Practical guides to tree and shrub health in Rochester, Monroe County, and the Finger Lakes: diagnose problems early, know the local pests, and call the right pro before small issues become removals.
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SEPTEMBER · ROCHESTER, NY in Rochester
Tar spot on Norway maples
The big black spots look dire and are almost entirely cosmetic. Rake and destroy fallen leaves to cut down on next year.
Read the guide →Mushrooms at the trunk base
Fall fruiting bodies at the root flare can flag internal decay. Worth a close look before winter storms.
Read the guide →Test soil before fall feeding
Fertilizing blind wastes money and can hurt stressed trees. A soil test now shapes smarter fall care.
Read the guide →The field guide
Oak leaves browning at the margins with a yellow halo, worse every August? That reads as bacterial leaf scorch, not oak wilt. How to tell, and what works.
September 10, 2026
Purple-bordered leaf spots on a Rochester dogwood in late spring, then twig dieback? Here is how to confirm dogwood anthracnose and what it needs.
September 10, 2026
Hemlock needles yellow-spotted and thinning, but no white woolly tufts? That points to elongate hemlock scale, not adelgid. How to tell them apart.
September 10, 2026
New shoot tips browning on a Rochester juniper or arborvitae hedge? Phomopsis and Kabatina blight look alike but strike at different times of year.
September 10, 2026
Tiny oyster-shaped bumps crusting the bark of a Rochester lilac, ash or maple? That is oystershell scale, and the treatment window is narrow.
September 10, 2026
Sugar maples thinning from the top across Upstate New York? Decline is a slow stack of causes, not one disease. Learn the pattern and what can be reversed.
September 10, 2026
Norway maples across Rochester browned and dropped leaves weeks early in 2026. NYS DEC points to a wet spring and tar spot. What it means for your tree.
September 10, 2026
Certified arborist vs. tree service in Rochester, NY: what ISA certification and ANSI A300 mean, which jobs need each, and how to verify a credential.
July 22, 2026
Codominant stems with included bark form weak V-shaped unions that split in wind and ice. Learn how to spot it and when structural pruning or cabling helps.
July 22, 2026
What does emerald ash borer treatment cost per tree in Rochester? Pricing runs by trunk diameter on a repeating cycle, and when it beats removal.
July 22, 2026
Emerald Green or Green Giant arborvitae for a Rochester privacy screen? Compare growth rate, size, and deer pressure, plus how to keep either hedge healthy.
July 22, 2026
How to choose a tree service in Rochester, NY: verify ISA arborist credentials, insurance, and a written estimate, and spot the red flags before hiring.
July 22, 2026
Is tree topping bad? Yes. It starves trees, invites decay, and grows weak, hazardous limbs. Ask a Rochester arborist for these ANSI A300 alternatives instead.
July 22, 2026
A neighbor's tree fell on your property in New York and you want to know who pays. Usually your own insurer, unless the owner ignored a documented hazard.
July 22, 2026
Which trees and shrubs tolerate road and driveway de-icing salt in the Rochester area, plus salt-sensitive species to avoid and how to protect plants.
July 22, 2026
Should you seal or paint tree pruning cuts? Modern arboriculture says no for routine cuts, with a narrow oak and elm exception during the growing season.
July 22, 2026
Worried a tree could fall on your Rochester home? Spot the hazard signs, from EAB-killed ash to trunk cracks, and when to call a certified arborist.
July 22, 2026
Most new trees do not need staking. Learn when staking is warranted, how to do it right, how long to leave stakes, and when to call Monster Tree Service.
July 22, 2026
What to do after a storm damages a tree in Rochester: work safety first, document damage for insurance, then call a certified arborist to assess it.
July 22, 2026
Sunken bark or a vertical split on a young tree's southwest side is winter sunscald or a frost crack. How Rochester homeowners prevent it and treat the wound.
July 22, 2026
Tree cabling and bracing cost versus removal in Rochester, NY: when a support system saves a valued tree and when removal is the honest call.
July 22, 2026
Do tree roots crack foundations, heave sidewalks, or invade sewers in Rochester? A myth-correcting guide, plus when to bring in Monster Tree Service.
July 22, 2026
A month-by-month tree and shrub care calendar for Rochester, NY: when to prune, plant, water, fertilize, and protect trees by zone 5b-6a frost dates.
July 22, 2026
What does tree trimming cost in Rochester, NY? See the real price drivers, why quotes vary, and how to compare insured, ISA-certified arborist bids.
July 22, 2026
Which trees should you not plant near your house in Rochester? Avoid weak-wooded, invasive-rooted species like silver maple, and see sturdier native swaps.
July 22, 2026
How often should you water a newly planted tree in Rochester? A deep, root-ball-focused schedule for the first two to three seasons, plus clay-soil cautions.
July 22, 2026
Is your eastern white pine's yellowing normal fall needle drop or white pine decline? How Rochester arborists tell them apart and fix the site.
