- All
- Arborist
- Blog
- Pest Management
- Tree Care
- Tree Nutrition
- Tree Planting
- Uncategorized
Navigating Common Vascular Fungal Diseases
Vascular fungal diseases are common to many species of trees and shrubs, and can cause major damage or death. Vascular systems of trees are made of two main parts: the ...
Read More 
Zimmerman Pine Moth
Zimmerman Pine Moth Zimmerman Pine Moth (Dioryctria zimmermani) is a non-native moth that attacks pine trees. It is established throughout the eastern United States, though mostly found in the Great ...
Read More 
How Phenology and Indicator Species Help With Pest and Disease Control
When treating for pests and diseases, the effectiveness of treatments depends on several factors, including dosage, application method, weather events, and the timing of treatments. But how do arborists decide ...
Read More 
Picking and Planting Three Common Types of Nursery Trees
Planting a new tree is one of the most rewarding ways to improve a landscape. You get the joy of knowing that you made a long-term improvement to the land ...
Read More 
Controlling Magnolia Scale
If you've noticed sticky leaves, black sooty mold, or declining magnolia trees, there's a good chance you're dealing with magnolia scale. This common insect pest can be frustrating for homeowners ...
Read More 
Avoiding Damage in Storms
If you have large trees on your property, I’m sure it has crossed your mind- what if this tree comes down on my house in a storm? Large shade trees ...
Read More 
Heat Stress vs. Drought Stress in Trees: What’s the Difference?
When trees look wilted, scorched, or stressed in the summer, many people assume the culprit is simply “lack of water.” But tree stress isn’t always about drought. Heat stress and ...
Read More 
Planting Under Mature Trees
Are you thinking of joining the trend of incorporating more native understory plants to your yard? This article is for you. Your goal may be to reduce your lawn maintenance ...
Read More 
Celebrating Arbor Day
Arbor Day is celebrated in April, which means it’s time to reflect on why we plant trees, and why trees are important to us. Arbor Day is a holiday dedicated ...
Read More 
What Are Girdling Roots—and Why They’re So Harmful to Trees?
Trees depend on a healthy root system just as much as a healthy canopy. While most people understand the importance of watering and pruning, one of the most common—and least ...
Read More 
Why you should avoid landscape fabric
Landscape fabric is sold widely as a low maintenance, semi-permanent solution to weeds. Unfortunately, the marketing is more effective than the product itself. Many homeowners may be surprised to learn ...
Read More 
Biochar and Tree Health
Biochar is a type of charcoal that is produced from plant matter waste, including wood, agricultural waste, paper mill waste, etc. It is burned in a closed system, creating a ...
Read More 
Get your Spring Planting Orders in!
As we continue to endure the bitter cold this winter, we can remind ourselves that warmer days are ahead and work on our spring garden plans. Each day growing longer ...
Read More 
2026 Tree Catalogue
Our tree catalogue showcases a diverse selection of high-quality trees suited for a variety of landscapes and preferences. For Spring 2025 pricing and availability, please note that all listed prices ...
Read More 
Winter Tree Care Tips
Tree stress in the Madison area has been compounding over the last 3 years due to a variety of factors related to climate change. While this region of the U.S. ...
Read More 
What evergreens should I plant?
Many evergreen conifers have had a rough time in southern Wisconsin in recent years. Our changing climate has been increasing pest and disease pressures on a number of evergreen species ...
Read More 
Preventing Salt injury to your trees and shrubs
With winter once again bringing snow and ice, we are preparing for the task of clearing driveways, roads, and sidewalks. For many, this means the use of de-icing salts to ...
Read More 
Did you Know? – What Causes Different Fall Colors?
We all love the glory of an Autumn landscape, but do you know why trees turn different colors? All summer long, leaves look green because of chlorophyll, the pigment plants ...
Read More 
Watch out for Fall and Winter Drought
As the gardening season winds down and fall colors set in, a sense of relief may set in that the time for constant yard work is ending for the season. ...
Read More 
Oak Restoration Update
In summer of 2024, we received a call from a client in the Bay Creek neighborhood asking if we could do anything to help their old Oak. It was a ...
Read More 
How to Be a Prudent Home Buyer: Tree Edition
The home buying process can be stressful, especially in cities like Madison where housing availability is competitive and buyers need to act fast. Home inspectors play a key role in ...
Read More 
Early Fall Color – Picturesque or a Problem?
In southern Wisconsin, the changing leaves of autumn are a cherished sign of seasonal change, drawing locals and tourists alike to enjoy the blaze of reds, oranges, and golds across ...
Read More 
Introduction to Sawflies
Sawflies are a group of insects whose larval stages feed on the leaves of plants This is wide group that includes many species, each of whom prefer different plants. Sawflies ...
