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The Essential Nature of Winter Forestry Services

Posted on January 11, 2020 - 2:42 pm by

It’s all too easy to assume that the whole world takes a break during the frigid winter months in Rochester, MN. But, even if the world outside feels completely still, plenty of work remains to be done in the great outdoors. Maier Tree and Lawn offers extensive forestry services for urban and rural areas to guarantee well-kept and beautiful natural spaces year round.

A lot of vital environmental care takes place behind the scenes of daily life, and that’s especially true for forestry services. Forests are in many ways self-maintaining, but in urban settings, some care must be taken to ensure the trees are healthy and forest areas are safe. This includes large-scale tree services such as pruning, risk assessment, and occasionally, tree removal. These tasks are all extremely important for urban forest situations that may have frequent visitors. Without expert forestry services, forests can become hazardous for locals or even dangerous to wildlife.

Despite being somewhat wild, forests still benefit from regular care and upkeep, and this is especially true during the winter. When trees are dormant it’s easy to evaluate, trim, and treat trees on a very large scale. This allows landowners and city managers to benefit from significant early preparation before the snow melts. This can include taking inventory, evaluating hazardous trees, or treating diseases. In fact, professional forestry services do a lot of work to ensure that tree diseases don’t spread to other parts of the state and country.

Regardless of whether your needs are urban or rural, the benefits of effective forestry services are twofold; they bolster aesthetics and tree health simultaneously. For cities, expert forestry services can maintain a popular and natural local attraction, and for landowners, they can ensure safe hunting grounds or conservation areas. Tree services can help you cater your forest areas to whatever you want them to be without compromising their natural integrity.

If your Rochester, MN, area land is in need of winter tree services or forestry services, contact Maier Tree and Lawn’s certified arborists today at (507) 286–8733 or by visiting our website for additional information.

Providing Winter Tree Care & Coping with Ice in Rochester, MN

Posted on January 2, 2019 - 11:44 am by

Ice is a quintessential part of a Rochester, MN, winter. Though the natural environment is well prepared for most of what Minnesota winters can offer, your home landscaping, particularly with significant quantities of ice, is less flexible. Luckily, our tree health experts at Maier Tree and Lawn are trained to answer all of your winter tree care questions, even if you’re struggling with an icy tree challenge.

 

Some trees are better at handling winter weather than others, but that doesn’t mean these trees are immune to the tree health risks that ice can pose. Ice damage can come in the form of cracks, bark damage, and broken branches from excess weight. It also may not occur overnight, but instead over the course of several days or even weeks. If your property is largely unprotected and annually experiences high levels of wind and ice, you may want to consider preventative tree health measures.

 

Trying to tend to your compromised tree manually can be a fast way to make an ice problem worse. Part of becoming effective at winter tree care is knowing when to intervene and when to let nature be nature. However, if ice or snow has damaged your tree in such a way that it now poses a threat to your home or property, then intervention is definitely recommended. This means that a branch or tree is in danger of falling, and in such a case, a professional pruning or tree removal team should be contacted. Trying to prune an otherwise undamaged tree yourself may do more harm than good, along with putting you in danger.

 

Winter tree care and dormant tree care is difficult in general because it’s hard to judge when you should step in and when you should just wait for a good thaw. Hardy transplanted trees, young trees, and native spruces can all suffer during excessively icy weather, and it can be tough for homeowners unfamiliar with the intricacies of tree health to know when a tree is in trouble or simply bearing down for winter. When in doubt, consulting a tree health professional is an excellent first step.

 

Winter tree care may be fairly hands off for homeowners, but we have the tools necessary to intervene when one of your trees is at risk.  If you’re concerned that your Rochester, MN, trees are in danger of winter damage, consult with one of our tree health professionals today. Contact Maier Tree and Lawn for additional information at (507) 286-8733 or by visiting our website here.

