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Blog Tree Blogs, Issues & Tips
The Unsung Hero of Tree Health – Proactive Tree Pruning
Ross Tree is known for tackling the most complex tree service challenges in Denver and the surrounding metro area. We have expertise in heavy equipment, intricate cabling strategies, and navigating the permitting process for large-scale tree removal and...
Transitioning from Tree Service to a Plant Health Care Company
For years, Ross Tree has been a trusted name in tree care, providing a full range of services. However, the landscape of tree health is changing, and so is Ross Tree. We are proud to announce our significant evolution, transitioning from a general tree service...
Emerald Ash Borer Handbook
The Emerald Ash Borer Is Here to Stay The Emerald Ash Borer Is In Denver The Emerald Ash Borer arrived in the City and County of Denver on June 17, 2025 and was confirmed by entomology experts from Colorado State University and Denver’s Office of the City Forester. It...
Are Trees Worth Money?
Trees shade and cool homes on a hot day. They add ambiance and increase the enjoyment of yards and neighborhoods. Trees create curb appeal, enhance home values, and make public-right-of-ways more beautiful. But are trees actually worth money? The answer is definitely...
Hot Dog Bun on the Head Type of Day
Several years ago, I was walking to Washington Park along a street lined by large American Elm trees. Suddenly, I was hit on the head by a hot dog bun. I thought Amazon was working on a new hot dog delivery concept. I looked up and, rather than seeing a drone, I saw a...
Sugar Magnolia Blossoms Blooming
The Magnolia of the Magnoliaceae tree family contains some of the oldest existing flowering plants in the world. Magnolias appeared in the fossil record around 100 million years ago. Beetles pollinated the flowers as they do today. Modern magnolias are evergreen,...
Late Winter or Early Spring Plant Health Care Issues
It Is Time to Think About Plant Health Care Early spring is an unpredictable time in Denver. We get seventy-degree weather; then it snows several feet. Regardless, trees are working hard to prepare for the coming growing season and it time to talk about plant health...
Arbor versus Tree Service Companies – What is the Difference?
When it comes to maintaining trees' health, shape, and safety on residential properties, homeowners encounter two types of tree professionals: tree companies and arbor service firms. Most people use these terms interchangeably, but they offer different areas of...
Why Does Sap Run in Maples in the Late Winter?
Believe it or not, Maple trees sap is running in Denver even after our cold snap in January. The same thing happens in Vermont when Sugar Maples are sugared to make syrup. Sap running gets its start during the previous growing season. During photosynthesis, little...
Winter Tree Care Handbook
Close of the Year Tree Services Trees are large, tall, and immovable. They have no choice but face what our weather throws at them in the winter. Trees adapt well to cold weather if given time to harden. However, abrupt, unexpected polar plunges and winter droughts in...
Commercial Tree Services
Ross Tree is a leading commercial tree service company in the Denver area. Our commercial tree service offerings are similar to all the residential pruning, tree removal, and plant health care services described on the Ross Tree website. What makes them different is...
Professional Tree Straightening
Tree straightening helps trees that have grown in a slanted or leaning manner. Tree straightening corrects the shape of a tree that has been damaged or has grown out of control over time. The process involves pruning, cabling, and bracing to improve the tree's...
Thrips Active in Denver
Ross Tree is noticing a lot of Thrips this month. We arrive to service trees, but the homeowners also want us to look at insect damage on their grapes, roses, and other yard plants. We have even been asked to look at the damage to marijuana plants grown for personal...
Emerald Ash Borer Found in Lakewood
In September 2024, the CSU Extension in Jefferson County confirmed its first case of Emerald Ash (EAB) in a small area in central Lakewood. If not treated, EAB will kill green and white Ash since they have no immunity. It will also kill Autumn Purple Ash. Mountain ash...
Common Poplar & Cottonwood Tree Issues
Poplars, Cottonwoods, and Aspens are all members of the Populus genus, with many characteristics that make them desirable in homeowners’ yards. These attractive trees have triangular leaves with long stems and silvery backsides that shimmer or quake in the wind....
