FJR Tree Inc. also provides a variety of plant health-related services.  These are specific services that will impact the overall health and well-being of trees and plants. We offer fertilizing, insect and disease treatment, soil testing and soil care, tree cabling and bracing (static and dynamic tree support systems) and lightning protection.

Plant health care is an important, yet often neglected field. Maintaining tree health will lead to a prosperous tree with numerous benefits. A healthier tree means lower risk of structural failure, which can happen during a high wind event or even on a calm pleasant day. A healthier tree decreases the chances of insect and disease problems; most trees in good health are able to defend themselves with stored energy and the adaptive systems they have in place. If a tree is in a high state of stress, the tree will have difficulty protecting itself against insect and disease problems. The goal is to maintain a healthy environment for trees and plants to live in to minimize maintenance and treatment costs. Trees are an investment for the future.  Consider us your tree doctor.

[accordion clicktoclose=”true” autoclose=”false”]

[accordion-item title=”Insect and Disease Treatment”]

There is a wide array of insects and diseases that could negatively impact the life of a tree. We provide treatment for a variety of insects and diseases that afflict trees such as:

• Emerald Ash Borer: Commonly known as EAB, it is an exotic, invasive insect that disrupts an ash tree’s vascular system. It is the biggest issue in the Chicagoland area that we are currently facing.
  • Telltale Signs: While the insect itself is hard to spot, some early signs are loss of leaf density, small holes near the base of the tree, and patches of missing bark. This only affects Ash species.
  • Treatment: The best method of handling the disease is a preventative insecticide but it can also be treated therapeutically if caught very early on. It can be treated during most of the growing season.

• Apple Scab: A fungal issue that causes dark lesions and yellowing on the leaves as well as leaf drop during late July and early August. While Apple Scab is not nearly as severe as EAB, it can be if it persists year after year.
  • Telltale Signs: Some signs that a tree has apple scab include dark lesions, yellowing of leaves, and leaf drop during late July and early August.
  • Treatment: The treatment is a spring time foliar spray with a fungicide. Affecting only Crab Apple and Apple trees, this is one of the most common treatments done annually in one or two hits.

• Oak Wilt: With a tendency to affect the red oak species more than white, it is a fungal issue that has similar symptoms to EAB.
  • Telltale Signs: There will be a change in leaf color along the margins from green to brown, loss of leaf density, and flagging, or branch die-back. Unlike EAB, Oak Wilt can be spread through root grafting, which means the roots grow together and the fungus spreads through them. It can also be spread through a host beetle from tree to tree.
  • Treatment: Should your tree have oak wilt, a treatment of fungicide macro infusion injection is typically done. It is best when done preventatively since the severity of this particular disease could be quite high and does not linger. It can be treated therapeutically up to a certain point in time.

• Rhizosphaera Needle Cast: Similar to Apple Scab, it is a foliar fungal disease that affects the needles of spruce trees, with blue spruce being the most susceptible. Since Spruce is not native to our area, it’s not adapted and disease can progress due to weather. During our cool, damp springs, the precipitation sits on the needles, allowing the fungi to thrive.
  • Telltale Signs: Rhizosphaera Needle Cast causes needle die back, starting in the lower canopy closest to the ground and beginning in the anterior and progressing to the exterior of the tree. Severity can be high; in some trees it lingers and in others the tree can be dead in a year.
  • Treatment: Treatment is an annual preventative fungicide spray during the springtime.

• Dutch Elm Disease: Very similar to Oak Wilt, Dutch Elm Disease is a fungus that attacks the vascular system and prevents nutrient flow. The most susceptible to this disease is the American Elm species. In the same way that we are seeing Emerald Ash Borer affect the Ash tree population today, Dutch Elm Disease fungus wiped out the American Elms in the 1970s.
  • Telltale Signs: Symptoms are the same as Oak Wilt, with leaf color change in late July and early August, early leaf drop, loss of density, flagging, and it is transmitted via a host beetle.
  • Treatment: As severity is high once the tree is affected, the best treatment is a macro infusion fungicide prevention.

• Spruce Spider Mites: Invasion of spruce spider mites tends to occur during periods of drought when the spruce tree is under heavy stress, allowing the spider mite to move in and do heavy damage.
  • Tell Tale Signs: Flagging and random die-back are the most common signs of spruce spider mite infestation.
  • Treatment: It can be treated preventatively and/or therapeutically with a foliar miticide spray. While treatment is mostly done in the spring, it can also be done during a latent phase in the spider mite life cycle, which is typically in August.

[/accordion-item]

[accordion-item title=”Soil Testing and Soil Care“]

One of the most overlooked areas that we come across is soil. As a general rule of thumb, the healthier the tree is below the surface, the healthier the tree will be above ground, which is where the importance of soil comes into play. Most trees prefer porous, well-drained soil, but unfortunately, urban environments tend to have a lot of compacted, non-porous soil. The good news is poor soil issues can be corrected. Bringing in good soil to a property will help a tree’s health improve.

We know how vital soil is to the health and longevity of all foliage. We can help improve the quality of your soil by offering soil testing and all around soil care. We start by taking a soil sample from your property and then have it analyzed for deficiencies. From there, we can tailor a fertilization treatment to your specific soil needs and deliver it via an injection of soluble liquid nutrients.

[/accordion-item]

[accordion-item title=”Tree Cabling and Bracing (Static and Dynamic Tree Support Systems)“]

Occasionally tree cabling and bracing may become necessary. Some trees have an elevated risk due to decay in key structural points in the tree as well as the tree’s proximity to people and structures. Proper cabling, which can be combined with bracing, can support elevated risk trees. Tree cabling is typically a superior option to removing a large leader or limb that you think may fall. Removing large leaders or limbs can actually increase tree risk in the long term, which makes tree cabling and bracing the superior option for the longevity of the tree.

[/accordion-item]

[accordion-item title=”Lightning Protection“]

Storms can be truly unpredictable. Lightning produced by storms can cause significant damage to trees and structures surrounding them. When lightning strikes a tree, the energy generated from the strike can jump to a nearby conductive material causing damage not only to the tree, but the conductive surface. Lightning protection systems can minimize the risk of damage from a lightning strike. Lightning protection systems typically include non-conductive materials that intercept a lightning bolt and disperse energy from the bolt back into the ground, preventing damage to the tree. Trees are a wonderful asset to any property, so keep them protected.

[/accordion-item]

[/accordion]