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Soil Testing

Posted on March 28, 2022 - 4:22 pm by

Soil testing allows Winona, MN, property owners and site managers an opportunity to understand soil on a deeper level, literally. At Maier Tree and Lawn, we provide comprehensive soil testing, lawn analysis, and restorative lawn care support for residential and commercial properties alike.

Who benefits from soil testing?

Homeowners with Lawn Care Concerns

One common reason to get soil testing done on your lawn is when the grass is underperforming or struggling in some tangible way. Perhaps grass growth seems slow, or your lawn has dead or damaged patches that don’t seem to recover despite your best efforts. Soil testing gives insight into the chemical and biological makeup of your lawn’s base while also providing detailed readings on common conditions such as chemical damage, toxins, or other deficiencies that could be impacting the growth of your grass or your plants.

Hobby Gardeners

If you’re a gardener, soil testing is a great way to ensure that your soil and lawn care methods are providing the perfect environment for whatever it is that you’d like to grow. Soil testing can check lime levels, pH levels, fertilization effectiveness, and beyond. If you’re planting a garden for the first time on your property or you’re a long-time gardener aiming to improve your crop output or quality, soil testing may be the perfect solution for making a lawn care plan that supports your goals.

Businesses Planning and Commercial Landscaping

Soil testing benefits commercial companies looking to ensure safe grounds, beautiful greenery, and an environmentally friendly property for customers. Soil testing can help you identify problem areas and minimize waste or excess fertilization to help save money and maximize the beauty and health of your business frontage.

If you think your property would benefit from soil testing or individually catered lawn care, reach out to Maier Tree and Lawn for help. Winona, MN, residents can contact us for lawn care tips and soil testing information today at (507) 454-7000 or by visiting our website here for more information.

Lawn Care in Early Spring

Posted on March 13, 2022 - 4:23 pm by

When there is still ice and snow on the ground, it may feel too early to start thinking about the state of your lawn. But even if your grass is out of sight, lawn care doesn’t have to be out of mind. As spring approaches in Rochester, MN, it may be time to start planning what care your yard will need once the big melt begins. At Maier Tree and Lawn, we support year-round lawn care by working with homeowners to make comprehensive care plans that are catered perfectly to your property. This may mean everything from aeration or fungal treatments after winter to soil care advice to help your spring growth flourish once the weather begins to shift in earnest.

Lawn Care in early Spring

If you’re the type of homeowner who revels in a beautiful lawn, the growth period after winter may feel a bit grueling, especially if your grass sustained any type of damage over the winter months. While lawns are mostly dormant during the cold months in Minnesota, they still need a little extra TLC once spring arrives. This is especially true if you’re noticing spots beneath the melt that don’t look entirely normal.

Fungus

During and immediately after winter, the following is possible: Fungus can grow on the surface of your grass; lack of nutrients can lead to slow grass growth; pests can eat away or stomp down your greens; and the soil on your property can emerge dry, and compacted as the temperatures rise. While some of these conditions can be mitigated by pre-winter care, you may still find yourself needing to provide some extra soil care or other lawn care supplements in order to get your property back up to speed.

Comprehensive Lawn Care

At Maier Tree and Lawn, we provide comprehensive lawn care support that can help right the wrongs that winter may have inflicted on your property. With remedies such as fertilization, antifungals, aeration, and other types of soil care and nutrient bolstering, we can pep up your lawn and ensure that the ills of winter becomes a distant memory rather than a current affliction.

For all of your soil care or comprehensive lawn care support, Maier Tree and Lawn can help. Rochester, MN, residents can reach out today at (507) 286-8733, or visit our website here for more information on our lawn treatments and post-winter care plans.

Preventing Dutch Elm Disease with Post-Winter Vigilance in Winona, MN

Posted on February 28, 2022 - 2:42 pm by

The end of winter may still feel like a ways off, but once the melt begins and the growing season starts, the health of your trees can change rapidly. Maier Tree and Lawn encourages homeowners to stay vigilant for tree diseases, especially if you they own any variety of elm tree near Winona, MN. Dutch elm disease is one of several tree diseases that can devastate a population of trees quickly and efficiently. By watching for early warning signs, you can prevent tree loss, damage, and even death.

