The Tree MD

06/14/2026

“If you do what is easy, your life will be hard. If you do what is hard, your life will be easy.”- Tony Robbins

06/14/2026

06/13/2026

I’ve been asked what Beech Leaf Disease looks like once it’s progressed for a while and left untreated.

06/10/2026

I have the privilege to have the best clients in the industry. A wonderful way to spend my day.

06/10/2026

Bonsai NYC

04/09/2026

We have been asked to weigh in the right kind of boxwood the plants as there are so much damage from last year.

Choosing the right boxwood today isn’t as simple as it used to be. Between boxwood blight and root diseases like Phytophthora, plant selection—and placement—matters more than ever.

The good news is there are better options available. Newer varieties like the NewGen® series (Independence, Freedom) and the Better Boxwood® line (Renaissance, Heritage) have shown significantly improved resistance to boxwood blight. For more traditional choices, Green Velvet, Green Mountain, Winter Gem, and Green Beauty continue to perform reliably, especially since they come from more resilient microphylla genetics.

On the flip side, English boxwood (Suffruticosa) is one we strongly recommend avoiding. It’s highly susceptible to blight and tends to decline quickly once problems start—especially in stressful conditions.

Just as important as the plant itself is where it’s planted. Even the best boxwood will struggle in poorly drained soil. Areas that hold water or stay saturated create the perfect environment for root diseases to develop. If drainage is an issue, it needs to be corrected—or a different plant should be considered altogether.

At TREE MD, we’re seeing more of these issues tied back to site conditions than ever before. The right plant in the wrong place will still fail—but the right plant in the right conditions can thrive for years. If you’re planning new plantings or noticing decline in existing boxwoods, it’s worth taking a closer look before problems escalate.

04/09/2026

Here’s a little more information on ROOT DISEASE from last year and WINTER DAMAGE, and why it happens..

If you’ve been noticing browning, thinning, or dieback on your arborvitae and broadleaf evergreens, you’re not alone. At TREE MD, we’ve been diagnosing a widespread pattern across New Jersey—and it didn’t just happen overnight. What you’re seeing now is often the result of stress that began months ago, building through last year’s severe drought and carrying into this past winter.

During prolonged drought, plants experience significant root stress. Fine feeder roots—responsible for water and nutrient uptake—begin to decline, and the plant’s natural defense systems weaken. In response, many homeowners understandably increased watering to help plants recover. However, when soils become overly saturated—especially in areas with poor drainage—oxygen levels drop. This creates ideal conditions for waterborne pathogens like Phytophthora, a root rot disease that thrives in wet, low-oxygen environments.

Here’s where things become misleading: once roots are compromised, the plant can no longer move water effectively. Even if the soil is moist, the plant behaves as though it’s in drought. This breakdown in hydraulic function leads to symptoms like browning, thinning, and dieback—often mistaken for simple dryness or winter burn. In reality, the root system may already be damaged below ground.

As winter arrives, these already-stressed plants face an additional challenge. Evergreens rely on healthy roots to maintain hydration during cold, dry conditions. When roots are impaired, the plant becomes far more susceptible to winter desiccation and injury. By the time spring arrives, the damage becomes visible—leading many to believe the problem just started, when in fact it has been developing for months.

The key takeaway: proper water management is critical. It’s not just about how much you water, but how well your soil drains and how long roots remain saturated. If you’re seeing these symptoms, it may be more than surface-level stress—it may be a root-level issue that requires a professional diagnosis.

At TREE MD, we specialize in identifying and treating the underlying causes of plant decline—not just the symptoms you see above ground. If your evergreens are struggling, now is the time to act before further damage occurs. Reach out to schedule an evaluation and protect your landscape investment

03/29/2026

WINTER DAMAGE: WHATS GOING ON?

Winter damage in plants is often blamed on “the cold,” but the reality is more nuanced. At Tree MD, we approach plant health as the active management of living systems, and winter injury is a clear example of why that matters. Two primary forces are at work: desiccation and low-temperature cellular injury. Desiccation happens when plants lose moisture faster than they can replace it—usually because the ground is frozen and roots can’t take up water, while sun and wind continue to pull moisture from foliage. Low-temperature injury, by contrast, occurs inside the plant, where extreme cold damages cells, disrupts membranes, and interferes with normal biological function. These stresses often occur together, but they impact plants in different ways.

Broadleaf evergreens and conifers are especially vulnerable because they hold their foliage year-round. Even in winter, their needles and leaves continue to lose moisture on warmer or windy days. Without access to water from the soil, that moisture loss leads to drying, browning, and tissue damage. At the same time, cold temperatures can quietly injure internal structures like buds and vascular tissue, which may not show immediate symptoms.

One of the most frustrating aspects of winter injury is that it often goes unnoticed until spring. Plants may look fine during dormancy, but as they begin to come out of it, underlying damage becomes visible. You might see delayed leaf-out, thinning canopies, browning tips, or entire sections that fail to recover. What appeared healthy in winter can quickly reveal stress once growth resumes.

This is why a proactive, diagnostic approach matters. Understanding whether a plant is dealing with moisture loss, internal cold injury, or both allows for a more precise response. Supporting recovery isn’t just about waiting it out—it’s about giving the plant what it needs to regain function and stability after a stressful season.

If your evergreens or conifers aren’t bouncing back the way they should, don’t assume they’ll correct on their own. Winter injury can cause lasting damage to plant tissues, and recovery depends on both the severity of that damage and the conditions the plant is recovering in. The Tree MD approach focuses on evaluating plant health at a deeper level—identifying whether tissue is still viable and what conditions may be limiting recovery—so informed decisions can be made about next steps. When issues are identified early in the season, there are more options available to support recovery and reduce the likelihood of long-term decline. If something looks off this spring, it’s worth having it evaluated—call to schedule an appointment and get a clear understanding of what your plants need moving forward.