Practicing Effective Tree Care in Extreme Heat in Rochester, MN

Posted on July 18, 2018 - 1:17 pm by

It’s not just humans that suffer during extreme summer heat in Rochester, MN. The recent influx of high temperatures in the northern states spells trouble for just about everyone and everything spending time in the great outdoors, and that includes your trees. During periods of high temperatures, our tree health experts here at Maier Tree and Lawn encourage tree care enthusiasts to pay careful attention to their trees, especially if you seek to prevent serious summer damage from settling in anytime soon.

 

During a heat wave it’s wise to watch for signs of heat damage during your regular tree care routine to help ensure your trees survive the summer scorch. The most obvious sign of heat trouble is wilted leaves. Wilt is generally caused by a lack of adequate water, and with extreme temperatures, your normal watering schedule may not be enough. Wilting can lead to browning, and browning leads to leaf-loss and, unsightly trees. It’s wise to add a tree health check to your daily routine just to keep an eye out for wilt or browning during the summer months.

 

Even if your trees are looking plenty healthy, you should consider implementing preventative measures. This may include introducing temporary shade to your lawn, adding mulch or other materials to absorb heat more effectively, or simply increasing your watering schedule temporarily. The proper tree health solution will depend on the type of tree you own and the extent of the damage that has already been caused. To prevent heat damage to your trees this summer, consult the tree health experts at Maier Tree and lawn to find out the proper tree care plan for your property.

 

If your trees survived the brutal Rochester, MN winter in one piece there’s no reason they shouldn’t be able to power through a little extra heat. For more information on summer tree care or emergency summer tree health tips, contact Maier Tree and Lawn today at (507) 454-7000 or by visiting us here.

5 Tree Laws You Should Know

Posted on June 14, 2016 - 12:00 pm by

Maier Tree and Lawn - 5 Tree Laws You Should Know About Tree Care

Believe it or not, there are several legal tree facts that are really useful to know. Hopefully it you are aware of these tree laws it’s not from first hand experience! Disclaimer: We are not attorneys so please don’t take these as legal advice, however we do know a few and they’d back us up.

Law #1 ::

Any part of your tree that goes over your neighbor’s fence is technically theirs. Property lines extend from the ground up into the sky. Your neighbor would technically have the right to prune any portion of your tree that passes over that imaginary line, so long as it does not damage your tree. You do not have the obligation to prune it for them.

Law #2 ::

Your tree has value and if damaged or destroyed by someone else, you have the right to collect damages from the person who caused the damage (or their insurance company).  The industry has standard ways to appraise the value of a tree based on their size, species, location on your property, and their condition. An average medium to large tree in your front yard likely adds thousands of dollars of value to your property.

Law #3 ::

Municipalities often have the right to condemn a tree that is diseased or dangerous on your property, and you would have to pay for that to be removed. Dutch Elm Disease and Oak Wilt are two such diseases that cities in the state of Minnesota have the right to condemn for the sake of managing those diseases. Trees that are unsafe can also be required to be removed for public safety. If you do not remove the tree, the City will have the tree removed and send you the bill.

Law #4 ::

You do not have the right to have a view. Trees that are on someone else’s property are not yours to prune or remove for any reason (unless it extends that imaginary property line in Law #1), including getting back a view that you once had. You may laugh, but we have seen this happen more than once and it rarely ends up well.

Law #5 ::

A city owns all trees in the right of way along roads. Most roadways extend beyond the curb and past the sidewalk by a few inches to a foot. Any tree in this area is not yours to prune or remove as you wish. Some cities will pretend that a tree in the “boulevard” strip is your responsibility and liability, but the reality is that they own the tree and responsibility to care for it or remove it. Check your local ordinances for specifics on this in your community.

These tree laws are in place because, we truly do care about the trees! We think this is pretty cool! The folks at Maier Tree & Lawn love trees and can help you with any tree issue you may come across. Call us today to set up your consultation!