Dutch Elm Disease

Dutch elm disease can impact almost every variety of elm that grows in the Midwest, including American elms, red elms, rock elms, and more. The disease can ravage a single elm quickly and can spread to vulnerable trees nearby as well. The severity of Dutch elm disease depends on a variety of factors, including the initial health of the tree prior to infection as well as the strain of fungi that is causing the damage. But no matter which variety of Dutch elm you’re dealing with, quick action is vital if you’re aiming to preserve the health of your trees.

Signs of Dutch Elm Disease

Some signs of Dutch elm include yellowing and browning of leaves in late spring, dark lines or patterns underneath the bark on the flesh of the tree, and the presence of beetles that can carry the disease from tree to tree. Once a tree is infected, the disease can be passed via beetles, wood and fungi exposure, insect larvae, and even firewood. Because of the high risk of transmission, you should avoid the transportation of elm wood from all high-risk areas. Also, remember that if left untreated, a tree problem like Dutch elm disease can infect a tree and kill it within a single growing season.

Treating Tree Disease

Treating a tree disease such as the Dutch elm involves quite a bit of active management by tree care professionals like those at Maier Tree and Lawn. Part of the treatment involves prevention, such as the removal of infected trees from vulnerable tree populations, and regular application of potent fungicides. Tree care experts can work with you and your property to ensure that tree diseases are kept at bay during and after the growing season. Plus, if you have concerns about your property or tree population, our professionals can help you select trees for your yard that are resistant to Dutch elm and similar tree diseases.

At Maier Tree and Lawn, we can provide treatment support for tree diseases, consultations about resistant species, and services for tree removal in the event of Dutch elm infestations. For all of their tree disease mitigation needs, Winona, MN, residents can contact us today at (507) 454-7000 or visit our website here for more information.

 

 

How Ice Damage Can Affect Your Trees in Rochester, MN

Posted on February 13, 2022 - 2:33 pm by

Ice storms aren’t usually a death sentence for healthy trees, and in a city like Rochester, MN, most of the trees are well suited to deep winter cold. But despite our best laid plans, ice damage can be a real issue for even the brawniest trees in Minnesota. Maier Tree and Lawn is here to help your trees survive the winter and emerge victorious come spring.

Trees Susceptible to Ice Damage

Some trees are naturally more susceptible to ice damage than others. Fruit trees and thin-barked trees, in general, may suffer more lasting effects when ice is a regular occurrence throughout the winter. Additionally, the branch pattern of your tree could mitigate or encourage ice damage. The naturally occurring structure of branches can be conducive to ice buildup in certain tree species, and other than employing some very strategic pruning, it can be difficult to mitigate this vulnerability.

Ice Damage

Ice can damage your trees in a variety of ways, some innocuous and some a little more concerning. The speed and frequency at which the ice freezes and melts may lead to excessive, heavy buildup or tissue damage to the external layers of your trees. The weight of ice is easy to underestimate, but hard to ignore once branches start to snap.

Repair Trees

All of these factors together, ultimately, mean that it’s very difficult to predict the patterns of ice damage in the winter, and as a consequence, difficult to fully prevent ice damage from occurring in the first place. In some cases, the types of tree damage caused by ice have to be treated after the damage has already occurred. In cases of severe ice damage, relying on tree care professionals can reduce your concerns and help your trees recover.

Tree Support

The tree care experts with Maier Tree and Lawn provide in-depth tree support following ice damage, including emergency pruning, cable or bracing, and even detailed assessments for potential tree removal. No matter what state your trees are in following a major ice storm, our professionals can help you make the right decision to prevent further damage, and ideally, extend the life of your tree far past this winter.

If you’re in need of tree care support in Rochester, MN, reach out to us today at (507) 286–8733, or visit our website here for more information. Rain, snow, or shine, our tree care professionals at Maier Tree and Lawn are eager to help your trees thrive.

