Happy holidays from Cartwright Tree Care! We would like to take this opportunity to thank our readers and clients for the support you have given throughout the year. We wish you all the best this holiday season and look forward to working with you in 2011!

Christmas is this Saturday! Many who love a fresh cut Christmas tree often wait until just days before Christmas to select a tree to decorate their homes with. If that’s you, check out a few of the tips we found from the National Christmas Tree Association to keep your tree looking fresh!

Cartwright Tree Care is on Twitter! If you aren’t following us, why not start today? By connecting with us on Twitter, you can keep up with our blog posts so you can keep up with topics such as tree healthcare and maintenance, news and events, our emergency storm work, and much more. When you follow us, we’ll follow you, too. You can find us @cartwrighttree! We hope to connect with you soon!

Apple trees are great for enhancing the landscaping of your yard, as well as having tasty fruit readily available when it’s in season. But what good is an apple tree if it isn’t properly cared for all year long?

We can’t stress the importance of winterizing your trees enough. If you haven’t started preparing your trees for winter now, don’t wait a day longer! While trees may appear inactive during the winter, but truth be told, they continue to regulate their metabolism and only slow down some physiological activities, according to Steve Nix of Steve’s Forestry Blog.

If you haven't checked out our Facebook page yet, you're missing out on some great stuff. The Cartwright Tree Care Facebook page is a great place for you to keep up with what's going on with us, as well as find links to our blog posts, contact information, photos of our work, interact with our team, and so much more. The next time you're on Facebook, do us a favor by "liking" our page and then suggest it to all of your Facebook friends! We're excited to have a presence on Facebook and hope to connect with you there!

Tip blight is a fungal tree disease that commonly affects pine trees, usually those 15 years and older. One of the first signs of tip blight is the browning of needles at the tip of the current season’s growth, according to Cornell University. Needles in the early stages of development often appear stunted in growth compared to healthy needles, as they stop growing after infection. Blighted needles are generally found on the lower branches of the infected tree. Symptoms of tip blight aren’t limited to the needles, as future tree growth is quite often is decreased due to damage or death of the terminal buds during infection. Twigs can also be affected, with stunted growth or deformation present.

With the recent storms and high winds that have impacted our area, it’s important to take action with preventative storm maintenance for your trees. Here are some helpful tips to get your trees ready to weather whatever storms come our way this winter:

The Midwest is known for having winters with lots of ice and snow. With winter rapidly approaching, it’s time to start preparing your trees for the colder weather to come. Cold stress, winter drought, branch breakage, and rodents can be very harmful to your tress. However, with proper maintenance, your trees can remain beautiful all year long. To keep them that way, you should know what to look for and how to treat it. Here are a list of common problems and treatment options for winter conditions from TreeHelp.com:

Are you curious to learn about all the things the team at Cartwright Tree Care can do for you? If you haven't stopped by our website yet, head on over and check out our media center, where you can view informative videos like this one about tree trimming!