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Plants grow the best in environments in which they exist naturally. Trees thrive in forest-like environments. When we plant trees in open areas that are prone to human contact, we commonly encounter various human-caused problems. An effective way to help trees thrive in such surroundings is to add simple landscaping elements such as mulch and fertilizer, which create a more natural-like environment for your trees.

Trimming/Pruning

Poor trimming practices can be harmful not only to your trees, but to you as well. Properly maintaining your trees means trimming them in a manner that is both safe and effective, which includes the removal of dead or dying branches, as well as the pruning of various branches to help shape the tree. By doing this you will improve the structure and reduce the hazards of falling limbs or overhang.

Leaf Disease Fungal diseases, when left untreated, can severely damage and even kill your trees. Some examples of fungal diseases include the following:

	•	Anthracrose disease affects deciduous and flowering trees. If the foliage appears wrinkled or you notice a powdery white spotting then there is a good indication that your trees have acquired anthracrose disease.
	•	Fungal cankers are dead areas in the bark, stems and branches of trees caused by fungi that grow between the bark and the wood.
	•	Rusts will cause brown, yellow or orange spots on leaves causing the leaves to fall prematurely.
	•	Apple scab disease, common to crabs, appears as brown or green velvety lesions on the leaves.
	•	Due to the variety of fungal diseases, they can appear annually or on a more frequent basis depending on your trees over all health. Be sure to ask your Best Tree Care certified arborists how to prevent such diseases with fungicide applications. Some of these require a regular yearly application.

Bacterial Diseases

•	Bacterial diseases, like fungal diseases, can also severely damage and or even kill your trees. A common example is known as fire blight.
•	Fire blight affects apple and pear trees. Its spread by wind and pollinating bees. Fire blight gets it’s name from the burnt appearance of affected leaves and limbs. In trees that are infected you will notice the flowers turn brown as well as a blackening of the twigs that will eventually shrivel up.

Insects

Insects pose a huge threat to our trees. There are several different species of harmful insects which are listed below:

•	Borer insects are attracted to unhealthy trees. They burrow and lay eggs inside the trunk. Preventative health maintenance to keep your trees unstressed is the best defense against borers. Most borers are foreign, meaning they’ve been brought in from unknown sources such as firewood from trees not locally grown.
•	Aphid insects are small, soft-bodied, pear-shaped insects and are often found in large numbers within stems or leaves. Aphids suck plant juices through needle-like stylets. The resulting damage includes twisted, wrinkled leaves, yellow leaves, or honeydew, which is a clear, sticky liquid of waste that rains down from trees.
•	Spittle bugs are related to aphid insects that produce sticky white bubbles at the base of leaves and twigs. These are prevalent on Pines and Alder trees.
•	Leaf-chewing insects infest in cycles. Though some chewing of leaves is a necessary natural occurance as trees tend to overproduce food to compensate, infestations of great numbers can severely defoliate trees. Examples include Japanese Beetles and Gypsy Moths.
•	Scale insects feed on the sap of stressed hardwoods and conifers. Signs of scale infestations include yellow or red leaves, branches gouting or abnormal leaf and shoot growth.
•	Mites can be found on Pines and Burning Bushes. They feed on the sap and can drastically alter the visual appearance of their host plants. Damaged areas can appear speckled with tiny white spots, yellow/brownish leaves or needles and premature needle or leaf drop.
•	Woolly Adelgids are extremely common pests and can cause the early expiration of a tree. They target older plants, such as Pines and Evergreen Shrubs. They suck fluid from the underside of Hemlock needles and may also inject toxins into the tree on which they feed.
•	Weevils, or snout beetles, damage both flowers and fruit. An indication of a weevil infestation is notches around the edges of leaves. Adults are gray and black and feed at night. Their larvae are whitish or greenish grubs that live in soil and cause the most serious damage by chewing on the surface of young roots.
•	Caterpillars defoliate trees and shrubs, increasing the chance of subsequent infestation. Signs of their presence include silken, yellow cocoons on new growth and droppings on the ground below. Large healthy trees can usually tolerate this damage; however, high infestations over multiple years can cause a decline in the life span of a tree.
•	Lace bugs feed on the underside of leaves by continually sucking which causes the leaf cells to eventually die. This causes yellow spots to appear on the upper sides of leaves. These appear similar to the spots made by mites but are much larger. More severe damage can cause the leaves to turn brown. Lace bugs produce brown droppings on the underside of leaves, which enables the tree owner to distinguish between Lace Bugs and Mites. Early detection is the key in controlling this type of infestation.

Decline

The term refers to the declination of health and eventual death of a tree. Common causes of the tree decline include age, surrounding environmental stress, insect damage and disease. Proper health maintenance and simple landscaping techniques, such as watering, mulching, and proper fertilizing can help prevent decline.

Winter Injury

During the winter months it is common for Evergreens to lose their natural moisture. Ensuring that you have moisture rich soil around your Evergreens is a great preventative tool to avoid the onset of winter damage.

Storm Damage

Most storm damage can easily be prevented with proper maintenance and regular trimming.

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