Tree Care Services for Milwaukee Residents

Healthy trees don’t happen by accident. They need the right care at the right time — from routine pruning to disease treatments to structural support. At Crawford Tree & Landscape, our ISA-Certified Arborists provide a full range of tree care services for homeowners and property managers throughout Milwaukee and the surrounding communities. Whether you’re dealing with a hazardous limb, a struggling Ash tree, or just want to keep your trees in peak condition, we have the expertise to help.

Mechanical Tree Care Services

Tree Risk Assessment & Consulting

Trees don’t always show obvious signs of trouble. Cracks in the trunk, hollow spots, root decay, or heavy lean can all point to serious structural problems. Our arborist consultations include thorough tree risk assessments, evaluating everything from root zone conditions to crown structure and environmental stressors. If a risk is identified, we’ll walk you through your options — whether that’s pruning, bracing, or removal — so you can make a confident, informed decision.

This service is especially valuable for older trees, trees near structures or power lines, and properties exposed to high winds.

Tree Pruning

Tree pruning is one of the most important investments you can make in your trees. Done correctly, it removes dead, dying, or structurally weak branches before they become a hazard. It also improves airflow, reduces weight on heavy limbs, and shapes the tree for long-term strength.

Our arborists approach every pruning job with a specific goal in mind:

• Safety pruning — removing branches that pose a risk to people, structures, or vehicles
• Clearance pruning — establishing clearance from buildings, utilities, and driveways
• Structural pruning — guiding young trees to develop strong architecture early
• Aesthetic pruning — improving the look and balance of the tree’s canopy

Young trees especially benefit from early structural pruning, which sets them up for a longer, healthier life.

Cabling & Bracing / Supplemental Support Systems

Not every struggling tree needs to come down. Trees with co-dominant stems, heavy lateral limbs, or storm damage are often good candidates for cabling and bracing that extend their life and reduce the risk of failure.

Cabling uses flexible steel cables installed between major branches to limit movement and redistribute stress during wind and ice events. Bracing uses rigid rods to stabilize weak unions or V-shaped crotches that are prone to splitting. Together, these systems give structurally compromised trees the reinforcement they need to keep growing safely.

Our arborists assess each tree individually to determine the right system and placement.

Tree Removal & Stump Grinding

Sometimes removal is the right call — for dead trees, trees with severe structural defects, or trees that can no longer be safely maintained. Our team performs tree removal with safety and precision, protecting your property and landscaping throughout the process.

Stump grinding is available following removal to eliminate trip hazards, prevent regrowth, and clear the area for new planting or lawn restoration.

Air Spade Excavation

Soil compaction, girdling roots, and root collar problems are common in urban environments and can silently stress or kill trees over time. Air spade excavation uses compressed air to gently expose the root zone without damaging the roots themselves — allowing our arborists to:

• Inspect and remove girdling roots
• Assess root collar health
• Decompact the soil surrounding the root zone

This service is particularly useful for trees showing unexplained decline or trees that have had soil added around their base over the years.

Tree Health Care & Treatment Services

Plant Health Monitoring & Treatment (PMT Program)

Our comprehensive Plant Health Care program includes up to six visits per season to actively monitor your trees and shrubs for pest and disease activity. When issues are identified, our arborists apply targeted treatments timed to growing degree days for maximum effectiveness.

The PMT program covers a wide range of common insect and disease concerns, including:

• Apple scab, rose blackspot, powdery mildew, and Gymnosporangium rusts
• Needle blights and needle cast on Pine and Spruce (Dothistroma, Rhizosphaera, Diplodia, Lophodermium)
• Anthracnose, Guignardia leaf blotch, and bacterial blight
• Aphids, Japanese beetle, bagworms, Eastern tent caterpillar, and viburnum borer
• Spruce and arborvitae spider mites, pine sawfly, and viburnum leaf beetle

Plant sample submission and lab testing are included for clients enrolled in the PMT program.

Emerald Ash Borer Protection (EAB)

Emerald Ash Borer has devastated Ash tree populations across Wisconsin and the Midwest. Once a tree is infested, it cannot be effectively saved — which is why preventative treatment is critical.

