Are you looking to add some color to your fall landscape?  Check out some of our favorite trees and shrubs that are sure to add a little pop to your yard.

1. Gingko Tree: Best for a big yard, gingkos put on a spectacular yellow show throughout the fall.

3. Quaking Aspen: Another yellow beauty, this tree simply glows as the leaves change color in mid to late autumn. 

7. Chanticleer Pear:  This ornamental pear tree provides late season color in reds, purple and orange.

As far as fall goes, there are a few items at the top of everyone's list of favorite things: pumpkin spice lattes, apple picking and brilliant fall colors.  Adding its own fall flair to urban and country landscapes is the flat-topped thornless cockspur hawthorn.

Standing about 15-feet tall and 20-feet wide at maturity, the thornless cockspur hawthorn thrives in almost any environment, provided it is planted in full view of the sun.  Its adaptability to nearly all well-draining soil types, and high tolerance for pollution, make the tree the perfect addition to urban and inner city streets.

A year-round beauty, the thornless cockspur hawthorn's dark green leaves are met with clusters of white flowers, blooming in late May.  Later in the summer, the tree bears a bright red fruit that lasts well into the winter and serves as a source of food for birds and other wildlife.

But the time when the thornless cockspur hawthorn really shines is in the fall, as its leaves turn to a rich multi-colored array of red, purple, orange and yellow.  Serving as a four-season ornamental tree, the thornless cockspur hawthorn is an ideal accent, adding a little pop to the surrounding scenery.   

It's Budget Time: Support Tree Care in Your Community!

Budget time for 2015 is at hand.  As local budget hearings quickly approach, we encourage you to take the time to review the proposed city and county budgets in your area and take action to support urban forestry initiatives.

Local government tree programs help beautify our streets and make the city a better place to live for all residents.  Urban forestry initiatives are vital to creating scenic land and streetscapes, and can add substantial value to your yard or property.  It's time to take action and make an effort to include tree care funding on your political agenda. 

Tree Quote

"To plant trees is to give body and life to one's dreams of a better world." 

- Russell Page 

EAB's Takeover of Wisconsin

Avoiding Winter Burn

As the evergreens bask in the sunshine all winter long, they lose water through photosynthesis. To replace the water they have lost, needles pull up water from the tree's roots. The problem occurs when the ground freezes and cuts off the tree's water supply. Without a sufficient amount of water, the leaves desiccate (dry out) and the leaf pigment, chlorophyll, is destroyed, causing the leaves to turn brown. 

To protect your trees, especially young evergreens, from winter burn, our arborists recommend having your evergreens and shrubs sprayed with an antidessicant like Wilt Pruf this fall. The treatment guards against moisture loss and will help minimize the effects of winter burn. In addition, continue to water evergreens and shrubs regularly until the ground is frozen so they have an ample water supply going into the winter season.

 Mulching and Leaf Diseases

One of the best things about fall is the brilliant colors of leaves everywhere you look. Unfortunately, every picturesque landscape eventually turns into one filled with bare trees and fallen leaves in need of raking. 

For all of you who dread spending hours raking up and disposing of leaves, there's good news! Mulching is actually a much more effective use of fallen leaves. Not only does it save you time and money on disposal, but it provides rich, organic nutrients for your soil, leaving your grass luscious and green come spring.

Before you go ahead and begin mulching, you will want to make sure that you are using only healthy leaves. One way to tell if the leaves are diseased is to monitor their changing colors. Different tree species begin dormancy at different times, but if you notice trees changing color and losing their leaves 4-8 weeks ahead of other trees of the same species, that could be a problem. This often indicates girdling roots, insect problems, disease or other environmental problems.

It is also important to examine a few leaves before mulching to make sure they are healthy. Look for signs of disease including leaf spots and unusual discoloration around the edges or near the leaf's veins. If you suspect that your tree may have a disease, give us a call.

Once a diseased tree is identified, it is best to remove all fallen leaves and needles. Diseased leaves should be removed or burned to reduce the chance of reinfection the following year.