Here are some suggestions to improve the vitality and longevity of your trees and shrubs:

• Fertilize – apply a slow-release fertilizer to replenish nutrients lost over the summer and improve resistance to damage from disease, insects and inclement weather.
• Prune – make your trees and shrubs healthy, productive, beautiful and safe. Take advantage of pruning after leaves have fallen when the skeletons of the trees and shrubs are visible. Pruning during the colder months also puts less stress on your plants.
• Mulch – give root systems an extra layer of warmth.
• Wrap evergreens to prevent animal damage.
• Shelter plants from runoffs of melting salts.
• Schedule an appointment with an ArborTech arborist – our arborist can assess the plants on your property, design and execute a plan that will meet your plants’ healthcare needs

The post Prepare Your Trees and Shrubs for Fall and Winter appeared first on ArborTech Tree Services.

SPRINGFIELD, Mass. (WWLP) – Arborists are trying to save the trees damaged during this year’s infestation of gypsy moth caterpillars.

For weeks, 22News has taken you to eastern Hampden and Hampshire County towns, where gypsy moth caterpillars have been eating the leaves of thousands of trees. Springfield arborist Danny Briggs of ArborTech told 22News that it’s still possible to save trees from being completely foliated, using a “measured” chemical attack.

“We spray the foliage- it’s just a light mist- and it will kill the caterpillars. We suppress the caterpillars. We don’t kill them all, we suppress them,” Briggs said.

“The outbreak is really bad in Brimfield, Ware, Hampden. It’s making its way into Wilbraham and East Longmeadow.”

Briggs regrets that caterpillar infestation victims don’t call for help earlier, before their trees were left without any leaves.

“I personally believe within two years, a tree is defoliated- it’s very hard to tap into its carbohydrates and come back,” Briggs said.

The Springfield arborist said that tree owners can take steps now against a possible caterpillar infestation next year.

“So that’s a soil drench, and the tree will uptake the insecticides and protect them from the caterpillars in the future,” Briggs said.

A bit of welcome news for affected homeowners: Briggs predicts that the worst will be over in about two weeks, when the caterpillars follow nature’s cycle, going into the cocoon stage before becoming harmless adult moths.

The post How to Keep the Gypsy Moth Caterpillars Away appeared first on ArborTech Tree Services.

In the last month, ArborTech’s Plant Health Care (PHC) Technicians have been out and about inspecting, monitoring and treating different pests in our customers’ landscapes.

Many will remember the devastation last summer of entire forest canopies “gone missing” in Monson, MA due to Gypsy Moth defoliation. Well, folks, sorry to say, but they’re HERE! UMASS Amherst has reported Gypsy Moth caterpillars feeding on campus. ArborTech clients from Wilbraham to Somers are seeing multiple types of caterpillars in their yards

The truth is, insect and disease issues are always present in our landscapes. As a homeowner, it’s one thing to use a spray bottle on your Lilies for that pesky Leaf Beetle, but quite another, when your 70′ White Oak tree is covered in tiny, feeding caterpillars. Even when your 12′ Ornamental Cherry is having issues, it’s best to call a professional.
Another growing concern are ticks, as more and more cases of Lyme Disease are being reported. Here are some facts regarding ticks and preventative measures:

6 Tick Facts

• Ticks don’t jump or fly, they crawl.
• People are most likely to experience a tick bite between the months of April and September.
• Ticks are also active in the winter. Freezing temps do not kill ticks.
• Only deer ticks transmit Lyme disease.
• Deer tick nymphs are the size of a poppy seed.
• Ticks carry various transmittable diseases.

ArborTech Tick Prevention Techniques

Perimeter and Tick Habitat Spot Treatments: Perimeter treatments can be either liquid or granular applications. Spray treatments are applied using a high-pressure sprayer. Three applications work best, one in mid May, one in mid-June and one in the Fall.

Deer Browsing Treatment: Ticks are brought into our yards by deer, rodents and other animals. Do your best to prevent these from encroaching on your property with deer repellents and rodent deterrents.

