Tree Health Evaluation and Maintenance

Trees are an important part of our environment, providing us with oxygen, shade, and beauty. But they can be a hazard if they're not healthy. We evaluate, diagnose, and monitor the health of your trees to catch problems early and treat them to keep them from failing.

What is Tree Evaluation?

We use our expertise and experience along with advanced diagnostic procedures to evaluate the health of your trees. As arborists, we’re always looking out for the health of your trees. When we come to trim your trees, we evaluate them as well.

Your trees need more attention than periodic tree trimming. A yearly examination allows us to catch issues while they’re still treatable and extend the life of your trees. It also gives you peace of mind that your trees are healthy and structurally sound. 

Our evaluations include:

• Examination for evidence of fungus, insects, or disease. Leaves, bark, fruit, seeds, and other parts of a tree can indicate that it has a condition that requires treatment. Common tree diseases in the Madison area include Oak Wilt and Emerald Ash Borer.

• Evaluation of V-shaped unions and possible co-dominant leaders. These places where two trunks or large branches come together are prone to weakness. If caught early, we may be able to save the tree with a cabling system. Later stage damage may require tree removal for the safety of your family and property.

• Diagnosis of injury. Trees compartmentalize their injuries, so when a tree is injured ten years after it sprouted, that injury remains within the tree. Depending on the severity of the injury, a tree may elect to shut off all resources to the tissue that had grown up until the time of the injury, resulting in the decay of that tissue (a hollow tree).

• Decayed wood has a different density than healthy wood, and we can use this attribute to "listen" to your tree and sonically determine whether the wood within the tree is solid or decayed.

  We perform sonic and visual tests at various elevations in your tree to determine what's going on structurally within it, allowing you to make informed choices about how to care for your tree.

• Storm damage monitoring. If you have trees that have sustained injuries in bad weather, we’ll keep a close eye on them. They may need extra pruning and checking for decay.

• Determining how your trees and other landscaping are working together. As trees grow, they change the nature of your property. They change how much sunlight reaches other plants and trees, affecting their growth patterns. We work with you to maintain a balanced yard where everything has enough resources.

What is Tree Maintenance or Management?

Tree maintenance includes everything we do to keep your trees healthy, strong, and safe. That  may be as simple as occasional fertilizing or as complex as end weight reduction and cabling. Interventions that save a tree also save you the cost of removal and preserve the tree’s value to your property.

Every yard is unique and we design individual management programs to best promote the health of your trees.

Long-Term Benefits of Tree Health Evaluation and Maintenance

Regular care of your trees helps them stay healthy, live longer, and add more value to your property. We trim or remove branches and trees that are weak before they fall and cause injury and damage.

Diseases like Oak Wilt and Emerald Ash Borer are treatable if caught early. Regular examination allows us to begin treatment in time to save these beautiful trees.

Trees with weak unions don’t always need to be cut down. When we find the problem early, a cabling system can give these trees many more years of safe, healthy life.

Frequently Asked Tree Maintenance Questions

Can I check and maintain my own trees? 

There are a few things you can look for to gauge your tree's health:

• The leaves should be green and full, not yellow or brown.

• The trunk should be straight and free of cracks or other damage.

• There should be no visible sign of insects, fungus, or disease.

Take action right away if you see any of these issues. We do not recommend attempting to trim or treat your trees without the help of a professional arborist. Contact us and we’ll come out for a free initial evaluation.

How often should I schedule tree evaluation and maintenance?

You should have an arborist come out and examine  your trees once a year if they are healthy. If there are issues, your treatment plan and schedule will vary depending on type and severity.

How can tree evaluation and maintenance help new or young trees?

By checking in periodically with an arborist, you give your young trees the best chance for a long and healthy life. Structural pruning for optimal shape, fertilization, and periodic examination for disease and damage will help them look better and last longer.

Contact Us Today

Fill in and submit the form below or give us a call at (608) 234-5935 to schedule your free consultation. Taking good care of your trees saves you money, adds value to your home, and adds to the beauty of Madison’s urban forest.