Homeowners Fall Tree & Shrub Check List: Tree Pruning: Good time of year for pruning. Prepare your trees in the fall for the winter snow and ice storms so the damage will be minimal, if any. Come spring, they will be healthy and looking good! Tree Removal: If you have trees in your yard that [...]

Many people are familiar with using compost as a fertilizer to improve plant health. However, compost has many other beneficial uses such as erosion control and turf remediation, just to name a few. According to the Department of Agriculture, the U.S. loses more than 2 billion tons of topsoil each year due to erosion. Erosion [...]

Many Massachusetts area Hemlocks have been hit by the hemlock woolly adelgid. The woolly adelgid have no native predators, which makes it extremely difficult to fight. Concerned about your hemlocks? If they have a grayish appearance and are dropping needles, especially on the interior of the branches, then you may have an infestation of hemlock woolly adelgid.  The hemlock woolly [...]

According to the U.S.D.A, 38,000 trees susceptible to the Asian Longhorned Beetle (ALB) were treated last summer in Massachusetts. Wondering if your trees have been affected by the Asian Longhorned Beetle? Here’s what to look for. – Adult body length ranges from 0.75” – 1.5” – Crisp white spots on the back – Body color [...]

Another pest affecting the similar plants to those afflicted by lace bug are “scale” insects and meeley bug. These “sucking” insects are common to holly, rhododendron, yews and azalea. The injury to these plants are caused by the insects piercing, sucking mouth parts. The draining of vasular fluids is stressful as is the blackcoating on [...]

TRIMMING TREES IN FALL PREPARES TREES & SHRUBS FOR WINTER: Heavy wet snow and freezing ice storms can weigh down tree branches and limbs causing them to weaken or break. Preventive pruning and trimming in the fall can lower the risk of catastrophic damage when the next winter snow or ice storm hits. A skilled arborist like [...]

Before you hire a tree care professional to prune or remove trees or spray for insects and diseases, check first to make sure they are certified arborists, able to skillfully perform the tasks at hand. A certified arborist provides expert knowledge in many areas. Here are just a few of those: •             Comprehensive tree and [...]

Although it’s tempting to desire, a completely insect free yard would not be normal or healthy for your landscape!  A variety of microorganisms, pests, and insects are necessary for the balance of nature and overall tree health.  The key, is knowing when the naturally occurring insects and diseases begin to cause problems for your trees. [...]

Do your hemlocks have a grayish appearance?  Are they dropping needles, especially on the interior of the branches?  Then, you may have an infestation of hemlock woolly adelgid.  The hemlock woolly adelgid (Adelges tsugae), native to Asia, is a small, aphidlike insect that threatens tree health and sustainability of the Eastern hemlock and Carolina hemlock [...]

You may have noticed that the Lace Bug has been very active in our area the last several years and has negatively affected tree and plant health. The adults have highly ornamented wings and a hood-like structure covering the head. The entire surface is covered with veins that look like lace .The Lace Bug affects many [...]