Read More 
Why Birch trees are “short-lived” in Wisconsin
Birches are a favorite ornamental tree in our area for their bright exfoliating bark and graceful branching structures. You may be more familiar with the white peeling bark of Paper ...
Read More 
Sudden Needle Drop
SNEED, or Sudden Needle Drop, also called Spruce Needle Drop, is a fungal disease that, as its name suggests, causes the needles to drop from Spruces. It is known to ...
Read More 
Ips Beetles
Ips bark beetles (Ips pini) is also known as the pine engraver beetle for the galleries it leaves behind under pine bark. They are native to our area, and they ...
Read More 
Planting Trees for Pollinators
A summer afternoon doesn’t feel like Summer without a round little bumble bee buzzing by, butterflies flittering around, and birds signing above. Between climate change and habitat loss, many pollinator ...
Read More
The Value of Buying Trees Locally
In the last few years, costs have risen significantly, in part due to the many struggles of the pandemic. With costs rising everywhere in our daily lives it’s no wonder ...
Read More 
Working with a Poorly Placed Hose Spigot to Make Watering Easier
The last two years southern Wisconsin has experienced increasingly hot and dry summers, with much of our rainfall occurring in a handful of large storms over the entire growing season. ...
Read More 
Using the Best Tools for Tree & Shrub Pruning DIY
When it comes to pruning, arborists and property owners alike are only as good as the tools they use. If you are planning to prune your trees and shrubs it’s ...
Read More 
Tree Removal: Is It OK to Keep the Wood From a Dead Tree?
Tree removal always seems to produce way more wood than people think it will, it even surprises arborists to see the volume created by a tree once it’s on the ...
Read More 
When it’s Time to Call Your Arborist
One of the biggest challenges consulting arborists face is monitoring. One of Tree Health Management’s goals is to teach our customers how to better monitor their trees. The best outcomes ...
Read More 
How to Get The Most Out of Your Arborist Consultation
We have all been in the scenario where you were under-prepared for an important meeting, it’s a sinking feeling that might remind you of your high school days or even ...
Read More 
How The Absence of Winter Snow Affects Trees
The winter of 2024/2025 did not see very much snow cover in Southern Wisconsin. Believe it or not, the amount of snow accumulation and the presence or absence of snow ...
Read More 
Why You Need an Arborist for Shrub Pruning
Many people don’t think to call an arborist for shrub care, and not all tree care companies provide shrub care services. Tree care companies are not all the same, and ...
Read More 
Apple Scab on my Crabapple
Do you have Crabapple that lost all of its leaves early last Summer? If so, you are not alone. The culprit is a foliar disease called Apple Scab, and last ...
Read More 
Why Chlorosis treatment can be complicated
Spring is here and trees will soon be full of leaves again. As your trees develop their leaves, you may want to watch for signs of chlorosis. You may notice ...
Read More
2025 Tree Catalogue
Our tree catalogue showcases a diverse selection of high-quality trees suited for a variety of landscapes and preferences. For Spring 2025 pricing and availability, please note that all listed prices ...
Read More 
Snow Loads on Birches and Arborvitae
You may be familiar with the sight: we just got several inches of snow, and now your Arborvitae are dropping, bending, and splaying outward. Maybe your young Birch is leaning ...
Read More 
Preventing Salt injury to your trees and shrubs
With winter once again bringing snow and ice, we are preparing for the task of clearing driveways, roads, and sidewalks. For many, this means the use of de-icing salts to ...
Read More 
Rabbit Damage on Trees: What to Do?
Wisconsin winters are loooooong. As we move into late winter, small mammals that feed on plant materials struggle to find food and risk starvation. For this reason, they will sometimes ...
Read More 
Tree Disease Treatment
How Phenology and Indicator Species Help With Pest and Disease Control When treating for pests and diseases, the effectiveness of treatments depends on several factors, including dosage, application method, weather ...
Read More 
Carpenter ants on Trees
Carpenter ants are large, black and quite noticeable. Homeowners observing their activities will notice them disposing of sawdust at the entrance of their tunnels. But are they feeding on my ...
Read More 
A Primer on Oak Wilt
Oak wilt is one of the most widely-known issues affecting oaks in the state of Wisconsin, and for good reason. The fact that this pathogen can kill mature trees in ...
Read More 
All You Need to Know About Mulching Trees
Mulching is a great practice for landscape trees large and small alike. Since most of our urban trees have evolved in conditions where their leaf litter is left in place, ...
Read More 
2024: The Year of Cicadas
2024 is a big year for cicadas in Wisconsin! This year our beloved trees will host two species of native cicadas at the same time, a feat 17 years in ...
Read More 
Japanese Beetle Management
The Japanese Beetle has been a steadfast non-native pest in Wisconsin for the past twenty years causing damage on countless numbers of herbaceous plants, shrubs and trees. Japanese beetles are ...