Windy Winter Weather May be Wounding your Woods

Posted on February 12, 2016 - 4:35 pm by

Temperatures may have eased in southeastern Minnesota this last week, but to the dismay of folks eager for spring, blizzard conditions and high wind speeds are revisiting the region. While winter winds scatter our trash bins and stray shopping bags, they dole out blustery punishment to our trees as well.  Though we haven’t endured the heavy snowfall experienced by our friends out east, upper Midwest snowstorms bring variant winds powerful enough to break branches and topple saplings. When wind damage goes beyond cosmetic to causing damage that requires attention, the professional arborists at Maier Tree & Lawn can help.

A few broken branches may be no big deal, but too much damage can be bad news for your beloved boughs. If wind damage occurs, there are a few things to consider as you decide whether to call in the pros. Broken, hanging branches large or small can be a hazard to people and structures. If the tree is young, there’s a good chance it can recover from wind damage. Young trees are surprisingly resilient, and a little bit of roughhousing doesn’t have to be a death sentence. Regardless of age, wind damage such as trunk splitting or loss of major branches may be the end … or the beginning of the end. Check out this visual guide on tree health if you’re not sure which category your wind damaged tree falls into.  Don’t be afraid to involve a tree health professional from Maier Tree & Lawn if you’re not sure.

Wounds from storm damage can expose wood to decay. Depending on the location of the wound on the tree, decay might lead to significant structural problems down the road. Your tree can deal with a broken branch or two among the upper limbs, but a major split or wound on the trunk can introduce decay to the extent that the tree will become hazardous in the future. Consider the position of the tree in your landscape. If this year’s storm damage introduces significant decay, what is at risk when the tree fails in three years? Some homeowners will elect to keep a low risk tree just long enough to get something else started, then schedule the removal before decay makes the tree hazardous.

Winter is winding down, but there may still be a few chilly challenges left for your trees. Wind damage can be treatable and is to be expected now and then. If you’re in the Rochester area and notice that your trees look a little windswept, contact Maier Tree & Lawn at 507.286.8733 for a consultation, or check out our website for more details.

The Importance of Regular Tree Pruning in Rochester and Winona, MN

Posted on September 1, 2015 - 10:13 am by

Minnesota is comprised primarily of three things: lakes, snow, and trees. If you live near Rochester, or by the Winona Bluffs, then you probably have more trees around than you can shake a stick at… not for a lack of sticks of course! This alone makes tree control and maintenance a vital part of living in our state, whether you’re in northern forest territory or not.  Precise tree pruning, like that done by businesses such as Maier Tree and Lawn, is the best way to keep Minnesota properties looking up-to-date and well maintained. And even beyond the aesthetic benefits, tree pruning also promotes neighborhood safety and keeps your trees healthy so they can live long, happy tree lives.

When it comes to the fickle nature of Minnesota’s weather, trees can either be your best friend or your worst enemy. Entire trees can uproot under the weight of snow or be blown over in gale-force winds. Sometimes in our state you just have to cross your fingers and hope that you parked your car on the lucky side of the driveway. And yet, trees are also a great complement to any yard and a key part of a healthy, natural environment.

So if you want to make sure your trees are as safe as they can be, keep an eye out for stray branches that could catch power lines in the wind, or for any branches that are rotted and hanging that could break away and hit a window. Having an unkempt tree seems like a minor problem, but without care it can become dangerous to you and to your neighbors. Regular tree pruning will keep your trees neat and contained so they don’t get away from you when the rougher weather comes through.

Pruning is also important for the long-term health of your trees. Even though it seems like a cruel way to show your love, maintaining the shape of your tree with precise tree pruning will keep it stable in windy weather and rid it of any dying branches. Tree pruning can also prevent long term weight balance issues, manage foliage distribution, and of course, keep your lawn looking well-kept.

It’s important to keep in mind, however, that less means more when it comes to tree pruning. Too much cutting at once can hurt or even kill a tree, but the right amount at the right times will keep it standing tall (or short, if you’re taking a little off the top) for a long, long time.

