering or mowing a little early, but ensuring a healthy lawn year-round sometimes means easing off on the lawn care until your grass can fend for itself.

If you’re itching to do some lawn work or you’re worried about the state of your Winona, MN lawn, contact the lawn care professionals at Maier Tree and Lawn for a consultation or to set up a lawn care appointment. Call today at (507) 454-7000 or visit our website for healthy lawn tips and more information.

This spring was the season for flooding in Winona, MN. After significant snow melt and rainfall this spring, plenty of lawns have already seen excess water and even pooling. Unfortunately, for some Winona locals, this has put their grass at something of a disadvantage. If you’ve noticed signs of damage to your healthy grass this spring, the lawn care professionals with Maier Tree and Lawn can help you get your lawn back on track for every season.

While watering your lawn regularly is important, too much of a good thing can do significant damage to grass roots and soil. Like any plant, grass needs water and oxygen to survive. If it’s getting plenty of one but not enough of the other, this can lead to significant health issues or even death. Unfortunately, with the excessive melting this year, parts of your lawn may have already been subject to this type of over-watering.

Over-watering otherwise healthy grass can produce very visible problem areas. Puddling, of course, is a sign that too much water has been used. If your lawn looks like a kiddie pool, there’s a good chance those grass roots are at risk. Other signs include dead or brown spots, mold or fungus growth, excess weed growth, or pest problems. Water tends to draw all sorts of life forms that aren’t exactly conducive to healthy grass. If you’re getting constant visitors, you could be fostering an overly damp environment. Consulting a lawn care expert in the event of any of these symptoms is a great way to ensure your lawn doesn’t sustain irreversible damage.

Healthy grass aside, over-watering your lawn can be a major waste of time, water, and money. For homeowners invested in global conservation, reducing lawn watering can be a simple way to cut down on resources without risking the health of your grass or other plants. Even if you don’t live in a drought-prone area, saving water and conserving where you can is always a great way to contribute to a healthy local ecosystem.

The lawn care professionals with Maier Tree and Lawn are well versed in treating mistreated lawns. If weather or any other factor has damaged your healthy grass this spring in Winona, MN, contact our experts for assistance. Call today at (507) 454-7000 or visit our website here for more information.

Judging when and if to have a tree removed is a difficult process. Fully grown trees aren’t only a great aesthetic addition to your Rochester, MN property, but they’re also extremely valuable. A healthy adult tree can add a significant sum to property value which makes the decision to have one removed all the more complicated.

A heavily damaged or dead tree can be just as much trouble as a healthy tree is beneficial. Maier Tree and Lawn’s tree service professionals urge homeowners to consider what their trees are contributing to their property, and if you’re stuck with a troubling tree, consider if tree removal is right for you.

Spring is a season that really highlights the signs of unhealthy trees. Missing leaves or discoloration will be especially obvious when compared to other nearby trees. Occasionally a visit from tree service professionals is all that’s needed to remove damaged or dying limbs, but in some cases, these could be signs that the tree is dying.

Depending upon the cause of the tree’s poor health, tree removal may be the best and safest option for other trees nearby. An infestation or disease may be capable of spreading to other trees which can sometimes necessitate tree removal. If one of your trees is looking unwell or exhibiting signs of disease, contact tree service experts for a consultation.

Unfortunately, even if your trees are all in good health, tree removal can still become necessary on short notice. Even a tree free of pests or disease isn’t completely safe. More often than not, spring tree removal becomes necessary after storm damage or other unexpected physical trauma. A tree struck by lightning or knocked over by wind immediately becomes a hazard to your home, family, and the rest of your property. This type of tree removal is practically impossible to plan for and can be extremely stressful. In these cases, relying on tree service professionals can help smooth out the process.

Regardless of the cause, springtime tree removals can indeed be a necessity. If your Rochester, MN property is in need of a tree removal this spring, contact the tree service experts at Maier Tree and Lawn today at (507) 454-7000, or visit our website here.

Lawn care often picks up pretty quickly once the thaw begins in Rochester, MN. As temperatures begin to rise, so do the needs of your lawn and grass. Deciding how to best focus your lawn care processes can be difficult, especially if you have a large property or lawn with many needs. One great first step you can take to prepare your lawn care routine for spring is to schedule a lawn aeration appointment with Maier Tree and Lawn before the growing season really kicks off.

Spring lawn aeration is a process that many homeowners annually rely upon to help their grass reach its fullest potential in the warmer months. Though aeration technology isn’t exactly brand new, there are still plenty of homeowners and lawn care newbies who may not be familiar with it. However, living in a state with harsh weather means working to give your grass every possible chance to succeed regardless of your lawn care expertise, and for the unfamiliar, one of those chances can involve aeration.

