Wachtel Tree Science » Healthy Tree Science News

healthytrees — Thu, 05 Aug 2010 16:28:21 +0000

Heat Stress

This has been a tough summer for trees. The extended periods of extreme heat that we have experienced this year have stressed some trees and made them more susceptible to problems.

High temperatures can have a detrimental effect on trees growing in tough sites or those with damaged vascular systems. Trees cool themselves through transpiration, a process where water is released from the leaves as water vapor. This is similar to the way we transpire water to cool our bodies when we sweat. As temperatures rise, water vapor is released through small pores in leaf surfaces. Even though trees have mechanisms to regulate water loss, water can evaporate from the leaves faster than it can be replaced. Even with sufficient soil moisture, trees and shrubs with limited/unhealthy root systems can struggle to move enough water. Lack of available water to trees and shrubs in hot areas often results in scorched, dead or wilted leaves.

Fall tree care will be very helpful this year. A great deal of root growth occurs in the fall. Practices that promote root development will go a long way to protecting their long-term health. Help your trees begin to recover as they head into winter. Call our office today to schedule a property tour.

Submitted by Jeff Wilson

Certified Arborist #IL0099A

Wachtel Tree Science

Did You Know?

healthytrees — Fri, 30 Jul 2010 17:23:08 +0000

Trees keep our air supply fresh by absorbing carbon dioxide and producing oxygen.

In one year, an acre of trees can absorb as much carbon as is produced by a car driven up to 8700 miles.

Trees provide shade and shelter, reducing yearly heating and cooling costs by 2.1 billion dollars.

Trees lower air temperature by evaporating water in their leaves.

The average tree in metropolitan area survives only about 8 years!

A tree does not reach its most productive stage of carbon storage for about 10 years.

Trees cut down noise pollution by acting as sound barriers.

Tree roots stabilize the soil and prevent erosion.

Trees improve water quality by slowing and filtering rain water as well as protecting aquifers and watersheds.

Trees provide protection from downward fall of rain, sleet, and hail as well as reduce storm run-off and the possibility of flooding,

Trees provide food and shelter for wildlife.

Trees located along streets act as a glare and reflection control.

The death of one 70-year old tree would return over three tons of carbon to the atmosphere.

Submitted by Jeff Wilson

Certified Arborist #IL0099A

Wachtel Tree Science

Investing In Tree Planting Pays Off

healthytrees — Fri, 23 Jul 2010 12:17:34 +0000

Homeowners and businesses investments in tree installations can reduce nearby noise 50% percent and site temperatures by as much as 9 degrees Fahrenheit, according to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and American Forests, a nonprofit conservation organization.

99 out of 100 appraisers agree attractive landscaping increases the speed of home sales according to a survey conducted by the Society of Real Estate Appraisers.

Submitted by Jeff Wilson

Certified Arborist #IL0099A

Wachtel Tree Science

Interrupting Gypsy Moth Activity with BugBarrier

healthytrees — Thu, 03 Jun 2010 20:09:10 +0000

There may be three opportunities for the BugBarrier Tree Band to stop gypsy moth and interrupt its lifecycle. It can be applied anytime from early spring through mid summer. After Labor Day, however, it should be removed and a new band applied the following spring.

1) BugBarrier Tree Band applied in spring (by late April) is a protective measure to stop young larvae hatched in the lower part of the tree, or in nearby areas, from climbing up to feed on the foliage of uninfested trees.

2) In the summer, during their period of peak feeding activity, gypsy moth caterpillars take frequent trips (sometimes daily) down the trunk to spend the heat of the day in the cooler understory. They then crawl back up in the evening. These larvae are able to cross down over BugBarrier Tree Band to reach the ground but cannot cross the band to get back into the canopy, thereby reducing infestation levels and tree defoliation.

3) The third opportunity to stop gypsy moth is in mid to late July. The band will stop egg-laden female adults from climbing the tree. It won’t stop them from laying eggs. They will lay them wherever they happen to be. But, this may help concentrate egg masses below the band, making it easier to identify them, scrape them from the bark and destroy them before they can hatch.

Submitted By: Jeff Wilson: Certified Arborist #IL0099a Wachtel Tree Science

Staying Power

healthytrees — Tue, 04 May 2010 20:50:35 +0000

I read a couple of dozen trade and business journals a month. I also have a file on my computer labeled, “Sayings.” Whenever I read a one or two line quote that I feel has significance with respect to how I would like to manage my personal and/or business life, I add it to my Sayings list.

