Azteca Tree Service - Tips for Tree Issues
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Tip Blight of Pine 
Diplodia, aka Sphaeropsis, is the most serious disease affecting Austrian, Scots, and Mugo pine in the landscape setting.
Root Rot Threat
Follow up to last issues article
Fall-Winter Plant Health Care Calendar
Variety is the Spice of Life
Tree diversity is important for both aesthetic and health reasons.
Protecting Property
The most important thing we do to protect your property is to hire people who care.
Chlorosis: It's Not Always Easy Being Green
Chlorosis is a yellowing of foliage due to the loss or breakdown of chlorophyll. If left uncorredted, chlorosis will weaken the tree and eventually lead to its death.
Root and Collar Rots
Root and collar rots not only affect health, but they can also affect the stability of a tree.
Bad Wood-Boring Insects
Most borer species attack weakened trees. Proper diagnosing and proper treatment are essential in their control.
Summer-Fall Plant Health Care Calendar
Honeylocust Care
As with all trees, it is important to provide basic care to keep honeylocusts healthy.
An Ounce of Protection for Crabapples & Pines
Fungal leaf diseases can be sneaky. Symptoms of infection may not be obvious until later in the growing season.
Spring-Summer Plant Health Care Calendar
Dutch Elm Disease Protection
Susceptible elms (American, red and rock) can be protected from Dutch Elm Disease with macro-infusions of Arbotect fungicide every two or three years.
Mycorrhizae Make Miracle Roots
Colonizing mycorrhizal fungi have a unique symbiotic relationship with the roots of trees and shrubs. They give the tree water and nutrients in exchange for sugars. This relationship benefits both the tree and the mycorrhizae.
Young Tree Pruning
Training pruning of young trees is the most important tree pruning in the life of a tree.
Winter-Spring Plant Health Care Calendar
Reversing Tree Decline
Trees can take up to five years to recover from an extended drought.
Linden/Basswood Borer
This native pest can damage basswood and lindens. Early signs can be overlooked. Extensive damage can cause rapid decline and death.
Girdling Roots: Killers Below Ground
Girdling roots are often overlooked as the cause of tree decline.They are most common on maple, ash, honeylocust and lindends. Improper planting depth and heavy clay soils are two of the common causes.
Selecting the Right Fertilizer Prescription
Your Wachtel Certified Arborist is best qualified to choose the right options and combinations to design a fertilizer program tailord for your trees.
Proper Birch Care
Birch trees are one of the most sensitive trees in our urban forest and they respond unfavorably to our urban environment.
Stopping Tree Losses
If a tree dies, it is usually the result of several contributing stresses acting over an extended period of time. Drought contributes major stress to the tree decline spiral.
Where Have All The Spruce Needles Gone?
Spruce needle drop (SNEED) is a recently recognized disease of spruces. It effects spruce in both the forest and landscape settings.
Oak Wilt - A Growing Concern
The most outward sign of oak wilt is a "rain" of leaves falling from the tree. Oak wilt most commonly spreads through grafted root systems.
Treating Ash for Emerald Ash Borer
As of July 2006, Emerald Ash Borer has not been found in Wisconsin. The million dollar question seems to be, "When should I start treatment if I want to protect my ash tree."
Drought - Oaks & Two-Lined Chestnut Borers
The Two-Lined Chestnut Borer population is on the rise due to the many drought stressed oaks in southeast Wisconsin.
Ash Danger - Emerald Ash Borer
Emerald Ash Borer has not been found in Wisconsin yet, but it has been found in northern Illinois counties and in the UP of Michigan.
Invasives
Invasive insects, diseases and plants are non-native species that tend to cause harm in their new location because they have no natural enemies to limit their spread.
Hitchhiking Bugs
Biological hitchhikers can travel a long way. These hitchhikers can attach themselves to vehicles, plant material and firewood. Emerald ash borer, gypsy moth and oak wilt infestations have been traced to the movement of firewood.
Estate Trees
Every property cannot be an estate, but every property can have trees worthy of an estate.
Spruce Galls
Spruce galls are caused by an adelgid. While similar, Eastern and Cooley Spruce Galls have a somewhat different life cycle.
Review of 2005 & 2006 Predictions
A look at last years major problems and what we see looming in the future.
Pine Borers
The Zimmerman Pine Moth is a common pest of Austrian and Scots pine.
Faith In Your Tree Service
Our goal is healthy trees by providing quality tree care and service to our customers.
