Plant Health Care

LAM Tree 40th anniversary logo

Insect & Disease Management & Treatment 

What Is Plant Health Care?

If you're looking to create a healthy and beautiful landscape, then Plant Health Care (PHC) is for you.

It goes beyond pruning, general maintenance and occasional fertilization and instead focuses on preventing issues from arising in the first place.

Why wait for something to go wrong with your landscape (like pests, diseases, storms and fire) when you can proactively manage it to avoid most of the undesirable outcomes.

While we can't prevent all problems, we CAN maintain and improve your landscape's health, appearance, vitality and safety.

 

Plant Health Care Services

Insect & Disease Control Programs

A wide range of insects is always present in the Colorado forest, including some that harm your trees and landscape. Pine bark beetles and the Ips beetle are just two, and create huge problems in our area (you can learn more on our page about controlling mountain pine beetle). We also have many tree diseases and pests, like the Cooley Spruce gall, dwarf mistletoe and needle scale.

Aspens are the prevailing tree in our area, and a favorite with many Colorado residents. Unfortunately, aspen trees are also prone to many injuries (like deer or elk rubbing), diseases (like aspen leaf blight) and pests (such as spider mites).

Check our Resources pages for more information on how to identify, treat, and control the common tree pests and diseases in our area

All of these need proper diagnosis and the right treatment to prevent damage and disfigurement to your trees. Some, like the pine beetles, can kill your trees if not treated.

Based on our analysis of the situation, we choose from a range of sprays and tree injections to get the most effective treatment to the affected area.

Ips beetle
Ips beetle
Cooley Spruce Gall
Cooley sprunce gall
Aphids
Aphids

Lawn Programs

Most mountain properties don’t have the typical turf grass areas. We offer programs custom suited to mountain lawns. Whether your lawn is typical or not, we can help with diseases, bare spots or an annual weed and feed and winterization.

Noxious Weed Management

Noxious weeds are difficult and labor intensive to control. Sometimes they just seem to rear their ugly seed heads no matter what you do. Let us help! With our approach of herbicide spraying, native grass seeding and biological controls those tough weeds don’t stand a chance.

Learn how to ID Colorado weeds here.

leafy spurge
Leafy spurge is one of many noxious weeds to keep watch for.
Scotch thistle (<em>Onopordum acanthium</em>)
Scotch thistle (Onopordum acanthium)
Yellow toadflax (<em>Linaria vulgaris</em>)
Yellow toadflax (Linaria vulgaris)

Root Treatments

There is a reason for that old saying “Getting to the root of the problem.” Most of our trees' roots have been mistreated and neglected. We have a number of techniques we utilize to revive plants roots. When your trees, shrubs and landscape plants have healthy roots they are disease resistant and more aesthetically pleasing. Whether it’s a simple fertilization or a detailed soil analysis, we’ll get to the root of the problem!

For more information go to https://www.ext.colostate.edu/index.html

Get A Free Quote

Call us at 303-674-8733 or contact us online to get a free estimate for any aspect of our Plant Health Care program.

REQUEST AN ESTIMATE

Happy to report our trees that sustained early spring snow and hail are doing very well. They are fuller and healthier than we expected - lots of new growth on aspens, maples and blue spruce. The folks at LAM responded to my inquiry about their condition and expectations for spring/summer. I was advised the annual nutrients and fungal spraying would help the trees recover and leaf out. SPOT ON!!

Melissa McInnis

Timelines for Tree and Lawn Treatments

Ips Beetle

  • Late Feb. through Mid-April

Poplar Borer

  • March/April

Spruce Beetle/Douglas Fir Beetle

  • April/May

Cooley Spruce Gall/White Pine Weevil

  • April/May again August/Sept.

Tree Root Treatments

  • April/May or August/September

Aspen Fungus/Insects

  • Mid-April through July

Mountain Pine Beetle

  • May through July

Lawn Care/ Weed Control

  • April through September

Dwarf Mistletoe

  • Late July through August

Mountain Pine Beetles

Periodic outbreaks of mountain pine beetles can destroy millions of trees in Colorado and other states. They develop primarily in pines and can spread rapidly. Here's what you need to know about treatment and how to help stop the spread of mountain pine beetles.
Learn More →
Signs of spruce budworm infestation on a tree in Evergreen, Colorado.