Aeration is the process of systematically pulling out “plugs” of soil from your lawn to allow more space for nutrients and water to penetrate the surface. Aeration also allows for your grass to grow more freely with the additional open space which is great for soil that has been packed down tightly. Compacted soil prevents water and nutrients from penetrating down to the roots of the grass, stunting proper development and growth. With aeration you give your grass a fighting chance.

Thanks to its many benefits, aeration is a great process to employ in more than one season. However, the lawn care benefits vary based upon the type of grass you grow or when you plan to seed. Generally, aeration is a great lawn care tool to employ before growing season gets into full swing. That way your grass can reap the full benefits of the extra wiggle room than the process ensures. For some lawn care enthusiasts this may mean that aeration will best serve you in the fall instead of the spring. If you aren’t sure, don’t be afraid to ask a lawn care professional for a recommended timeline.

If your Rochester, MN lawn is thawed, warming, and ready for aeration, call Maier Tree and Lawn today to schedule your appointment. Our lawn care professionals can be reached at (507) 454-7000 or by visiting our website here.

Ice is a quintessential part of a Rochester, MN, winter. Though the natural environment is well prepared for most of what Minnesota winters can offer, your home landscaping, particularly with significant quantities of ice, is less flexible. Luckily, our tree health experts at Maier Tree and Lawn are trained to answer all of your winter tree care questions, even if you’re struggling with an icy tree challenge.

Some trees are better at handling winter weather than others, but that doesn’t mean these trees are immune to the tree health risks that ice can pose. Ice damage can come in the form of cracks, bark damage, and broken branches from excess weight. It also may not occur overnight, but instead over the course of several days or even weeks. If your property is largely unprotected and annually experiences high levels of wind and ice, you may want to consider preventative tree health measures.

Trying to tend to your compromised tree manually can be a fast way to make an ice problem worse. Part of becoming effective at winter tree care is knowing when to intervene and when to let nature be nature. However, if ice or snow has damaged your tree in such a way that it now poses a threat to your home or property, then intervention is definitely recommended. This means that a branch or tree is in danger of falling, and in such a case, a professional pruning or tree removal team should be contacted. Trying to prune an otherwise undamaged tree yourself may do more harm than good, along with putting you in danger.

Winter tree care and dormant tree care is difficult in general because it’s hard to judge when you should step in and when you should just wait for a good thaw. Hardy transplanted trees, young trees, and native spruces can all suffer during excessively icy weather, and it can be tough for homeowners unfamiliar with the intricacies of tree health to know when a tree is in trouble or simply bearing down for winter. When in doubt, consulting a tree health professional is an excellent first step.

Winter tree care may be fairly hands off for homeowners, but we have the tools necessary to intervene when one of your trees is at risk.  If you’re concerned that your Rochester, MN, trees are in danger of winter damage, consult with one of our tree health professionals today. Contact Maier Tree and Lawn for additional information at (507) 286-8733 or by visiting our website here.

As fall creeps closer, trees in Winona, MN are heading towards change. Say you spot a discolored bunch of leaves, some odd spots on the trunk, or an unusual amount of browning a little too early. Do these signs necessarily mean trouble, or is it just nature in action? The tree care experts with Maier Tree and Lawn know that tree diseases can be silent killers, and when the seasons change, sometimes signs of trouble can blend in more than ever.

Anthracnose is an umbrella term you may hear now and again in the world of tree care that refers to several kinds of fungal tree diseases.  Anthracnose can present with the browning and curling of leaves, discolored spots, and occasionally twig death. It’s common among many tree types, but the good news is that if you spot signs of anthracnose in your oak tree, that particular strain won’t spread to other tree species in your yard. If you favor one species around your property, however, this could spell trouble. Unlike some common Minnesota tree diseases, anthracnose isn’t necessarily an outright death sentence. If left untreated for too long, however, it can weaken your tree significantly and make it susceptible to other pests.

Apple Scab is an extremely common tree disease that, as the name indicates, can seriously impact the health of your apple trees. As fall begins, infected leaves can drop prematurely which may be difficult to detect unless you happen to be watching for signs. Without treatment the fruit can be discolored, fuzzy, undersized, and more. When the seasons change it can be difficult to tell if your apple tree is just reacting to the weather or showing symptoms of a tree disease. When in doubt, consult tree care professionals.

Oak Wilt is a name that many tree care enthusiasts are familiar with in recent years. It can affect every species of oak tree and, in severe cases, cause tree death in as little as a year. Oak wilt is a tree disease that can be difficult to detect during routine tree care as the symptoms can be subtle or understated. As indicated by the name, watch for wilting leaves and uniform discoloration. If you have suspicions, contact tree care professionals for a consultation immediately.

If you have questions about fungal tree diseases common in the Winona, MN area, contact us today for additional information at (507) 454-7000 or by visiting our website here. When caught early enough, tree diseases don’t have to be the end of your trees.