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RTEC Treecare

Expert Tree Care in the DC Metro Area | Call 703-573-3029 to talk to a Tree Care Expert.

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Early Fall Foliage Means Your Tree Is Stressed

Resources: Seasonal Tree Care

Early Fall FoliageFor the past few weeks, our Arborists have noted a good amount of trees that have already started changing colors and losing their leaves. Most homeowners see this as a sign of early fall; however, our arborists warn that early fall color is a cry for help.

In our area, you typically will start seeing the leaves turn at the beginning of October, hitting their peak right before the onset of November. Leaves changing color and dropping early in the year (September) is most likely a sign that your tree is sick/stressed. When trees are stressed, suffering from an insect infestation, or infected with a disease, they may stop producing chlorophyll. This speeds up the tree’s seasonal process making the leaves turn fall colors and drop earlier than usual.

Common Stressors That Could Be Causing Early Leaf Drop:

On top of insects infestation and diseases, the stressors below can lead to early leaf drop.

  • Heat stress
  • Sunscald
  • Trunk injuries from mowers
  • Lack of water
  • Lack of nutrients
  • Soil Compaction

Is Your Tree Showing Early Fall Foliage? 

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Or Call 703.573.3029


4 Things to Do If Your Tree Is Stressed:

These 4 steps are the most important steps of Fall tree care. They will help combat your tree’s stressors, keep your tree healthy, and prepare your tree for the winter season.

Early Fall FoliageFeed With Bio-Stimulants: “If you are only able to do one thing for your tree this year, do a Fall bio-stimulant treatment.” recommends Kevin Sullivan, our Plant Health Care Division Leader. Bio-Stimulants contain a natural blend of sugars, bacteria, humic acid, sea kelp extract, and fungi. This mix feeds the soil and naturally fertilizes the tree. By introducing this blend to the critical root zone it will re-establish good soil composition and act as a multi-vitamin for your tree.  Fertilizing your trees with bio-stimulants strengthens the tree’s immune system and is one of the best preventative measures to keep your tree from getting sick.

Mulch: Applying mulch around trees is one of the best things you can do for the health of your trees. Especially for young trees, mulching is a quick and cost-effective technique that protects the tree’s roots from the cold, helps retain soil moisture and organic matter. Just make sure you don’t make one of the 5 Most Common Mulching Mistakes.

Protect From Borers: At this time of year, borers are looking for stressed trees to enter and spend their winter in. When you apply a fall dormant oil spray it suffocates the overwintering insects before they have a chance to spread and damage your trees and shrubs in the spring.

Water: Although the summer heat has passed your tree can still suffer drought stress and may be recovering from the heat stress the summer caused. Make sure your trees are hydrated.

Watering Tips For Fall Tree Care:

  • Focus on the critical root zone when watering. Wetting foliage is pointless and can promote the spread of diseases.
    • DON’T use a sprinkler. This only wets the top layer of soil and doesn’t properly water the tree.
    • Water in the morning to avoid evaporation and to help trees deal with the heat throughout the day.
    • Water deeply and thoroughly 1 to 2 times a week.
      • Put your normal hose somewhere in the critical root zone.
      • Turn hose on to a dribble
      • Leave for 2-3 hours
      • Move the hose to a different spot in the critical root zone and leave for 2-3 hours. Repeat this step 1-3 times.
    • You want the soil to be moist but not soaking. You should NOT be able to make a mud ball out of the soil.
    • It’s okay for some portions of the soil to be wet and some to be dry.

 

If your tree is already showing fall color have an arborist take a look to see what’s wrong. An arborist will be able to prescribe a customized plan to solve your tree’s stress issue. Call Us at 703.573.3029 or book an appointment online.

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Google Reviews

Grey Burkhart
Grey Burkhart
March 29, 2022.
Verified
Very professional review of our requirements and an accurate estimate. Showed up on time and were finished quickly. Cleaned up all of the debris and sawdust. Great job all around.
Dennis Bruns
Dennis Bruns
March 8, 2022.
Verified
We have used RTEC Treecare for several years. They do excellent work. Their staff is extremely knowledgeable and take great care in explaining the various options available for your particular situation. I highly recommend them.
Annette Iannucci
Annette Iannucci
February 23, 2022.
Verified
We have been using RTEC for years and were very pleased with the recent tree maintenance work they did for us. As always, we got good advice from their arborist Ben,. The crew that did the work is highly skilled, and they did a great job trimming our trees. They worked safely and efficiently, in addition to leaving the yard clean after they finished the work.
Susan Crawford
Susan Crawford
January 26, 2022.
Verified
RTEC was at my house today to removed a large Magnolia that was badly damaged by the recent snow. They did a fantastic job at a very reasonable price. They arrived right on time, worked efficiently and quickly and cleaned up so well it was hard to tell anything have been disturbed. Over the past several years, I have used RTEC for all the services I checked above, and have always been very pleased with their service and professionalism. I also appreciate that they are not eager to take down trees that don't need to come down. In this case, the damage was too extensive for the tree to recover.
Kenton Morgan
Kenton Morgan
January 20, 2022.
Verified
Once again, RTEC has done a great job. The team showed up right on time and performed all the work that we agreed to. They kept us informed as to progress, coordinated with us concerning our maple, and made recommendations concerning ongoing support for our trees. At the end of the day, they thoroughly cleaned up the debris and left our yard in pristine condition. WELL DONE.
Jean Kluttz
Jean Kluttz
January 3, 2022.
Verified
Not our first time but this time was tricky removal of a large dead tree leaning on a healthy tree. Quick response for estimate, good timing to removal, all clear and healthy tree still fine.
Jerry Haggin
Jerry Haggin
December 16, 2021.
Verified
Very good work while ensuring that I was aware of status of my work order and planned completion.
Mike Iger
Mike Iger
December 16, 2021.
Verified
David Roberts
David Roberts
December 15, 2021.
Verified
We’ve used RTEC for many years for tree maintenance and can’t say enough good things about their service. We use them for tree trimming and for regular treatments to maintain our trees’ health and deal with pests and prevent disease. Their arborist Ben has been especially helpful with advice. RTEC also been especially helpful in emergency situations, once coming to cable a massive, heritage oak in our yard right before a hurricane was about to hit. Highly recommend.
Travis Larson
Travis Larson
December 10, 2021.
Verified
RTEC did an excellent job onsite of removing dead branches from our 80+ year old trees, and trimming other growth too close to our home.
Google rating score: 4.8 of 5, based on 185 reviews.

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  • Seasonal Tree Care

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