 

 

Protecting your Winona, MN, Trees from Winter Sunscald

Posted on January 28, 2022 - 10:48 am by

Most adult trees in Winona, MN, don’t need a lot of extra support in the winter thanks to their sturdy dispositions; while snow, sleet, ice, and wind are all part of the natural order in a traditional Minnesota winter, the majority of indigenous trees go through growth cycles that allow them to survive the frigid extremes. However, some weather events and patterns can lead to tree damage during the winter. If the tree damage is left untreated, you may find yourself with some seriously ill trees come spring. At Maier Tree and Lawn, we encourage tree owners to watch for signs of sunscald or tree damage that might not be so run-of-the-mill in order to help mitigate tree damage and support healthy trees even in a frigid climate.

Sunscald

Though winter presents quite a variety of challenges for trees across the state, sunscald is a type of tree damage that can fly under the radar. As the heat of the sun shines on the tree’s bark, it begins to warm the areas it can touch. But as soon as the sun loses direct contact with the tree, rapid freezing can occur that damages tree tissue. After repeated cycles of scalding and refreezing, you can be left with a wounded tree.

Trees That Can Experience Sunscald

Sunscald tends to occur on the surface of trees with thin layers of external bark. This may include young trees and recent growths, but specific species may also be more susceptible such as maple, crabapple, or cherry trees. These species and new growths tend to have less protection as opposed to species with hardier bark. However, any tree can suffer from sunscald under the right conditions.

Tree Damage

Like many forms of tree damage, prevention is always the best-case scenario. Preventing sunscald in the first place can involve the application of protective coverings or careful pruning that gives adequate coverage to potentially vulnerable parts of your trees. Our tree damage professionals can work with you to find a mitigation method that best suits your needs. If sunscald has already occurred, our tree care professionals can help you establish a care plan that prevents fungal infections and limits further damage.

If you’re looking to prevent sunscald from impacting your Winona, MN, trees this winter, contact Maier Tree and Lawn for prevention and treatment tips. Our tree damage professionals can guide your trees through a full recovery or help them stay sturdy in hazardous conditions. Call us today at (507) 454-7000 or visit our website here for more information.

 

How Does Snow Mold Impact Rochester, MN, Lawns?

Posted on January 13, 2022 - 10:31 am by

In the midst of a snowy winter, the state of your grass tends to become a lower priority for you and most Rochester, MN, area residents, and understandably so. Spending energy worrying about your grass when you can’t even see it beneath white blankets of ice and snow may feel like an act of lawn care futility. But at Maier Tree and Lawn, we provide year-round lawn care support and education to ensure that your property comes out of every season as healthy as possible. For lawns impacted by snow mold, fungal mitigation is almost certainly part of that process.

Lawn Fungus

Snow mold is one of the few lawn funguses that truly thrives in the frigid winter months. It grows beneath the layers of snow that cover your lawn and grows more quickly as winter nears its end. The snow provides a sort of insulating layer that traps moisture, and as the temperatures rise, this creates perfect conditions for fungus to develop.

Snow Mold

Most homeowners spot snow mold following the first big melt at the end of winter. Commonly white and patchy in appearance, the fungus can appear in little circles all across the surface of the grass. In some mild cases, it’s concentrated on a certain part of your lawn, but in severe cases, you may see this fungus all over your property. The fungus may also grow in, and begin to look pink or gray, but most types of snow mold have negative health impacts on your lawn regardless of its color.

Lawn Health

Snow mold isn’t only an irritant and allergen for humans, but it’s also a potential threat to the overall health of your lawn. Like any fungus, if left unattended, snow mold can effectively take over. Depending on the variety and severity of the fungal infestation, snow mold can stymie lawn growth, kill grass on a surface level.

 

Even though snow mold can do major damage to your lawn, the good news is that the lawn care professionals here with Maier Tree and Lawn can help you handle your snow mold conundrums. With our fungal removal techniques, we can guide your lawn through a full de-molding, and even help treat grass and grassroots that were damaged by snow mold. Once the mold has grown, our experts can apply fungicides in lawn-safe ways to help ensure that your property makes a full recovery.

