Common Wisconsin Tree Diseases and How to Identify Them (Part 1)

To a Wisconsin homeowner, good tree health is extremely important. The trees in our yard provide shade and increase the quality of the air we breathe. Although Wisconsin is home to many species of hardy trees that thrive for many decades with minimal concern, there are several common afflictions that can shorten the life of a tree. American Landscape is your best Milwaukee and Menomonee Falls area tree care and arboreal services provider, and we have the experience and insight to help you identify common tree diseases in the early stages, and the skills in diagnosis and treatment of these diseases.

Anthracnose

The most common disease affecting foliage of woody ornamentals in Wisconsin, Anthracnose means “ulcer-like sore.” Caused by several species of fungi, the disease manifests as twig cankers on some hosts, and is more serious on plants whose twigs are susceptible. Symptoms of Anthracnose includes spots and dead areas on leaves, varying in size, shape, and color. The dead leaf tissue often follows the leaf veins, helping to diagnose the disease more easily. Leaves frequently curl and may fall off, and while some trees, such as sycamore, may refoliate, others, such as oak, retain the unsightly leaves throughout the season. Ash, maple, oak, sycamore, and walnut are especially susceptible to Anthracnose.

Cylindrosporium, Phyllosticta, and Septoria Leaf Spots

These three distinct fungi result in symptoms which often overlap. Round spots, sometimes with small black fruiting structures embedded in them, can be found on the leaves of affected trees, as well as yellowing and loss of leaves. Although tree species vary in their susceptibility to these diseases, a wide variety of trees may become infected with one of these three conditions.

Downy Spot (White Mold)

This disease manifests as large, angular lesions appearing in mid-spring, and then later turning brown and dry. A white, powdery coating appears on the underside of the leaf, distinguishing this condition from Anthracnose.

Entomosporium Leaf Blight

Also known as Fabraea leaf spot, this leaf blight results in reddish-brown spots, somewhat irregular in shape, and generally less than an eighth of an inch wide. The spots may coalesce and can result in leaf loss.

Check back for our next post, in which we’ll cover some of the other tree diseases common in Wisconsin, and how to identify them.

Contact us today!

We are masters in tree care and arboreal services and have been serving Milwaukee and Southeast Wisconsin since 1973. Our experts are standing by to care for your trees and shrubs today. Contact us on our website or call us at (262) 252-4260 to get your tree care service started!

Edible Gardens

There are many reasons why many Americans have decided to dedicate a portion of their outdoor living space to growing food. While edible gardens require dedication and several hours of work, the payoff is immense, giving you a summer’s worth of healthy, fresh produce. Incorporating these homegrown crops into your meals not only increases your nutrient intake, it gives you a strong sense of pride and accomplishment. Your Milwaukee and Menomonee Falls landscaping experts at American Landscape have deep expertise in plant care – we love to encourage our clients to start an edible garden at their home, and we provide valuable advice about how to get started.

As Americans continue to improve their eating habits, and many of us opt for organic, responsibly-sourced food, edible gardens make more and more sense. These plants are grown on your terms, harvested by you, and only take a short trip from your backyard to your kitchen. Many homeowners may look at the large lawn and recognize its inefficiency; consider a better use of your soil, water, and nutrients and use it to grow healthy food for your family.  

While it’s easy to come around to this idea, it’s more of a leap to actually get started. Many would-be backyard farmers simply don’t know where to start. First, it’s important to find a sunny spot for your garden. Most edibles want “full sun,” or about six hours per day of good quality sunlight. Spend some time paying attention to your lawn at various times of day, and note spots with southern exposure, as they tend to do well. Also, find an area that is somewhat protected from the wind, as heavy wind can cause damage to growing crops.

Your next consideration is the soil. If the soil is your garden area is excessively sandy, or if you have clay soil, you may have to spend some additional time to amend the soil and get it ready for growing your edibles. You may also consider having your soil tested for pH and contaminants to be sure that the soil is appropriate for growing. Many old neighborhoods in our area may have issues with lead in the soil from old paint, so those homeowners, in particular, may wish to test their soil. If all else fails, raise it up! Build garden beds, or try one of the many raised growing methods such as hay bale gardening. A quick search online will turn up many articles about alternative methods for growing edible plants.

Your experts at American Landscape have a wealth of knowledge in gardening, landscaping, and all aspects of outdoor living. Contact us today and we’ll help you get started on your way to healthy, home-grown edible plants.

Contact us today!

We are masters in landscape management and have been serving Milwaukee and Southeast Wisconsin since 1973. Our design experts are standing by to build you a stunning outdoor living space today. Contact us today on our website or call us at (262) 252-4260 to get your project started!