July 22, 2026
Boxwood dropping leaves with black stem streaks may be blight, a fungal disease with no cure. Learn the signs, spread, and how to protect healthy plants.
July 9, 2026
Bronze birch borer kills Rochester birches from the top down, striking drought-stressed white birches. Learn the signs and whether yours can be saved.
July 9, 2026
Dutch elm disease spreads across New York by beetles and root grafts. Learn the first signs, whether a Rochester elm can be saved, and resistant cultivars.
July 9, 2026
Red pimples and fuzzy bumps on Rochester maple and oak leaves are almost always harmless galls from mites or tiny wasps. Here is when one actually matters.
July 9, 2026
A lightning-struck tree can range from a survivable bark scar to invisible trunk and root damage. Here is how Rochester homeowners judge survival and safety.
July 9, 2026
A white powdery coating on tree and shrub leaves is powdery mildew. Learn why it is usually cosmetic in Rochester, NY, and how airflow beats spraying.
July 9, 2026
Neat rows of holes in Rochester tree bark are a yellow-bellied sapsucker, not a borer. How to tell the difference, the real risk, and how to protect a tree.
July 9, 2026
Dark, sour-smelling ooze on your tree trunk is slime flux, a sign of bacterial wetwood. Learn why not to drill it and when a Rochester arborist should look.
July 9, 2026
Bronzed, dusty-looking spruce, arborvitae, or juniper needles in Rochester often mean spruce spider mites. Learn the paper tap test and how to time control.
July 9, 2026
Two-lined chestnut borer kills Rochester oaks already weakened by drought or root stress, working top-down. Learn the signs, recovery odds, and when to act.
July 9, 2026
Cool wet Finger Lakes springs trigger anthracnose on Rochester sycamore, oak, and ash. Learn the scorched-leaf signs and how to tell it from frost.
June 25, 2026
Sticky sap on your car and black film on Rochester tree leaves? Learn the aphid-honeydew-sooty-mold chain and why systemic soil treatment beats washing.
June 25, 2026
Crabapple leaves dropping by July in Monroe County usually means apple scab. Learn the spray-timing playbook and when to replant a resistant variety.
June 25, 2026
Browning arborvitae in Rochester? Sort the cause: winter burn, road salt, normal inner-needle drop, bagworm, deer, or root stress, with the fix for each.
June 25, 2026
Treat or remove your EAB-infested ash in Rochester? Compare treatment cost and timeline against removal, and learn which ash trees are worth saving.
June 25, 2026
Bagworm cocoons disguise as cones until evergreens brown out. Learn ID on Rochester arborvitae and spruce and the narrow June treatment window.
June 25, 2026
When should you prune trees in Upstate NY? Get a Zone 5b-6a, disease-aware calendar: winter oak pruning to dodge oak wilt and elm timing that matters.
June 25, 2026
What trees grow best in Rochester, NY (Zone 5b-6a)? A right-tree, right-place guide steering you from pest-magnet species toward resilient, healthy choices.
June 25, 2026
Coal-black warty galls on Rochester cherry and plum branches mean black knot. Learn the cut-below-and-dormant-prune protocol and reinfection sources.
June 25, 2026
Blue spruce dropping inner needles in Monroe County? Rhizosphaera needlecast is the likely cause. Learn the purple-banding signs and fungicide timing.
June 25, 2026
Blistered, yellow boxwood leaves in Pittsford and Brighton? Learn to tell boxwood leafminer from blight and the spring treatment window for Rochester.
June 25, 2026
Orange spots on crabapples and gooey galls on junipers? Cedar-apple rust needs both hosts. Learn the two-tree life cycle and what control works.
June 25, 2026
Sunken, oozing bark wounds and branch dieback on Rochester spruce, maple, and honeylocust signal canker. Learn the stress link and the PHC fix.
June 25, 2026
Stripped bark, chewed twigs, or ringed trunks on your Monroe County trees? Learn to ID deer browsing, buck rub, and vole girdling, plus what stops each.
June 25, 2026
Austrian and Scotch pine tips browning from the top in Rochester suburbs? Diplodia tip blight is likely. Learn how to tell it from drought and burn.
June 25, 2026
Webs in your Rochester tree? Compare eastern tent caterpillar and fall webworm side by side and learn which one actually warrants an arborist call.
June 25, 2026
Brown needles on Rochester conifers? Read the pattern: tips, base, or whole branch points to winter burn, needlecast, root rot, or insects in Zone 5b-6a.
June 25, 2026
Burned, hooked branch tips on Rochester pears and crabapples signal fire blight. Learn the shepherd's-crook sign and why wrong pruning spreads it.
June 25, 2026
White cottony tufts on hemlock needles signal woolly adelgid. See how Finger Lakes homeowners can save eastern hemlocks with timed PHC treatment.
June 25, 2026
Yellow leaves with green veins on Rochester pin oaks and maples signal iron chlorosis from high-pH soil. Learn the cause and realistic treatments.