 

If your Rochester, MN, home has been impacted by snow mold, call Maier Tree and Lawn today for removal techniques and lawn care tips that will keep your property healthy and happy all year round. Call us at (507) 286–8733 or visit our website here for additional information on our lawn care options!

 

 

Winter Tree Damage and Your Winona, MN, Trees

Posted on December 23, 2021 - 2:20 pm by

Winter has settled in for Winona, MN, residents, and with the seasonal transition comes the annual challenges for plants and trees across the state. While most of our native plant life is suited to withstand our frigid weather, some conditions are too intense for even the hardiest plant. For trees struggling to survive in the midst of winter, Maier Tree and Lawn provides winter tree care tips and support to help prevent tree damage and ensure that your property makes it through to the big melt.

Impact of Winter Weather

Cold Minnesota winters are a powerful equalizer in nature. Even the sturdiest plants and landscapes can be impacted by ice damage and other winter side effects, and sometimes the damage isn’t even apparent until it’s already severe. Constant icy wind can cause dryness and root freezing, and unless you’re watching closely, these forms of tree damage can be difficult to spot with the naked eye.

Tree Damage

Winter damage doesn’t always come from cold alone, though ice and low temperatures can do a number on trees and branches, winter also poses a threat that other seasons can’t match: weight. The weight of ice or snow on the branches of your trees can be a catalyst for major tree damage. With enough weight, even otherwise sturdy branches can snap, and in some cases, entire trees can topple. There’s a subtle balance that winter needs to strike in order for plants and trees to survive: enough snow to insulate against the cold, but not so much snow that it begins to snap and break trees.

Because of the huge variety of natural factors that play into winter tree care, relying on a certified arborist may be the best way to prevent lasting tree damage. Some damage can be prevented with wrapping, external supports, and professional pruning or cabling that helps protect the tree.

Winter lawn care requires careful, professional support, particularly in regard to the risks that the weather presents to people as well as trees. Rather than putting yourself or your trees at risk, rely on the tree damage mitigation experts with Maier Tree and Lawn. If your Winona, MN, trees need winter support and protection, our care teams can be contacted at (507) 454-7000 or by visiting our website here for additional information.

Growing Healthy Grass with the Right Species for Your Rochester, MN, Property

Posted on December 5, 2021 - 2:14 pm by

Grass comes in a variety of shapes and sizes, and with each individual species, you’ll find yourself contending with different care patterns and results. For Rochester, MN, property owners, selecting the right type of grass for your lawn may make a major difference in the overall health and appearance of your yard. Maier Tree and Lawn can help you make an educated decision about what species will make your yard “pop” without breaking the bank or your back. Whether you’re aiming for easy upkeep or luscious looks, we can find the right turf options for you.

Grass For Your Climate

Healthy grass is only possible if you’re growing a grass species that is well suited to its environment. If a species isn’t naturally strong enough to survive Minnesota’s harsh climate, for instance, no amount of lawn care or maintenance will encourage it to grow to any significant length. Rather than going with your gut on what type of grass to request, it’s helpful to have a baseline understanding of the available options, especially if you’re hoping for a certain hue, texture, or care method.

Different Types of Grass

With each species comes a certain set of characteristics that make the grass susceptible to certain conditions and sustainable in different climates. Some common types of grass in Minnesota include Kentucky bluegrass, fine and tall fescues, and rye grass. Depending on the type of seeding that your lawn has undergone, you may have a mix of varieties in order to facilitate healthy and even growth. Each species comes with slightly different aesthetics, texture, and vulnerabilities.

Healthy Grass Needs

For instance, while Kentucky bluegrass is a particularly popular choice, it may not be the hardiest or most sustainable option for your needs. Fine fescue, however, is easy to care for and has the ability to live through drought with minimal maintenance, which makes it a great choice for property owners looking for hands-off lawn options. But depending on your lawn and your location, the exact combination of ideal species may vary.

No matter what grass species you’re looking to cultivate on your property, we at Maier Tree and Lawn can help. If you’re on the hunt for lawn care assistance or are interested in promoting healthy grass growth for your lawn, our professionals are here to lend support. Maier Tree and Lawn can support both long-time Rochester, MN, residents and newcomers with seeding, lawn care assistance, and an avenue to long-lasting, healthy grass. Call us now at (507) 286–8733 or visit our website here for more information.