Hardscapes Built for Wisconsin

As Wisconsinites, we don’t take summer weather for granted. We spend the beautiful days of the year enjoying the warm air and green foliage, and we design our property to take full advantage of the weather while it lasts. Tour any neighborhood in the area, and you’ll see that homeowners generally put considerable time and energy into their backyard oasis. To design an outdoor living space with lasting aesthetic appeal and functionality, hardscape materials are essential. In Milwaukee and Menomonee Falls, there is no better builder of hardscapes than American Landscape.

Hardscapes are durable, beautiful structures that are incorporated into a landscape in the form of living spaces, walkways, fireplaces, seating areas, and more. These hard materials form a contrast to the softscape materials such as foliage and lawns, and add both functional and visual interest to an outdoor living area. The inclusion of natural stone and paver materials has a warming effect which breaks vast hard surfaces down to a comfortable human scale. It integrates natural colors and textures into highly-used areas and virtually eliminates the risk of cracks and fractures during settling.  Hardscapes can include pathways, small pools, seating and dining areas, or even fountains.

The hardscape is the longest lasting, most impactful portion of the landscape. As such, the planning of outdoor living spaces, patios, driveways, walkways or retaining walls presents the greatest opportunity during the design process to enhance the natural beauty of a landscape and promote positive change in the environment. Furthermore, emerging technologies in the paver industry incorporate recycled materials as well as storm water permeability which contributes toward environmental sustainability.

The Milwaukee and Menomonee Falls areas present unique challenges to hardscapes. Our long deep freeze can cause improperly designed hardscapes to heave, poorly installed walkways to become uneven, and other hardscape features to have a significantly reduced lifespan. At American Landscape, we have deep experience in all aspects of Wisconsin landscape design, installation, and maintenance. Our founder, Tyrell Hughes, has nearly 45 years of experience and ownership in landscape and snow management. He has worked, planned and designed in every aspect of this business, and this continues right into today. Tyrell has built a team of dedicated, expert landscapers ready to take on any challenge presented to them.

Contact us today!

We are masters in landscape management and have been serving Milwaukee and Southeast Wisconsin since 1973. Our design experts are standing by to build you a stunning outdoor living space today. Contact us today on our website or call us at (262) 252-4260 to get your project started!

Planning Landscapes That Attract Wisconsin Nature

Would you like to attract more beautiful birds and wildlife to your landscape? At a recent presentation at the WI-ASLA Spring Conference, keynote speaker and Entomology Professor at the University of Delaware and author of the book Bringing Nature Home, Doug Tallamy spoke about how a design mentality toward supporting species on the lower end of the food chain ultimately results in the attraction of desirable species on the higher end. In this case, he is referring to the various insect, moth and butterfly species he studies. These various species of bugs ultimately provide the food source that attract numerous birds. Professor Tallamy noted that it’s been understood over time that insects are highly specialized with regards to the type of plant on which they live, eat, and interact. The vast majority of insect species are adapted and attracted to a very select few types of plants. In many cases, bugs may only exist on one specific type of plant. The relationship between bugs and their host plants is the result of a slow evolution over time. Many of the plants that have been imported from other continents and sold for retail are relatively new to our landscape as compared to native species. Insects have not had time to adapt to those species yet.

To illustrate the point, Professor Talamy used the example of the native Oak versus the non-native Ginkgo trees. An Oak tree plays host to over 500 species of moths and butterflies. Not only do the majority of these species live solely in and around Oak trees, they also provide a vital food source to numerous desirable bird species. A mature Oak is a regular hub of bird activity with a naturally replenished, constant source of nourishment. A Ginkgo is also a beautiful tree that is commonly planted in the Midwest. It has distinct attractive leaves and great fall color. The difference is that while the Ginkgo is adapted to our midwestern climate and readily available at local nurseries, the species originated in Asia countries and was only brought here within the last two hundred years – a relatively small amount of time in terms of the evolution of insect species. In our landscape it only supports roughly 5 species of moths and butterflies. So while it is a viable option, and beautiful, you should not expect that by planting it you will be attracting wildlife to your landscape.

When planning a landscape with a goal of attractive wildlife, you will want to take this line of thinking into consideration. A more complete list of plants and the number of moth and butterfly species supported can be found here:
http://www.bringingnaturehome.net/what-to-plant.html

We’re Growing

At American Landscape we are dedicated to inner growth as a means of continually striving to become the best possible version of ourselves. As such, we’re proud to announce the promotions of two of our team members to new roles within our staff. Congratulations to our new Business Manager, Mary Brown, and our new Sales and Marketing Manager, Brian Wirth! Having both been with our company for several years and proven themselves in dedicated service to our clients, we are excited to place them both in a leadership capacity whereby we are confident that they will each in their own ways take our organization to new levels!

Welcome

We’d like to formally welcome to our staff, our new Accounting Assistant brings with her a strong background in accounting, with a degree from UW-Milwaukee and practical experience with previous companies. In her new role here, she will be contributing heavily to our invoicing department, and also answering client phone calls and lending a helping hand with general administrative duties.