The Year of the Tree Fungus in Denver
Ross Tree has seen rare tree diseases and insects over the last two years because of our wet spring and summer. In 2023, May was particularly wet. All these fungi weaken trees, making them more susceptible to other damaging diseases or pests. In the summer of 2024,...
Pine Tree Root System Issues
Pine Tree Root Systems Pine tree root systems keep trunks and canopies upright against wind and gravity forces. Anchorage resilience depends on various factors, including tree species, root health, soil composition, moisture levels, and root plate width. The "root...
Hackberry Trees Issues in Denver
Hackberry is a medium-sized shade tree planted in most neighborhoods in Denver that is relatively disease-resistant. It is one of the few trees native to Colorado, so it is drought-tolerant and resilient to our unpredictable weather. Hackberries grow 50 feet tall,...
The Effect of Heat on Trees
Tree Heat Stress Biology Since trees are not native to the Denver area, it makes sense that they might need some extra care to thrive here. Trees get stressed as we move to high 90-degree temperature days. On a hot summer day, humans sweat while trees transpire. High...
Ips Engraver Beetle Outbreak in Denver
Time to Protect Spruce, Ponderosa, and Austrian Pine Trees Ips Beetles are native to Colorado and are now on the move in Denver. Their larvae damage spruce and pine trees, so the best time to treat is when the adult males become active in April and May each year. They...
Emergency Tree Services Explained
Denver is known for its unpredictable weather. Late spring snow and wind storms can topple trees and cause branch damage across the city. The need for emergency tree service rises exponentially because some damage is hazardous to people, vehicles, and buildings....
Surprising Rise in Tree Aphids in Denver
Each spring is different in Denver. Ross Tree's General Manager is already seeing aphids in February 2024. Last year, Denver had a wet spring, and an Elm Leave Beetle infestation occurred. In 2022, we had a dry early spring with little snow, but it rained heavily in...
Tree Compartmentalization
Trees are among Earth's most successful life forms in terms of longevity, size, and ecological dominance. They are around 370 million years old and found on all continents besides Antarctica. Lifeforms that successfully have ways to content with harm, rot, and...
Tree Risk Assessment
Homeowners Need Tree Risk Assessment? An experienced ISA-certified arborist with sound technical knowledge and experience can provide tree risk assessments for problem trees to prevent injuries and property damage. Tree risk assessments should not assume every tree...
Two Elms on Elm Street
Planting Elm Trees At one time, the American Elm was the most planted tree in America. Elms were popular because of their size and stately fountain-like shape. Trees planted along streets create an entwined canopy that turns gold in the fall. Unfortunately, most...
Winter Care of Young Trees in Denver
In the fall and winter, trees drop their leaves and become dormant as they prepare for colder temperatures. Newly planted trees benefit tremendously from winter young tree care. Believe it or not newly planted trees experience the greatest growth in their root system...
Denver’s Wet Summer – Too Much of A Good Thing
June 2023 is now the wettest ever in Denver, with a total of 6.1 inches of rainfall. While trees need a certain amount of water to thrive, excessive rain can have positive and negative effects, depending on the tree species, soil type, and other environmental factors....
Dutch Elm Disease Discovered Again in Denver
American Elms are native to North America. Back in the 1800s horticulturists and city planners across the U.S. planted them in parks and the public right-of-ways, so their modern range is the whole country. These magnificent trees grow 60 to 80 feet tall, with a 40 to...
Large Tree Service Job Handbook
Large Tree Removal Expertise For over 30 years, Ross Tree has been the go-to tree service company for complicated large tree removal jobs. Removing trees next to homes, garages, and fence structures requires specialized skills and equipment. If the work is near a busy...
Spring Is Around The Corner. Now It Is Time To Think About Lawn Care.
Historically April is Denver's second snowiest month. However, plants are starting to emerge in yards across the City. According to the Denver Post, it is time to prepare lawns for the growing season. Denverites traditionally have planted cool-season grasses like...
