Tree Health Assessments in Des Moines, IA

Tree health assessments in Des Moines answer the question homeowners actually have: should I worry about this tree? A maple dropping leaves in August, a pin oak with yellowing foliage, an old silver maple with a hollow at the base, a spruce browning from the bottom up: each could be a passing stress or the start of something serious. An assessment means looking at the whole tree, the soil around it and what it could hit, and telling you what we see in plain terms.

What we look at

We start at the roots: soil heaving or cracking on one side, girdling roots wrapped around the trunk, fungal growth at the base, and recent digging or grade changes that may have cut roots. Then the trunk, for cavities, cracks, seams and bark that has died back. Then the branch unions, especially tight V-shaped forks with bark pinched between the stems, a common failure point in storms. Finally the crown: how much is dead, whether the leaves are the right size and color, and whether there are hangers from past storms.

Problems we see often in central Iowa

Drought is a big one: Iowa recorded 187 consecutive weeks of at least moderate drought as of January 2024, and stressed trees are more open to borers and canker diseases. Oak wilt is a major concern in Iowa; red oaks with leaves wilting and browning from the edges in early summer should be checked quickly, because the disease can spread to neighboring oaks through grafted roots. Emerald ash borer is behind most declining ash. And many trees still carry wounds and cracks from the 2020 derecho that have been rotting slowly since.

What you get

You get a walk-through with us at the tree and a clear recommendation: leave it alone, prune specific limbs, water and mulch through dry spells, treat for a specific pest, keep an eye on it and recheck in a year, or remove it. If removal is recommended, we explain why, and you are free to get a second opinion. We do not perform laboratory diagnosis; when a sample needs testing to confirm a disease, we will tell you that and where samples can be sent, such as a university plant disease clinic.

Good times to ask

The best times are before you buy a house with big trees, before building or digging near a tree, after a major storm, when a tree leafs out late or thin in spring, and when you are deciding whether a tree is worth keeping before spending money on pruning.