Pet Treatments: Treat your pets with a tick preventative product. There are many on the market.

Tick Tubes: These tubes contain treated cotton that mice like to steal and bring back to their nests where ticks reside.

Rely on the professionals when it comes to insect and disease issues in your landscape.  A good Plant Health Care Technician uses knowledge and experience to diagnose problems and offer treatment options.

So give us a call at (413) 525-0060 or contact us here.  We have solutions, even before you know you have problems!

The post Annoying Pests: Caterpillars & Ticks appeared first on ArborTech Tree Services.

These weather conditions are also difficult on our landscapeʼs trees and shrubs. Some of the damage is not readily noticeable until the warm days of spring. Some of the more common injuries that our New England plants sustain are as follows:

Wind Burn (Desiccation)

This injury is common with broadleaf evergreens such as Rhododendron, Holly, and Mountain Laurel, but can also affect conifers such as Arborvitae and Cypress. The browning of the leaves occurs when a leaf and surrounding tissue lose moisture and are unable to replace the moisture due to frozen ground conditions and/or dry soils.

Stem Dieback

Although quite similar to Desiccation, this injury is more common in stems rather than leaves. Some species or cultivars of trees and shrubs are injured if temperatures fall below a minimum tolerance for the given plant. This damage is not evident until spring when leaves and flowers do not emerge and the stems turn brown. Even our native species can suffer damage from excessively low temperatures in the coldest winters. Japanese Maple, Eastern Redbud, and Serviceberry commonly suffer from this injury in our area.

Salt Damage

Salt, a.k.a. ice melt makes our lives easier in the winter. We rely on salt to improve our roads and walkways, but in doing so we jeopardize the vitality of our trees and shrubs. Salt-spray, from passing autos, can cause the burning of leaves. Salt run-off is taken up by a plantʼs root system. Salt, which is made up of sodium and chloride, is toxic to plants when present in high concentrations. Sugar Maple, Ash, and most fruit trees are highly sensitive to salt.

We will always have challenging weather in New England. Remember the October Snowstorm in 2011?  That storm was a great example of the destructive force of Mother Nature on our landscapeʼs trees and shrubs.  Snow, ice and straight-line winds stressed even the most structurally sound trees by weakening their branches, main limbs, and root systems.

Nothing is guaranteed when it comes to defending against Mother Nature, but a proactive approach is a lot wiser investment than a reactive approach. Thatʼs why ArborTech offers a Plant Health Care program that works with your landscapeʼs trees and shrubs from the roots up.  To learn more about this program call (413) 525-0060 to schedule a free consultation with one of our Certified Arborists. Think Spring!

The post Winter Stress on Trees and Shrubs appeared first on ArborTech Tree Services.

Even the less ornamental shade trees, such as Sugar Maples and Oaks are beginning to flush out their leaves for the start of a brand-new season.

As the 2017 spring season begins, ArborTech’s Certified Arborists are out and about assessing customers’ trees and shrubs for health and vitality. They’re walking properties, identifying problems and making recommendations for treatment as well as preventative care.

Many homeowners take care of their lawns (it shows). Aeration, fertilization and irrigation are all excellent for healthy soil and green, weed-free lawns. Your lawn is healthy, are your trees and shrubs? ArborTech’s Integrated Pest Management (IPM) programs are all about knowledge, prevention and responsible care of your trees and shrubs.

Take a peak outside, do any of your Hemlocks look like this?

Do your Rhododendron’s leaves look like this?

And, one more tid-bit of info to leave you with…caterpillar season is approaching. Leaf feeding caterpillars eat an enormous amount in a short period of time.

Being proactive is key! Take advantage of ArborTech’s IPM programs which are custom designed to meet your plants’ healthcare needs. Call Chris at (413) 525-0060 to schedule a free assessment of your landscape’s trees and shrubs. She looks forward to hearing from you.

The post Spring Has Sprung! appeared first on ArborTech Tree Services.