Atwood LawnCare

Your trees and shrubs represent one of the largest investments you have made in your home. We are continually surprised, however, at how few people provide any care whatsoever for this valuable asset. There are many more species of insects that may attack a tree than would ever invade your lawn. There are diseases that may infect trees and shrubs that lawns will never see. And all plants – lawns, trees, shrubs and flowers – benefit from fertilization. Don’t allow your landscape to diminish in value; review our responsible approaches to tree and shrub care below and start protecting your beautiful plants today.

Green Leaf Plan

While there are hundreds of insects and many diseases that can attack your trees and shrubs, not all of them do. That’s why Atwood prefers to use a “Plant Health Care” Approach to maintaining the health of your landscape plantings. This is an environmentally responsible program that uses an IPM approach to pest problems. What this means is that a regularly scheduled inspection by one of our trained technician will keep a watchful eye on all of your trees and shrubs. Along with your help, we respond to pest problems when, and if, they occur. Combined with a strong fertilizer program, your plants will stay strong, healthy and pest free. And you’ll be proud of how you made your landscape look so good.

Application Schedule:

• Early Spring Dormant Oil (March-April)
• Spring Deep Root Fertilization (April-May)
• Spring Foliar Treatment (April-May)
• Summer Foliar Treatment (May-June)
• Late Summer Foliar Treatment (July-August)
• Fall Deep Root Fertilization (Oct.-Dec.)
• Late Fall Horticultural Oil (Sept.-Oct.)
• Anti-Desiccant (Nov.-Dec.)

Special Trees Program

In your landscape plan there are certain plants that have been selected because of their unique appearance and beauty. However, these trees and shrubs have special needs that set them apart from ordinary trees in your landscape. Whether it is caring for a White Birch, Camperdown Elm or any other specimen plant, our Specimen Tree Care plan, with it’s specially timed applications, will watch out for these plants and keep them strong and healthy for many years to come.

Application Schedule:

• Emerald Ash Borer Injection (May or August-October)
  Annual applications required to save your Ash Tree
• Systemic Fungicide for Anthracnose Control (May – August)
  Improves health of Oaks, maples & Sycamores
• Bronze Birch Borer Injection (May or September)
  Birch Trees need protection from this destructive pest
• Oak Wilt Control Your Oak tree took too long to grow to its current size.
  Don’t let it die!
• Dutch Elm Disease Control - Proper care can prolong the life of these
  beautiful trees.
• Growth Regulator Application (May-November)
  Improves density, flowering, drought tolerance & rooting
  Reduces the length of growth of branches for 2-3 years
• Iron Enhancement (May – August)
  Improves leaf color on certain types of trees

Emerald Ash Borer Prevention

If you have an Ash tree on your property, you need to review this information! Your ash tree will become infected by the Emerald Ash Borer unless preventive steps are taken.

What you’ll see... infestations of Emerald Ash Borer can be difficult to detect until canopy dieback begins. Evidence of infestation include D-shaped exit holes on branches and the trunk, vertical splits in the bark, discolored sapwood, distinct serpentine tunnels in sapwood and a profusion of shoots growing from the base of the tree. Many trees appear to lose about 30 to 50 percent of the canopy in one year and the tree is often killed after 2 to 3 years of infestation.

The reason for the problem... is an exotic beetle from Asia feeding on Ash trees in southeastern Michigan. It has been identified as Agrilus planipennis. Larvae feed in the phloem and outer sapwood, producing galleries that eventually girdle and kill branches and entire trees.

You should... Remove any dead or dying branches or the entire tree if the infestation is too severe. It is unlawful to remove the wood from our area and should be disposed at a site provided by the State of Michigan.

We can help ... if the tree is not heavily infested. Prevention is the key! Action must be taken before it’s too late! We offer treatments which can control the Emerald Ash Borer in the early stages of infestation.

1. Basic maintenance program for trees that are not exhibiting any signs of damage at this time.
   • Annual fall deep root fertilization with insecticide
   • Annual spring trunk injected insecticide
2. Better maintenance program adds a specially designed bio-stimulant to fall fertilization. This product contains vitamins and hormones that aid in recovery from minor Emerald Ash Borer damage.
   • Annual fall deep root fertilization with insecticide and a bio-stimulant
   • Annual spring trunk injected insecticide
3. Best maintenance program adds a unique product called Mycorrizae to the fall fertilization with bio-stimulant. This product contains a naturally occurring fungus that is very beneficial to trees with Emerald Ash Borer.
   • Annual fall deep root fertilization with insecticide, bio-stimulant & Mycorrizae
   • Annual spring trunk injected insecticide

Call the Atwood LawnCare office today at 1-800-LawnCare for an analysis of your Ash Tree. Don’t wait to see damage – or it will be too late!

For more information about the Emerald Ash Borer problem in Michigan, visit:
Michigan Department of Agriculture Emerald Ash Borer (EAB) Pest Home Page