It’s fine to do some minor snipping on your own when your trees are getting unruly, but consulting a professional is the safest way to prevent doing any damage to yourself or to your tree. Pruning can be dangerous, especially if you’re working with large branches or uneven ground. Make safe choices, and if you’re in Rochester or Winona, MN and need some help, contact Maier Tree and Lawn today to set up a pruning appointment for your property.

Does Soil Compaction Impact Lawn Care in Southeastern Minnesota?

Posted on August 23, 2015 - 11:04 am by

Let’s define soil compaction as when pressure applied to soil closes any air spaces between the individual soil particles. Should this matter for your lawn care? According to our experts at Maier Tree & Lawn, that depends on many factors in southeastern Minnesota.

How can you tell when your soil is compacted?

If you take a sharp object like a screwdriver and push it into the soil with ease, then your soil is not severely compacted. The more difficult it is to puncture the soil, the more compacted the soil is.

What causes soil compaction?

The degree to which soil gets compacted depends on the soil type, the pressure involved, the depth of the surface layer, the subsoil type and depth, the weather elements, etc. Anything that puts pressure on soil can compact it to varying degrees: raindrops, foot traffic, vehicles, carts, tillage implements, livestock, tractors, and other heavy equipment.

Some soils, such as those containing a lot of clay, are more prone to compaction than others. Soil is more prone to compaction when very wet. That is why it is always best to avoid storing large or heavy equipment on your lawn after a recent rain shower.

What are the effects of soil compaction?

Some compaction may be beneficial in some cases. For example, if you’ve ever planted a seed only to have it sprout into a seedling that dislodges whenever you water it, you may want to apply just enough pressure so the soil connects with the seedling’s roots to offer support.

Some soil compaction may decrease water loss by evaporation.

Too much compaction, however, will make it very difficult for the roots to penetrate the soil. Reduced levels of oxygen in compacted soils can kill roots, which is why tree roots can sometimes be seen on the surface of your lawn.

Excessive soil compaction in southeastern Minnesota also inhibits a plant’s ability to get the nutrients and water it needs.

What can you do about soil compaction?

Avoid working on your soil when it’s too wet or too dry. The more often you work your soil, the greater chance it will compact. To correct excessive compaction you can aerate your lawn, and you can also use organic materials like compost, peat moss, or gypsum to loosen it up.

Don’t let soil compaction cause a problem for your lawn care. Call us today for a solution. We can save you time because we already have all the experts on hand at Maier Tree & Lawn ready to serve you in southeastern Minnesota.

Schedule Winter Pruning with Maier Tree and Lawn Services in Rochester and Winona, MN

Posted on August 18, 2015 - 10:54 am by

When the weather forecasts routinely announce a high of 80 degrees, as they have these last several days in Rochester and Winona, MN, the last thing on your mind is winter. Even further away is the thought of hiring tree pruning service when the world is cold and snow-covered. But in fact, pruning during the winter is actually a common practice and an excellent way for you to be proactive about the health and aesthetics of your trees. By calling Maier Tree and Lawn Services today, you’ll beat the rush!

What are the advantages to pruning trees in the winter?

Most people think about getting their trees pruned during spring or early summer when trees are so lush and full that it’s obvious to see that their natural shape is getting a little out of hand. While some trees are best trimmed right after they finish blooming, others species such as oaks, apple trees, elms and ash benefit more from winter pruning.

Here are four reasons to consider scheduling pruning service for winter.

• Less foliage and workers can easily see the branch structure of the tree
• Less vulnerability to insects and diseases through the raw, open cuttings
• Protects landscapes from damage caused by trucks or equipment
• Results in burst of desirable growth come spring

Though winter pruning seems counterintuitive at first, it can help your trees stay healthy and look their best. Maier Tree and Lawn Services provides tree maintenance including pruning, tree removal, and bracing during the winter months as well as the spring and summer. Call now to schedule an appointment with one of our consulting arborists and be proactive about caring for the trees in your yard.

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