Trees on your Christiansburg, VA, property can provide shade and ambiance, increase the value of your residence, and benefit the environment. It’s important that you maintain your trees over time. You can do so with the help of an experienced arborist. These specialists in tree care can help diagnose problems with your landscaping while providing maintenance care on a routine basis. 

Evaluating the Health of Your Trees and Landscaping

When an arborist evaluates the plants and trees on your property, they will look for damage as well as signs of pest infestation, disease, and stress. It’s important to catch issues early so that you can prevent losing your vegetation. Several problems can be difficult to spot without professional assistance, such as root rot and fungal infections. These things can quickly spread if proper steps aren’t taken. 

An arborist also has the knowledge to assess the growth patterns of your trees. They can make recommendations for future care that will help promote growth and protect against damage. It’s recommended that you schedule this appointment at least once every three years, if not annually. 

Ensuring Safety

When trees become very large, they can pose a risk to your safety. If branches are weak or damaged, this can make them prone to breaking. We can help you identify problems and provide maintenance with professional tree pruning and other services, depending on your needs. Not only does this ensure the safety of you and your family, but it can also help protect your home and the homes around you. 

Analyzing the Soil

It’s extremely important that the soil around your trees is nutrient-rich. An arborist can perform soil tests to check for nutrient deficiencies, pH imbalances, and compaction. There are many products you can use to fix problems, such as fertilizers. Aeration of the soil around your trees can help as well. 

Managing Pests and Diseases

There are many different types of pests in Virginia that can infest your trees. Certain diseases can quickly destroy tree populations. An arborist can diagnose and treat many types of tree diseases. It’s important to understand the risks that are present in your area and come up with a treatment plan before the diseases advance. An arborist assessment will provide you with guidance for how and when to use things like pruning and chemicals for the protection of your trees.

Preparing Custom Tree Management Plans

The frequency with which you have your trees pruned and maintained will depend on the species, size and other factors. A professional can help you determine a schedule for maintenance. Keeping up with this process will make your trees look beautiful while protecting their health and integrity. 

Removing deadwood and trimming back overgrowth needs to be done in a specific way. Otherwise, you can cause extensive damage that can result in the loss of your trees. If you would like to promote a certain pattern or direction of growth, professional assistance can help accomplish this. 

Boosting Curb Appeal

You can make your property look neat and well-maintained with the assistance of an arborist. A professional consultation will help ensure your trees are an asset to your property, not a liability. 

Offering Planning Advice

If you’re going to be revamping the landscape design on your property, it helps to have professional guidance before you start. It’s important to know what kind of species will thrive in your specific area. These recommendations are based on things like soil, climate, and the amount of space you have available. You may have an interest in a specific type of plant or want to achieve a certain look. An arborist can help you with the selection process. 

There may also be certain ways that trees and landscaping should be planted. Paying attention to root depth, how you mound the dirt around the tree’s base, and the ongoing watering schedule can all determine how well everything grows. 

If you’re going to be doing any construction near the area of your trees, it’s important that you consult an arborist before the process starts. Disrupting roots and soil around your trees can cause extensive damage or tree death. 

You may be trying to add privacy to your yard using trees and landscaping. There are factors to consider during the planting process. You don’t want to plant trees or bushes too closely together. While this achieves some privacy early on, this can compromise the health and integrity of your landscaping as things grow.  

Dealing With Common Tree Concerns

Trees in Virginia experience common issues that an arborist can help diagnose and treat. It’s ideal to take prompt action to save the integrity of your trees.

Oak Tree Issues

Oak trees can be very temperamental. They need a very specific amount of moisture to grow. They are also prone to several types of pests, including oak leaf miners, cankerworms, slug sawflies and forest tent caterpillars. 

Fungal infections are also a common oak tree problem. Oak wilt disrupts water flow through the tree. Browning leaves are usually the first sign of a problem. Powdery mildew or black mold spores on leaves can also indicate the need for professional assistance. 

Ash Borer

The emerald ash borer is an invasive species of insect that can cause significant damage to ash trees. They bore deep into the wood, which disrupts nutrients from flowing through the trunk and branches.

Hemlock Wooly Adelgid

This pest specifically targets hemlock trees. Woody adelgid infestation causes the extensive loss of needles. If left untreated, these trees can die quickly. 

Southern Pine Beetle

When your pine trees are already experiencing stress from things like dry soil and disease, they are prone to infestation by the southern pine beetle. 

Thousand Cankers Disease

Walnut twig beetles can promote the spread of this fungal issue, which tends to affect walnut trees predominantly. 

Spotted Lanternfly

The invasive spotted lanternfly feeds on the tree sap of many kinds of trees, weakening them. This can make trees more susceptible to other problems as well. 

Incorrect Planting or Maintenance

In the springtime, people often mulch around trees or landscaping. While this can beautify a space, it’s important that mulch isn’t mounded around the trunks of trees. These mounds of mulch can lead to damage of root systems and trunk decay. 

Emergency Tree Services

If inclement weather or other factors cause damage to your trees, reach out for professional assistance right away. There are repairs that can be made to help a tree heal and regrow if prompt action is taken. 

What to Watch For

In between consultations with your trusted arborist, there are some things you should watch out for. This includes loss of leaves, leaning, broken branches, visible pests, changes to leaves that are out of the ordinary for that season and fungal growth on leaves. 

Root concerns can be hard to spot, but look for exposed roots coming up from the soil. Be aware of crowded conditions and always keep up with watering trees when soil conditions are dry. 

All Natural Tree Experts can provide you with an arborist consultation on your Christiansburg property. You’ll receive expert advice regarding planting, caring for, and protecting your trees and landscaping. We can take care of tree pruning, removal, and fruit tree treatments. Contact the team at All Natural Tree Experts in Christiansburg today to schedule an appointment with our team.

Meet the Author
Brian Shepherd
Brian Shepherd

Certified Arborist

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