During the course of the year many different insects will wander into and out of the kitchen, dining or food storage areas of your home. There are several that adapt readily to these environs and will set up housekeeping (if you let them). Three of the most common species in Michigan are the: Indian meal moth Confused flour beetle Sawtoothed grain beetle Damage We refer to the whole group collectively as pantry pests. These insects have an appetite for stored…
All plants need water. When to apply water and how much are decisions anyone growing ornamental plants or lawns must make. But how do we know when to water and how much? All soils have air spaces, and it is in the air spaces that water is stored. The rate at which water moves into the soil is called the infiltration rate. After rain or watering occurs, gravity pulls water out of the largest air spaces deeper into the soil….
Three common ground covers used in Michigan are pachysandra, vinca (aka myrtle or periwinkle), and English ivy. Although these ground cover plants are mostly problem-free, on occasion they can be subject to disease problems. In most instances of diseases on ground covers a fungicide program in combination with good cultural practices can eliminate the problem. Pachysandra. Volutella leaf and stem blight is the most common disease on pachysandra. The disease is usually promoted by excessive moisture for long periods of…
Five common ticks in Michigan include: Dermacentor variabilis (American Dog Tick) Ixodes scapularis (Black Legged Tick) Amblyomma americanum (Lone Star Tick) Ixodes cookei (Woodchuck Tick) Dermacentor albipictus (Winter Tick) The American Dog Tick is extremely common in southeast Michigan and, thankfully, does not carry Lyme disease. It is known, however, to carry Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever (RMSF) and Tularemia, but reported cases of these two diseases in Michigan are rare. According to the CDC the most common type of Tularemia…
ISA Michigan, the local chapter of the International Society of Arboriculture, and the Michigan Oak Wilt Coalition have designated May as Oak Wilt Awareness Month. Oak wilt is a vascular tree disease that can infect both forest oaks and oak trees in our landscapes. Over the last few years new “pockets” of oak wilt have been identified on landscapes throughout southeast Michigan, such as, Holly, Clarkston and Highland. Oak wilt is probably present in many other areas of southeast Michigan,…
We’re happy to welcome back Kayla Johnson to the Plant Health Care department. Kayla, a graduate of Almont High School, is starting her third year with the Plant Health Care department. Prior to joining Owen Tree Kayla worked at American Tree Nursery in Almont. Last spring Kayla earned a Technical Science Degree with a major in Landscape from Oakland Community College. Topics studied included: • Landscape design • Horticulture • Tree, shrub and annual plant identification • Plant biology •…
Pine needle scale is one of the most challenging and frustrating insect pest tree services have to deal with. These insects overwinter as reddish eggs beneath the white female scale covering. Fortunately, even when there is a light infestation of pine needle scale, it is easily recognized. The eggs will be hatching soon and the crawlers will move to new hosts or spread on existing hosts to feed and grow. The crawler stage of pine needle scale is reddish in…
David Scott has accepted the position of General Manager at Owen Tree Service. David, an ISA Certified Arborist, has worked for Owen Tree for six years as a Lawn Care technician, Plant Health Care technician and sales arborist. He has an Associates Degree in Ornamental Horticulture from Oakland Community College. Prior to joining Owen Tree David was a general manager for 17 years for Midwest Memorial Group, a collection of cemeteries in the metro Detroit area. Upon accepting these new…
Our congratulations go out to Owen Tree Service foreman Josh Cook who has become our most recent employee to become an ISA Certified Arborist. Josh was anxious enough to become an ISA Certified Arborist that he traveled to Kentucky back in January for the sole purpose of taking the examination. The consumer is becoming more educated, and they are demanding a way to make better choices when looking for professional services like tree care. Passing the ISA Certified Arborist examination…
Rest assured we will do what is best for your trees, shrubs, and lawn. Our primary guidance on what can, or can not, be done will be largely dictated by the general weather conditions. The delay in getting started with our spring services is going to affect the completion of some services more than others. The timing of many services is dependent on the weather, so we are closely monitoring general weather conditions, high & low daily temperatures, and tree/shrub…