Several months ago I added the following quote of Chris Coswell’s. “With any service-oriented business, length in business is generally synonymous with quality of service: the good companies survive while the bad ones fail.” This struck a chord with me since Wachtel Tree Science & Service was founded in 1935 and is now in its 73^rd year.

Last week as I was going through some old files I came across a few old Metro-Milwaukee Yellow Pages with notes on prices, ad size, etc. I thought of Coswell’s quote and decided to examine the ads and see who was still in business.

Under the heading of Tree Service there were 27 companies listed in the 1949 directory. Of these twenty-seven companies, five are still in business today, 60 years later. And of these five, three of them are mainly nursery/garden center type businesses today. In 1949, Wachtel was the second to last in the listings.

Move ahead to the 1960 yellow pages and there are 40 companies listed. Of these forty, only the same five from 1949 are still around. Wachtel is still the second to last listing.

Ten years later in 1970 there are now 51 tree service companies listed in the Yellow Pages. Of these, nine are in business today, with four of those being more nursery/garden center type businesses. Wachtel is still the second to last listing.

Last year there were 91 companies listed under Tree Service and we are now the seventh from the last listing. When we are celebrating our 100^th anniversary in 2035, I wonder how many of these 91 companies will still be in business. One thing is for sure; You can depend on us for quality and knowledgeable care of your trees.

Paul Markworth, Board Certified Master Arborist

What Does 2010 Hold for Us?

healthytrees — Wed, 28 Apr 2010 20:35:16 +0000

Predicting the potential insect and disease problems for the coming year is a helpful tool that guides us in what to watch for. We pool our collective experiences and take our best guess. Here is what we will be looking for:

Insects:

Japanese Beetles: Their numbers will continue to increase over time! With all of the attention on EAB, this one will catch many people by surprise. This insect builds rapidly to very high numbers and can be a nuisance to people. In addition, they defoliate a wide range of plants. See our fall ‘08 issue on line at www.healthytrees.com. Watch for lacey looking leaves appearing during the summer.

Emerald Ash Borer (EAB): Many more discoveries are sure to come this year. We still could be a year or two away from starting to see a lot of dying ash but it is coming.

Two-line Chestnut Borer (oaks) and Ips Bark Beetles (conifers): These pests continue to affect a wide variety of trees. If you have been plagued with these in the past, be sure to keep up treatments to keep your trees vigorous.

Bronze Birch Borer: (a relative of EAB) be sure your birch is well watered (by you or nature) and call us if you see thinning or dieback in the crown.

Gypsy Moth: Our egg mass counts in general say numbers will continue low for 2010. There are higher counts in some areas and a few hot spots will be aerial treated by the state this year. Keep watching for early summer leaf damage. The numbers could build for 2011.

Diseases:

Sphaeropsis/Diplodia Tip Blight of Pine: This is continuing to be high. Watch for dying tips from this fungal stem canker. This disease can ruin a valuable landscape plant.

Needlecast disease in spruce and pines: Watch for older, interior needles browning or going off color. This can leave trees looking bare and devastate nice screen or specimen trees.

Apple Scab: Levels continue to run high creating spotting on leaves. If your tree is susceptible, it needs to be protected before the leaf disease starts or you can have a bare ugly tree by mid-summer.

Do not forget about other creatures. The long winter season and deep snow cover in most areas has created ideal conditions for rabbits and voles to do damage on thin bark trees and shrubs. I know since I have lost several plants in my yard to the rabbits this year!

The heavy snow also damaged tree branches. These need to be addressed for safety, health and appearance. A broken branch can be an invitation to more damage or a disease problem.

There is nothing like monitoring for problems to head off serious damage to valuable plants. With the above clues, you can catch a problem in the early stages. Call your Wachtel Tree Science Certified Arborist to help you keep your landscape healthy and beautiful.

Updated Website

healthytrees — Fri, 23 Apr 2010 20:50:26 +0000

We just uploaded numerous newsletter articles that weren’t on the website from 2009 & 2010. There are also a couple new groups on the News & Resources page. You can now easily find EAB information, the 75th Anniversary winners, our plant health care calendars, and news updates.

Please go and check it out!