June 25, 2026
Skeletonized, lace-like leaves on Rochester lindens and roses mean Japanese beetles. See why bag traps backfire and when systemic PHC is worth it.
June 25, 2026
Tree leaves browning at the edges in a Rochester summer? Learn to separate harmless environmental leaf scorch from bacterial scorch and root problems.
June 25, 2026
Black spots on Rochester maple leaves every September? Learn when tar spot is harmless cosmetic damage and when it signals anthracnose or decline.
June 25, 2026
Piled-up mulch volcanoes rot Rochester tree trunks and invite pests. Learn the correct doughnut method, depth, and trunk-flare clearance for Zone 5b-6a.
June 25, 2026
Mushrooms at the base of your Rochester tree? Learn which fungi are harmless decomposers and which signal root rot, decay, and a hazardous, failing tree.
June 25, 2026
Worried about oak wilt near Rochester? Learn the confirmed New York status, the rapid top-down symptoms, and why summer oak pruning is the real risk.
June 25, 2026
Wilting, thin canopy, and dark oozing bark at the base? Phytophthora root rot thrives in Rochester's wet clay. Learn the signs and the drainage-first fix.
June 25, 2026
Buried trunks and girdling roots slowly kill Rochester maples and lindens. Learn the trunk-flare tells and what an air-spade excavation actually does.
June 25, 2026
White bumps and sticky black mold on Rochester magnolia, maple, or oak mean soft scale. Learn the symptom chain and the crawler-timing window that fixes it.
June 25, 2026
Order a Cornell soil test the right way for Rochester trees. Learn which parameters matter and how local high-pH glacial soils skew the results.
June 25, 2026
Spongy moth defoliates Upstate NY oaks in outbreak years. Learn the egg masses to scrape in winter and when a stressed tree needs intervention.
June 25, 2026
Spotted lanternfly is spreading across New York. Learn to ID egg masses, the tree-of-heaven link, and how to report sightings to NYS Ag and Markets.
June 25, 2026
Recoverable stress or terminal decline? Use this Rochester checklist to know which tree symptoms mean wait-and-monitor and which mean call an arborist now.
June 25, 2026
Why is your Rochester tree's bark splitting? Learn which frost cracks and sunscald are harmless and which crack patterns signal decay or structural risk.
June 25, 2026
Slow-to-green tree in spring? Use a scratch test and bud check keyed to Rochester leaf-out dates to tell whether your tree is dead or just dormant.
June 25, 2026
What does tree removal cost in Rochester, NY? Learn the typical price ranges by size, species, and complexity, and why the cheapest bid often skips safety.
June 25, 2026
Do you need a permit to remove a tree in Monroe County, NY? See the rules by town (Rochester, Pittsford, Brighton, Penfield, Webster) and boundary trees.
June 25, 2026
What is a tree risk assessment, and when do Rochester homeowners need one? Learn what arborists inspect and when liability makes a TRAQ evaluation worth it.
June 25, 2026
One-sided, branch-by-branch maple dieback in Upstate NY often means Verticillium wilt. Learn the cut-and-streak test and why replanting maples fails.
June 25, 2026
Skeletonized viburnum leaves are spreading across Monroe County. Learn the winter twig-pruning trick, resistant varieties, and when to treat.
June 25, 2026
Does your Rochester tree need to come down? See 7 warning signs and learn which signal removal versus a treatable problem an arborist can diagnose first.
June 25, 2026
DIY or call a pro for a Rochester tree pest? Compare horticultural oil, insecticidal soap, soil drench, and trunk injection, and when an arborist wins.
June 25, 2026
Protect young Rochester trees through winter: guard against lake-effect snow load, road salt, sunscald, winter burn, and vole and deer girdling.
June 25, 2026
A calm, step-by-step way for Rochester homeowners to figure out why a tree is sick, what to check first, and when to call a certified arborist.
June 16, 2026
Tree leaves curling, yellowing, or dying in Rochester, NY? Learn what each leaf symptom means, common local causes, and when to call an arborist.
June 15, 2026
Beech leaf disease is spreading across New York. Learn how to spot the dark leaf banding on Rochester beech trees and what to do next.
June 14, 2026
Emerald ash borer is killing ash across Monroe County. Learn the early signs, whether your tree can be treated, and when removal is the safe choice.
June 13, 2026
Plant health care (PHC) is proactive, whole-tree care that catches stress early. Learn what it covers and whether your Rochester landscape needs it.
June 12, 2026
How to choose the best tree service in Rochester, NY without getting burned: arborist credentials, insurance, plant health care, and red flags to avoid.
June 11, 2026
From the editors
Think your tree or shrub is in trouble?
Monster Tree Service of Rochester's ISA Certified Arborists diagnose, treat, and protect trees and shrubs across Monroe County. Free estimates, no obligation.
Monster Tree Service of Rochester is a paying sponsor of Rochester Tree & Shrub Care.
