Tree health care — drought, soil, pests and disease
Drought response, fertilizing, soil work, and pest and disease management.
A tree that is thinning, dropping leaves early or dying back from the tips is telling you something, and it is usually not what people assume. Most decline here starts below ground: compacted soil, restricted root space, or several dry years in a row.
So health care starts with the soil and the site, not with a spray. Where soil is the problem, the answer is soil work — decompaction, mulch, and getting water to the root zone rather than the surface.
Pests and disease are real and sometimes primary, but they are frequently opportunists on a tree already stressed by something else. Treating the pest and ignoring the cause buys a season.
What tree health care includes
- Assessment of decline, including the soil and site conditions
- Soil decompaction and root-zone improvement
- Fertilizing where a deficiency is actually indicated
- Drought response and irrigation guidance
- Pest and disease identification and management
Tree health care: common questions
- My tree is losing leaves early — is it dying?
- Not necessarily. Early leaf drop is a common drought response and a way for a tree to reduce its water demand. It is worth an inspection, because the same symptom can indicate root damage or disease, and the difference matters.
- Will fertilizer fix a struggling tree?
- Only if the problem is a nutrient deficiency, which is less often the case than people expect. Fertilizing a tree whose real problem is compacted soil or restricted roots pushes growth the root system cannot support.
- Can a declining tree be saved?
- Sometimes, and it depends on how much of the root system and the canopy is still working, and whether the cause can be removed. Part of the assessment is being straight about when a tree is past the point where intervention is worth the money.
Related services
- Arborist consulting & reports
Written arborist reports and consulting for planning, permits and disputes.
- Pruning
Structural and maintenance pruning, plus hazard-reduction pruning on trees over structures.
- Mulch manufacturing
Mulch manufacturing, screening and coloring from processed material.
- Tree management programs
Ongoing management for HOAs, municipalities, government, corporate campuses, golf courses and parks.
Our sister companies
Two companies behind the work: one turns what we cut into mulch, the other keeps our trucks and equipment running.
Produces our mulch
EcoMulch
Makes mulch from local tree work, ours included, and sells it with soil, compost and rock, for pickup in Martinez or delivery to your driveway.
Visit ecomulch.org (opens in a new tab)Maintains and repairs our fleet
Rex Mechanical
Heavy equipment repair, welding, hydraulics and fabrication, in its shop in Concord or on site across Northern California.
Visit rex-mechanical.com (opens in a new tab)
Talk to someone about your tree health care
Estimates are free. Tell us what you’re looking at and we’ll come and have a look.