Lawn Snow Molds
Denver is Discovering Pink and Grey Snow Mold As the Snow Melts Pink and grey snow molds are like fried ice cream - they are a contradiction in terms. It is hard to fathom how some things like this can happen, but they do. Denver has a true winter this year, with many...
Finding a Charlie Brown Christmas Tree
Native Colorado Christmas Trees How many times has your family watched Charlie Brown’s Christmas Special? Most likely, the answer is a lot, which means your Christmas tree selection narrows quickly to “We want a Charlie Brown Christmas tree.” Fortunately, an...
Why Use Anti-Desiccants On Evergreen Trees?
Chapstick for Trees Evergreen trees do not go into dormancy like hardwood trees because they retain their needles in the winter. When the ground freezes, these trees tap into the water stored in their leaves and stems. Sometimes trees exposed to hot sun or wind cannot...
Fall Tree Service Handbook
Getting Trees Ready for The Fall Fall tree service is probably the most optimal time for homeowners to care for their trees. The fall starts, or the autumnal equinox arrives on September 22. With the change in seasons, deciduous trees start cutting off nutrients to...
2022 Summer Tree Insect and Disease Assessment
Summer Tree Issues Each August, the arborists at Ross Tree assess summer tree issues they faced in Denver. The tree insect and disease issues we find each summer depend on what happened in the winter and spring seasons. Sometimes Denver has wet winters and springs,...
Favorite Trees in Denver
We must love trees in Denver because almost any seen in the City are planted. Denver's unpredictable spring and fall weather and clay soils make it hard to grow trees. Some trees, like Ash, should not be planted because of the recently arrived Emerald Ash Borer....
Tree Care Makes Good Economic Sense
Taking care of trees makes good economic sense because they are valuable assets that increase the market value of homes. Trees shade homes on a hot day, increase curb appeal and make yards more enjoyable. But are trees worth money? The answer is yes. Tree...
A Short Guide to Aspen Trees and Their Care
How to Care For Your Aspen Trees Colorado has a higher percentage of the species growing within its borders than any other state. Aspens thrive in higher elevations. Planting these trees in Denver with our heavy clay soils and hot lowland weather takes its toll,...
Pine Tree Care Handbook
Pine Tree Care In Denver Ross Tree publishes handbooks on key tree issues common to the Denver area. The Pine Tree Care Handbook identifies pines and other conifers that grow here and the insects and diseases that inflict them. Colorado has eleven conifers and three...
What To Do About Japanese Beetles?
The Control of Japanese Beetles You know it is summer in Denver when we start handpicking Japanese Beetles (Popillia japonica) off plants in our yards. The beetles favor roses, grape & Virginia Creeper vines, but the pests are generalists and attack many plants...
Standards Based Pruning Handbook
Proper Tree Pruning Proper tree pruning saves money in the long term because healthy trees need less maintenance. Tree trimming encourages good tree structure and improves the aesthetic appeal of a tree. The best way to assure proper tree service is to hire a tree...
Surprising Rise in Tree Borers this Spring in Denver
Ross Tree has noticed infestations of tree borers in the field this spring in both conifers and hardwoods. Our certified arborists believe that winter droughts in the Denver area create stress making trees easy targets for these insects. It is extremely dry in Denver...
Top 5 Spring Tree Care Tips
Early Spring Tree Care Tips To Set Up Yard Trees for a Healthy Growing Season in Denver Spring officially begins in March in Denver, but we might be surprised by polar plunges and snowstorms in April. Trees go into full pitch, sending nutrients to their leaf and...
How To Deal With Cankers On My Honeylocust Trees?
Honeylocust Thyronectria Cankers Over the last two years, the drought and polar plunges that have hit Denver have weakened the ability of Honeylocust trees to fight off disease. Thyronectria cankers are notorious for harming and killing Honeylocusts in the Denver...
Winter Tree Watering
Why Water Trees in the Winter? According to 9News, Death Valley got more rain than Denver in the final six months of 2021. With these conditions, it is a good bet that all trees in the area are drought-stressed and need supplemental watering. Do not let the latest...