Read More 
How to get rid of ants and sucking insects
Arborists often get questions from concerned customers when they discover a large amount of ants congregating on new growth of herbaceous plants, shrubs and trees. Ants found in large numbers ...
Read More 
Why All Consulting Arborists Aren’t the Same
In the vast world of arboriculture, the term "Certified Arborist" is a broad umbrella that shelters a diverse array of tree care professionals. Our clients have often shared their observations ...
Read More 
Understanding Evergreen Winter Browning: Unveiling the Culprits
As winter wraps its icy embrace around our landscapes, our evergreen companions may show signs of distress. The browning of evergreens during these colder months can be attributed to various ...
Read More 
Updated 2023 Hardiness Map
In the ever-evolving world of arboriculture, the Hardiness Map stands as a crucial tool, guiding natural resource professionals and enthusiasts alike in their plant selections. However, as seasoned professionals, we ...
Read More 
Time to Get Your Orders for Spring Planting!
As we embrace the winter chill, it's the perfect time to look forward to the rejuvenating spirit of spring. If you're considering adding new trees to your landscape, now is ...
Read More 
Two-lined Chestnut Borer
Agrilus bilineatus The two-lined chestnut borer is named for being the primary pest of the American Chestnut tree, which once dominated American forests. A blight introduced from Asia in the ...
Read More 
Buckthorn Removal
Rhamnus cathartica Known as Common Buckthorn, European Buckthorn, or Carolina Buckthorn, Buckthorn is native to Europe and western Asia and was introduced to the Midwest as hedging material. It spread ...
Read More 
Fruit Trees for Southern Wisconsin
Growing your own fruit can be a rewarding experience. It can bring you perspective on the relationship between our food, the earth, and climate. Picture the fresh fruit, pies, crisps, ...
Read More 
Ginkgo Biloba
Ginkgo trees are ancient and long-lived trees, often used as a symbol of longevity. They have been living on earth for an estimated 150 million years. They are the only ...
Read More Tree Care, Tree Planting
Preparing for Winter: Proper Tree Watering
Before the ground freezes, it's essential to ensure your trees are well-hydrated for the winter. Here's a quick guide: Mature Trees: Provide 2 gallons of water per caliper inch or ...
Read More 
Spongy Moth Masses: A Concern for Oak Trees
Our focus is on identifying and addressing spongy moth masses, a potential threat to the well-being of your cherished trees. Spongy moths, in their larval stage, can cause considerable damage ...
Read More 
The Art of Autumn: Why Trees Change Color
As the days grow shorter and sunlight hours wane, trees respond to nature's subtle cues by undergoing a mesmerizing transformation. As autumn arrives, trees put on a remarkable display, transforming ...
Read More 
SPONGY MOTHS ARE BACK AT IT AGAIN!
WHAT ARE SPONGY MOTHS? Originally hailing from Europe, Asia, and North Africa, the spongy moth (Lymantria dispar), once known as the "gypsy moth," unknowingly journeyed to North America in 1869. ...
Read More 
VIBURNUM BEETLES ON THE RISE – PROTECT YOUR PRECIOUS SHRUBS!
DON'T PANIC, WE'RE HERE TO HELP WHAT IS VIBURNUM LEAF BEETLE? The Viburnum Leaf Beetle (Pyrrhalta viburni) invaded southeastern Wisconsin in 2015 and has since wreaked havoc on susceptible Viburnum ...
Read More 
SURVIVING THE DROUGHT: HOW OFTEN SHOULD YOU WATER YOUR TREES TO KEEP THEM THRIVING?
While some trees in Wisconsin are more tolerant of drought than others, we do not have trees that are fully adapted to drought. Therefore, it is absolutely essential that trees ...
Read More 
Tree Planting: Autumn Blaze Maple
Leaves changing in Autumn can be as beautiful as a watercolor painting and can invoke a closing of the year. Maples in particular can offer the best red and orange ...
Read More Autumn Blaze Maple, Tree Planting, Tree Pruning
Change in Lymantria dispar Nomenclature
In July 2021, the Entomological Society of America announced that they have removed the common name of “Gypsy Moth” due to its derogatory nature. The ESA has initiated the Better ...
Read More Tree Care, Tree Health
Becoming an ISA Certified Arborist
The International Society of Arboriculture is an organization that aids Arborists and other tree care professionals with accreditation, research, public awareness, safety information, professional development and much more. To become ...
Read More ISA Certified Arborist, Tree Care
Tree Health Management’s Biochar: what is it and how can it benefit your trees
Urban trees have a lot of stressors to live with from limited space to compacted and less than ideal soils. At Tree Health Management we want to aid your trees ...
Read More Biochar, Tree Health
IGR for my IPM? (Insect Growth Regulator for my Integrated Pest Management)
Pesticide use is certainly an ongoing concern in today’s world, so the idea of alternatives to these pesticides are met with great appeal. One such alternative would be the use ...
Read More