Tender Giants
The very size and stature of old trees causes myths and misconceptions regarding the care they need.
Tree Inspections
It can be a smart move for both home sellers and buyers to have trees inspected before closing.
Is Your Tree Well Grounded
Trees need a good root system for both stability and health.
Spruce Destroyer
Cytospera canker is the number one enemy of blue spruce. Drought stress is the biggest factor in the development of cytospera.
Drought Countermeasures
Combined with the previous 4 to 5 years of moisture deficits, the fourth driest Spring in the last 100 years has put many of our trees in dire straits.
Who Shot My Evergreens?
If your pine or spruce look like someone shot they with a shotgun, it may be the work of Ips beetles.
Sparse Spruce
The drought of the past five years in southeast Wisconsin is starting to take its toll on our beautiful spruce trees.
Beautiful Crabapples?
Is applescab turning your crabapple from an asset to a liability?
Mulch Is a Many-Splendored Thing
Mulching is the most important step you can take for your landscape. Almost any landscape will benefit from the use of mulch.
Gypsy Moths: Where Did They Go?
Last spring's cool, wet weather put a damper on the gypsy moth population in southeast Wisconsin.
Tree Age Matters When Pruning
When pruning, the professional arborist must consider the health and life stage of the tree before making even the first pruning cut.
All is not Equal
A discussion of the various pruning types.
Bumps in the Night
House clearance and deadwood pruning.
Emerald Ash Borer - What to do
Emerald Ash Borer has not been found in Wisconsin yet! But where it has been found, entomologists feel it has been present for several years before being discovered.
Don't Spare the Rod
Correcting structural weaknesses with cables and bracing rods.
Something Rotten in Wisconsin!?! (08-10-2004)
Root rots and collar rots can cause both health and structural problems to trees.
Old Yeller
Yellow leaves during the growing season is generally a bad sign. The several causes and cures for this is discussed in this article.
The Art & Science of Watering
Too much water in May and June and then back to the drought is causing problems for trees.
New Product For Gypsy Moth Management
The BugBarrier Tree Band System has introduced an alternative to wrapping trees with burlap and/or sticky substances.
Gypsy Moth Contol Strategies
Gypsy moths cannot be eliminated but the populations can be reduced to a level where the stress on trees and people are tolerable.
Tree Science
New uses for growth regulators.
Tip Blight of Pine
Sphaeropsis is the most serious disease of pines in our landscapes.
Ashes to Ashes
The Emerald Ash Borer is a very destructive pest that has a strong foothold in lower Michigan. It has not been identified in Wisconsin yet, but experts feel it is coming.
Gypsy Moth Update
The number of aerial spray blocks have increased dramatically in Milwaukee, Waukesha and Washington Counties.
Spruce in the Balance
The prolonged drought continues to have an adverse effect on our spruce trees.
What the Right Tree Can Do for You
Trees are a long term investment that cannot be moved easily. So it is best to consider and plan carefully.
The Prolonged Drought of '03 & '04
Over the past two years, southeast Wisconsin's precipitation has been more than twenty inches below normal. This is starting to take its toll on trees.
Thirsty Trees
Water is the most limiting factor for good tree growth.
Proper Pruning to Fight Decay
Proper pruning can minimize and/or mitigate the effects of decay in your trees.
Winter Evergreen Protection
Most evergreens are susceptible to winter dehydration. A successful spring starts now.
Root Power
As the root system goes, so goes the health of the tree.
Air Spade
New tool allows us to look at the "root" of the problem.
Mitey Arborvitae Wreckers
A few mites on arborvitaes are not a major concern, but larger populations may warrant control.
Professional Arboriculture
At Wachtel we are committed to maintaining the highest level of Professional Tree Care.
Dutch Elm Disease
There is no cure, but there is prevention.
Drought Damage
The below average rainfall over the past several years is starting to adversely affect our trees.
Trunk Injections
The pros and cons of injecting material directly into a tree's trunk.
Pruning
Dangers of improper pruning.
Does your tree need an attorney
Hazard trees can get you into legal troubles.
Window Treatments
The "window" for treating Gypsy Moths is critical.
Evergreen Problems
A 5 step process that helps identify the tree and the problem.
Evergreens Cry, "Don't Shade On Me!"
Shade and sun loving evergreens don't mix.
Tree Skinning
Tree skinning is the bad practice of excessive raising up and thinning of a tree's crown.