Tree Pests to Watch Out for in August in Denver
This August, two tree pests are having a field day in Denver - the Elm Leaf Beetle and the Honeylocust Spider Mite. Our wet spring set up conditions for the Elm Leaf Beetle to thrive and attack Elms across the city. Consecutive 90 degree days this summer is perfect...
How Do I Get My Trees Ready For The Summer?
Summer Tree Care Tips As Ross Tree's General Manager explains in the video below, summer is an excellent time to get your trees ready to withstand Denver's unpredictable weather. He recommends increasing deep rooting feeding to at least two times during the growing...
What to do after planting a new tree?
Newly Planted Tree Care Tips Wondering what to do after planting a new tree? Below are some tips after the tree is in the ground. For the last 35 years, Denver Digs Trees has been a significant force in expanding the City’s urban forest by providing more than 60,000...
Preparing Trees for Denver’s Heavy Spring Snowstorms
Channel 9 News recently ran a story on "How To Remove Snow From Your Trees During An April Storm." After the spat of snowstorms Denver experienced in March and April, many homeowners wished they had hired a professional tree company for winter tree pruning to avoid...
Sometimes It is Best to Call a Professional Tree Company
Are Cottonwood Trees Dangerous? The best way to answer whether Cottonwood trees are dangerous depends on their size and location. Cottonwood removals next to homes, sheds, garages, fences, and streets need special care because these fast-growing trees become big and...
Ask a Professional – Why Use Systemic Products to Control Tree Pests?
Systemic Tree Injections Ross Tree, a leading innovator in tree insect control, recommends tree systemic injections to control tree insects. We were the first tree company in Denver to offer tree injections, a practicable alternative to spraying trees. Using...
Elm Leaf Pests Handbook
Elm Leaf Pests Homeowners should know that Elms growing in Denver need additional attention. The City has Elm leave pests that feed on elm leaves, causing them to dry up and die. Heavily infested trees are unsightly with brown and skeletonized leaves. Repeated...
Ask a Professional – What Are Late Winter Tree Care Tips for the Denver Area?
Late Winter Tree Care Late winter weather in the Denver area is highly unpredictable. Some years, Denver gets heavy snows in March and April, while others feel like spring in February. Either way, be sure on a nice day next month to check for tree damage. Remediation...
Caring for Maturing Trees
Tree Care Changes as Trees Age According to the Denver Forester, the needs of trees change as they age. For tree care, urban foresters use a concept called PEGSMOR to understand the needs of a tree over its lifespan. PEGSMOR stands for Planting, Establishment, Growth,...
Ask a Professional – What are the Benefits of Applying Dormant Oils in the Winter?
An Introduction to Horticultural Oils Dormant and horticultural oils are effective against exposed tree insect eggs, larvae, pupae, and adults. Dormant oils are sprayed on trees in the winter before their buds open in the spring. In Denver, these oils can be used in...
Ask a Professional – What Are The Benefits Of Removing A Tree Stump From Your Yard?
Professional Stump Grinding Service Tree stumps take up space in a yard. Maybe the stump was there when you moved into your house or left after tree removal. Stump grinding or cutting takes powerful machines to do the job. Stump cutters or grinders remind me of the...
Ask A Professional – Why Do Hardwood Trees Drop Their Leafs?
Winter Tree Biology Fall is the favorite season for many people because of sweater-wearing weather, cozying up to fires, pumpkins, and fall colors. Coloradans head to the mountains to see Aspens paint the side of mountains yellow, orange, and red. Biologically,...
Ask a Professional – Is It Ok to Prune Trees in the Winter?
It's a common misconception that winter tree pruning is not recommended, and tree companies close down in the winter. Ross Tree, a locally owned tree company, operates twelve months of the year and provides tree services throughout the Denver area during the winter....
Ask a Professional – How Do You Control Mountain Pine Beetles?
The best time to check for Mountain Pine Beetle (MPB) infestation is in winter. Check for "pitch tubes" on the trunks of your trees. The tree forms these tubes in its attempt to flush out the intrusive beetles. If you see some, use a hatchet to cut off a bark piece to...