Treating Tree Fungus and Fighting Tree Disease in Winona, MN

Posted on November 25, 2021 - 12:11 pm by

Your Winona, MN, trees will likely go through a lot of natural stages throughout their lives. From saplings to towering trunks and sprawling canopies, they have the potential to withstand severe weather and environmental conditions over the course of decades. However, some natural risks can pose a greater challenge for tree recovery than others. If one of your trees becomes impacted by a tree disease, for instance, its life could be cut short. The tree care professionals with Maier Tree and Lawn can help you diagnose and treat tree diseases before they damage your tree beyond repair.

Tree Disease

Tree diseases come in many different forms, but quite a few are caused by fungal infection. Fungi are ubiquitous in nature and occurs in some form pretty much anywhere with moisture. Some tree fungi may not be inherently deadly, but depending on the type of fungus in question, you may have a risk to your tree’s health on your hands.

Tree Fungus

Fungus can interfere with the essential growth mechanisms of your trees, can prevent them from receiving adequate nutrients, and can break down the material that composes your trees. In severe cases, a tree can be killed (or damaged beyond repair) when tree fungus is allowed to spread without intervention.

In Minnesota, some types of tree fungus may include, apple scab, lirula needle blight, rhizosphaera needle cast, oak wilt, diplodia tip blight, and more. Fungus tends to vary based on the tree species in question. Some types of fungus won’t impact incompatible tree types, while others may rapidly rip through a tree population. Tree fungus may be visible by growths or may be subtle as a discolored leaf collection or may be serious as significant foliage loss.

If your tree is experiencing fungal growth or seems to be impacted by a tree disease, contact Maier Tree and Lawn today for comprehensive tree treatment services. We offer tree disease support for Winona, MN, residents as well as property owners in the surrounding area. Call us today at (507) 454-7000 or visit our website here for more information.

How Professional Plant Healthcare Supports Consistent Growth in Rochester, MN

Posted on November 5, 2021 - 12:10 pm by

Effective plant healthcare starts at the roots and goes all the way to the top of each individual plant on your Rochester, MN property. Proper planting and helping your plants grow to their best ability, however, can be challenging. Neglecting any aspect of your plants’ care may result in lackluster growth or plant death. At Maier Tree and Lawn, we work to bolster your plants’ ability to grow, propagate, and brighten up your property for as long as possible.

Root Care

A healthy plant starts with healthy roots. While you can’t tear up your plants to check the roots every time you have a concern, you can still take the right steps to ensure that root systems have opportunities to dig in, spread out, and pull in as many nutrients as possible. Ensuring the best root condition depends upon the soil in question. Some yards may require soil treatments or fertilizers, while others will benefit from aeration and a watering schedule. Regardless of what your soil needs, our plant care professionals can help coordinate supplements and routines to ensure your plants have the nourishment and support they require. 

Health Supplements

In order to give your plants the best shot at success, you can introduce supplemental physical supports like stakes or trestles, or non-physical supplements such as fertilizers. A plant’s needs depend upon its species, age, and where it’s located on your property. If you’re concerned about the progress of a plant, introducing tailored health supplements may be the best next step towards a happy plant. Our plant healthcare professionals can recommend fertilizers or other types of support your plants may need.

Pest Removal

Signs of plant health come in different forms depending on the species. A plant’s physical structure and the luster and color of its leaves and stem may be indicative of good health or a warning of things to come. Checking the leaves and other parts of your plants for potential damage or sudden changes is a vital aspect of keeping them in the best possible condition. In the event of pests or unidentifiable damage, contacting our plant care professionals can mitigate lasting injury and prevent additional damage.

If you identify a problem during a plant healthcare checkup on your property, don’t hesitate to reach out to Maier Tree and Lawn for plant care support. Rochester, MN area residents can contact us today at (507) 286–8733, or visit our website here for more information. Our plant professionals can help you assess, treat, and support growth for all of your plants to keep them healthy and thriving all year round.

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