Reminder: All Wachtel Arborists are Certified!!!!

We now have 22 Certified Arborists and 3 Board Certified Master Arborists on staff. That covers all of our production and sales staff!!!

Why Tree Doctors Should Perform the Surgery

healthytrees — Thu, 22 Apr 2010 15:17:16 +0000

Wachtel Tree Science has a well-deserved
reputation for saving trees and solving complex
tree problems. Not every tree can or
even should be saved, given its condition,
age, prognosis, remaining expected lifespan, risk of failure,
or ability to fulfill its purpose in the landscape. However,
when it is reasonable to pursue a course of action,
utilizing the various treatment regimes at our disposal,
Wachtel has a proven track record that is well known.
Prospects and customers usually readily agree with
this assessment of Wachtel, as we are known to have the
most Certified Arborists in the State, most having
degrees in Arboriculture, Forestry, Horticulture, Natural
Resources or related fields. They put their trust in us
to perform a wide variety of treatments to regain or
sustain their trees’ health.
I am surprised, however, how often pruning
is relegated to “less competent” arborists. The reasoning
given is that our expertise and “brain power” are not
needed for mundane pruning needs. This position needs
to be examined!
Pruning is important and involves the removal of
carefully selected parts of the tree: limbs, branches,
shoots, trunks. No selections are arbitrary. When removing
living parts, there must be recognition of numerous
disease development manifestations, or insect life cycles
as they relate to signs, symptoms or damage visible for
detection. There must be careful consideration of
branch biology: growth, form, and its relation to other
branches, now and in the future, to determine whether
or not it is removed, retained or altered. All of these
considerations will vary also with the species or cultivar
and age of the tree involved. (What is best for one tree
may be completely wrong for another.)
With all of these instances, as well as with dead
tree parts, the manner in which it is removed is
extremely important. This is surgery, after all. Cutting must preserve the living structures that deal with compartmentalization
(“healing”) within the tree. If these
are compromised, the tree will be injured and spend
years and a lot of wasted energy trying to overcome the
damage. Even dead parts interface with living tissue and
must be carefully excised so that infection and decay
does not start. All of our expertise, knowledge and technical
skills are brought to bear — after all, surgery is
potentially a bigger help or hindrance than many treatment
applications. Furthermore, the results from these
“operations” stay with the tree for the rest of its life!
We all have heard horror stories of how incompetent
human medical practitioners have removed the wrong
organ, limb or left tools or sponges within the body cavity!
Don’t let this happen to your tree! If you spend good
money for tree maintenance, and it is time for the tree’s
pruning treatment, don’t waste money paying some tree
cutter to harm it. That is far more costly and it would be
better to delay pruning until it can be done right.
by Anthony C. Arnoldi, Board Certified Master Arborist WI-0102B

February 2010 Winners

admin — Wed, 24 Mar 2010 13:57:01 +0000

February 2010
Congratulations to Tracy Wood of Pewaukee. Tracy is the second of our yearlong monthly contest winners in our 75th Anniversary celebration. The prize for the February drawing was a $75 gift certificate to Applebee’s restaurant. Our crews performed pruning of 6 trees, 11 shrubs and removal of a small tree on her property in late February.

Did you know that we offer shrub pruning? We do, and winter is an excellent time of the year to prune shrubs. Remember, for every service we do at your property your name will go in for that month’s drawing. This month the prize is a gift certificate for $75 at Shady Lane Greenhouse in Menomonee Falls. Shady Lane is an excellent place to purchase flowers and gifts. Wachtel Tree Science will have a booth at Shady Lane’s annual open house on May 4th. Let us help you keep your property healthy and beautiful.

For more information on how you can win and to let us know how we can help you keep your property healthy and beautiful please visit our website at www.HealthyTrees.com

Wachtel Tree Science Contest Reminder

admin — Mon, 01 Feb 2010 17:41:06 +0000

This is a reminder that in honor of our 75th year, we’d like to extend a special thank-you offer.

All customers that book $750 or more in tree pruning within the first 75 days of 2010 (January 1 – March 17), we be given a voucher for $75 to be used on a future service of any kind.

There is no time limit on when the pruning needs to be done, and the voucher will be good through December 31, 2011.

Visit www.HealthyTrees.com today for information on the tree services we provide.

Be sure to send us your email through our website contact form to be able to track your chances at a prize.