Ask a Professional – What is Plant Health Care?
Keeping It Green Ross Tree offers a Plant Health Care (PHC) service that takes a holistic and comprehensive approach to tree, shrub, and lawn care. In contrast, most tree companies just service trees and sometimes shrubs. We keep all the woody plants and turf in a...
Ask a Professional – Why Is There Widespread Tree Damage in Denver?
Take a bike ride along any bike trail in Denver, and there is widespread tree damage across the City. Many trees have half-dead crowns, leafless branches, and stunted growth. What happened? The simple answer is Denver’s weather threw some hard pitches and struck out...
Tree Canopy Management
The Practice of Tree Canopy Management in Residential Tree Care Many leading tree service companies, like Ross Tree Company, embrace Tree Canopy Management because of its holistic approach to tree pruning and tree health care. Trees grow well in the forest without any...
What To Do About Tree Freeze Damage?
Denver's Polar Plunges The Denver area is known for its polar plunges that freeze damage trees. The plunges usually happen in the fall but also occur in late spring. The Denver area experienced plunges in October in both 2018 and 2019. It is sunny and warm; then it...
Why Hire a Professional Tree Service Company?
Reasons To Hire A Professional Tree Service Company Homeowners should hire a professional tree service company for three reasons - trees are valuable real estate assets, work in trees is hazardous, and tree health issues sometimes are complex. Tree Value - A mature...
Time To Protect Large Blue Spruce Trees in Denver
Ips Engraver Beetles Prevention The Colorado Blue Spruce, Pica pungens, is a large tree found in yards and parks across the Denver metro area. They grow tall into a pyramid shape with stiff, horizontal branches forming a dense canopy. Some trees grow up to 100 feet...
COVID – 19 Update
Ross Tree Company is classified as an essential business and will be open for business throughout the COVID-19 quarantine. An Arborist is considered a skilled trade by the Colorado Department of Labor so Ross Tree is open throughout the COVID-19 shut-down. Ross...
The Attack of the Spotted Lanternfly – Maybe?
Ross Tree likes to keep its customers informed about invasive tree insects. Last year, local media outlets featured stories about the Spotted Lanternfly. It is not in Colorado yet, but this insect is creating havoc in Pennsylvania, New York, Maryland, Delaware, and...
Evergreen Tree Pest Update
This Evergreen Tree Pest Update discusses the Tussock Moth and Pine Sawfly. These insects devastate evergreens in Colorado. Denver homeowners need to get informed about these tree pests. Homeowners who see clusters of larvae on their Pine, Spruce or Fir trees, click...
Emerald Ash Borer on the Move in Broomfield, Westminster, and Berthoud
The Ash destroying Emerald Ash Borer (EAB) has found its way out of Boulder with confirmed sightings in Broomfield, Westminster, and now Berthoud. The quarantine was set up in 2013 in Boulder County after the EAB was found near the University of Colorado campus. The...
Winter Tree Care Tips
As you know, Denver is known for its 300 days of sunshine and surprising weather changes. Winter creates tree care issues for trees but also treatment opportunities for some tree species. Winter Kill and Sunscald Over the last two years, Denver experienced sudden...
Fire Blight Handbook
The Denver Post reported on November 2018 that Fire Blight is on the move across the Front Range. Click here to read the article. Fire Blight is a bacterial disease that affects certain tree species in the rose family, including apples, pears, and crabapples. The...
Tree Pruning and Removal in Tight Places
Ross Tree Company is an experienced special care tree services company. We can prune and remove trees in tight places. We have the expertise and equipment to take on the toughest tree trimming or removal jobs. A tree might be next to a neighbor’s home or leaning...
Honeylocust Tree Care
Honeylocusts are a popular tree in Denver and the Front Range. However, dry winters, hail damage, late spring freezes, and insect infestations are causing noticeable damage. For example, thinner canopies, branch dieback, and less leafing-out are evidence that...