How to Identify & Get Rid of Spruce Budworms

Spruce budworms can cause serious damage. Identify and manage them early to save your trees & avoid further infestation. Here's how you can get rid of them.
Learn More →
squirrel on a snow-covered tree near evergreen colorado

How to Prevent Winter Rodent Damage to Your Trees

Voles, gophers, rabbits, and squirrels can damage or even kill trees during the winter. See our recommendations for how to keep your trees safe from rodent damage this winter.
Learn More →
aspen trees in autumn

Aspen Trees: Common Problems & What To Do

Although Colorado's aspen trees are beautiful, they're also prone to a host of aspen tree problems. Thankfully, most are preventable or treatable - especially if you address the #1 issue nearly all aspens in our area face.
Learn More →
apple buds with rain

How Spring Weather Affects Treatment Timing For Weeds, Insect Pests & Tree Diseases

Have you ever wondered why weeds, bugs, and plant diseases seem to appear earlier some years but much later other years? Unlike holidays and birthdays, the emergence of weeds and insect populations isn’t determined by a date on your calendar. Instead, timing is based on a combination of factors, with spring weather conditions being the most important.
Learn More →
cytospora canker on aspen tree

Aspens Turning Orange? It’s Cytospora Canker

Cytospora canker causes dead or dying areas on tree bark. In aspens, this area turns orange. The cankers kill tree branches (you'll often see this in spruce) and, in severe cases, will kill the whole tree. There's no cure so prevention is critical.
Learn More →
spider mite damage to underside of leaf

Spider Mites Suck Plants Dry

Spider mites are common and destructive pests in Colorado yards, including on trees of all kinds. Learn how to identify these tiny arachnids and control them before they kill your plants.
Learn More →
Pine needle scale on pine tree needles

Scale Insects: Oystershell, Pine Needle & Striped Pine Scale

Scale insects can be extremely damaging to trees and shrubs in the Evergreen, CO region, causing leaf/needle discoloration, defoliation, stunted growth, limb dieback, vulnerability to other pests and diseases, and even plant death. Here's how to identify scale insects, as well as treatment options and timing.
Learn More →
prevent pest and disease on trees

How to Prevent Insect & Disease Problems on Trees & Shrubs

Getting an early start on dealing with insect and disease issues can make all the difference between a beautiful, healthy landscape and one that’s plagued by problems all season. By focusing on prevention, rather than reacting to disease and pest infestation when it happens, you save money that may be spent on unnecessary pesticides and get to enjoy a more attractive environment.
Learn More →
Aphids

Aphids Cause Sticky Leaves & Black Patches

Aphids are small insects that suck the sap from plant leaves, twigs and stems. They excrete a sticky substance called honeydew (often mistaken for sap "bleeding" from the tree) that can develop sooty mold (a black coating on leaves and surfaces). Treatment and prevention are possible. Read more for the details.
Learn More →
ips beetle damage in Colorado foothills

Ips Beetle – A Killer of Pine and Spruce Trees

Ips beetles are a frequent problem in Colorado, including here in the Denver foothills where they can kill whole forests in a single season. They’re especially problematic during periods of prolonged drought.
Learn More →
aspen trees

Aspen Leaf Blight: Symptoms & Solutions

Aspens are prone to fungal foliage diseases (aspen leaf blight). Severe outbreaks cause premature defoliation or dieback of parts of the tree and, depending on when the outbreak occurs, can even kill the tree.
Learn More →
dwarf mistletoe on juniper - close up

Dwarf Mistletoe – The Facts

This common parasitic plant makes its home on pine trees. It’s a weed! We can prune it out of your trees or spray to keep it from spreading. Every situation is different, so let a Certified Arborist help you mitigate Dwarf Mistletoe problems.
Learn More →
Cooley Spruce Gall

Cooley Spruce Gall Adelgid

Cooley spruce galls are common in Colorado and are often seen on blue spruce. The galls are caused by the Cooley spruce gall adelgid (or wooly aphid). But while they may look alarming, Cooley spruce galls usually do little or no damage to the tree.
Learn More →

Get A Free Quote

Call us at 303-674-8733 or contact us online to get a free estimate for tree removal.

REQUEST AN ESTIMATE

I have used LAM Tree Service for many years and continue to find them pleasant to work with and highly professional. They do regular root feeds and spray for pests. The result is healthy trees and no disease. Ryan came over today to give me an estimate on tree trimming and he offered excellent (and free) advice on caring for a sick Aspen and other issues. I also praise LAM Tree for supporting local sports teams (men's softball, girls' sports) and being part of the Evergreen and Conifer community.

Ronald F.

CONTACT US

LAM Tree Service, Inc.
P. O. Box 2486, Evergreen, CO 80437-2486

Physical Location:
30476 Bryant Drive, Evergreen, CO

Phone: 303-674-8733

HOURS

Monday—Friday: 8:00AM–4:00PM
Saturday & Sunday by appointment only

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