Sometimes it is Best to Leave it to the Professionals
Large Tree Service Ross Tree Company is your go-to company for tree service next to busy streets. It can be a stressful process, involving permits, large equipment, street closures, and scheduling of crews. Therefore, it’s best to leave it to the professionals. Rest...
Silver Poplar Tree Care
I moved to Denver in the 1980s from the south, and there were two distinct things to this region that I noticed almost immediately - magpies and Silver Poplars. Magpies are one of the most intelligent animals on the planet. These birds can recognize themselves in...
Controlling Elm Leaf Beetles
Short winters and warm springs can lead to Elm Leaf Beetle infestations. Insecticide products successfully control the Elm Leaf Beetle and its larvae. Ross Tree Company has three Colorado Department of Agriculture licensed Qualified Supervisors (QS) to handle...
Denver’s Cottonwood Trees
The plains Cottonwood is Colorado's largest broadleaf tree known for its massive trunk and beautiful, large leaves. Because of their grand size, Cottonwoods provide a wow-factor to many yards. The largest Cottonwood in Colorado measured a stunning 23 feet around...
Spring Time Tree Pruning in Denver
Spring tree pruning cuts out the excessive growth of yard trees and establishes a dominant leader, which opens up the tree's canopy to light and strengths the branches to withstand Denver's unpredictable snow and wind storms. However, over-pruning causes negative...
Emerald Ash Borer Denver Update
The dreaded Emerald Ash Borer (EAB) arrived in the heart of Boulder in September 2013. Within five years, the beetle spread to Superior, Colorado, a town half way between Boulder and Denver. With little to no predators, this borer is free to move about at will. Click...
Evergreen Tree Care
Evergreen trees and shrubs are a great option for any yard because they need less maintenance than many leafed trees, provide color all year long, give a lot of privacy, and are quite hardy. However, coniferous trees need different care than deciduous varieties. Below...
How Lawn Care Issues Can Affect Trees
Good lawn care includes practices that do not put trees at risk. In this blog, learn about some simple ways to protect all of your trees. Tree health is an important part of any lawn care, but sometimes people fail to realize how much attention their trees really...
Care Tips for Your Landscape’s Weeping Silver Birch
Learn How To Treat Your Weeping Silver Birch Correctly A weeping silver birch tree is a fast-growing decorative tree most known for its smooth, white bark. The branching structure of this type of tree is unique, as individual branches swoop downward in a charming...
Save Ash Trees From the Emerald Ash Borer
3 Steps to Save Ash Trees From the Emerald Ash Borer The Emerald Ash Borer (EAB) is on the move! Denver is a city teeming with Ash trees. One in every six urban trees in the Denver area is an Ash, so the trees help fill out the canopy in parks, greenbelts, and...
5 Facts to Know About Spruce Beetles and Your Trees
Coniferous trees like pines and spruces are popular among Colorado homeowners because they retain their green color all year round and can often handle harsher conditions than other trees. However, plenty of pests target these trees, and some beetles target only a...
Signs Your Trees Are Sick, Dying, and Need Immediate Attention
From increasing your property value and aesthetic qualities to keeping your heating and cooling costs in check, there are several reasons to keep the trees on your lot healthy and strong. Unfortunately, despite your best efforts, your trees can still become very ill...
5 Mistakes Homeowners Make When Trimming Their Own Trees
Regular trimming is important for maintaining tree health and also for preventing problems associated with dead tree limbs, such as roof damage and landscape damage. However, if you are not trimming your tree correctly, you might be doing more harm than good. Read on...
3 Reasons to Trim Your Trees in the Winter
3 Compelling Reasons to Have Your Trees Trimmed Before Spring Arrives When the snow starts falling and the temperature drops, you might assume that yard work is finished for the year, with the exception of maybe shoveling some snow. However, wintertime is actually...
Ross Tree Company
Ross Tree is a locally owned and licensed Denver tree company that has been in business since 1978. We offer proactive tree pruning, tree insect control, and plant health care services. Why not call a licensed, insured, trusted tree company with an A+ BBB rating?