Our EAB treatment uses a trunk injection of emamectin benzoate, a systemic insecticide that moves through the tree’s vascular system to protect it from the inside out. When applied preventatively, this treatment is up to 99% effective at preventing tree loss. Treatments are performed between July and September and provide two years of protection per application. Learn more about our full Plant Health Care services.

Dutch Elm Disease Protection

Dutch Elm Disease remains one of the most destructive tree diseases in North America, killing infected elms within weeks of infestation. Our preventative treatment uses a macro-injection of thiabendazole fungicide, which is absorbed directly into the tree’s vascular system. Trees under 25″ DBH receive up to three years of protection per treatment; larger trees receive two years.

Treatment is performed May through August, before the Elm bark beetles responsible for spreading the disease become most active.

Oak & Sycamore Disease Protection

Oaks and Sycamores face specific disease threats that can cause rapid or long-term decline:

• Oak Wilt spreads by insects and root grafts and can kill red and black oak group trees within weeks of infection
• Bur Oak Blight causes annual leaf browning and canopy thinning, weakening trees over time
• Sycamore Anthracnose causes leaf blight and branch dieback in cool, wet springs

Our preventative macro-injection of propiconazole fungicide is delivered directly into the tree’s vascular system, providing season-long protection. Treatment is performed May through August.

Systemic Pest Control (Soil Injection)

Soil injection of systemic insecticide is an effective preventative approach for a wide range of boring and non-boring insects that can damage ornamental trees and shrubs. Treatments are available in spring or fall and are combined with slow-release fertilizer and chelated iron to support new growth.

• Borer control — protects against bronze birch borer, two-lined chestnut borer, flatheaded appletree borer, pine sawyer beetle, Zimmerman pine moth, and poplar borer
• Non-borer insect control — provides season-long control of Magnolia scale, lace bugs, aphids, Japanese beetle, various leafminers, and bagworms using a pollinator-safe product

Horticultural Oil

A targeted application of horticultural oil to the trunk and branches of trees and shrubs controls insect pests, scale, and mites by smothering egg masses and galls. Effective against viburnum leaf beetle, spruce gall adelgid, hemlock woolly adelgid, and similar pests. Available as a spring or fall treatment and can be used alongside systemic or foliar programs.

BioPak PLUS — Root Zone Nutrition

Urban soils are frequently depleted of the organic matter and micronutrients that trees rely on in natural settings. BioPak PLUS is a soil injection treatment that corrects mineral deficiencies in the root zone, making it especially beneficial for trees showing signs of stress, chlorosis (pale leaf color), or necrosis. The formula includes 3-0-20 NPK fertilizer, beneficial rhizosphere bacteria, iron, sulfur, magnesium, manganese, boron, and zinc.

Plant Growth Regulator (PGR)

PGR treatment uses paclobutrazol — applied as a soil injection or basal drench — to slow shoot growth by 40–60% over a three-year period. This redirects the tree’s energy into denser, greener foliage and stronger root development. It’s particularly effective for trees growing near structures, driveways, or other plantings where size management matters, and for trees recovering from root damage or stress.

Fall Fertilization & Soil Enrichment

Trees in urban and suburban environments don’t benefit from the natural nutrient cycling that happens in a forest setting. Two soil injection treatments help compensate:

• Fall Fertilization — a slow-release nitrogen, potash, and potassium injection with chelated iron, applied before dormancy to stimulate healthy root and crown development
• Soil Enrichment — a micronutrient injection derived from seaweed and microbial fermentation that restores trace elements and enzymes depleted in urban soils; contains no nitrogen and is safe for any tree or shrub at any time of year

Proudly Serving Milwaukee, WI & Nearby Communities

We proudly provide tree care services in these areas:

• Bayside
• Brookfield
• Brown Deer
• Butler
• Elm Grove
• Germantown
• Glendale
• Greenfield
• Fox Point
• Lannon
• Lisbon
• Menomonee Falls
• Mequon
• Milwaukee
• Pewaukee
• Richfield
• River Hills
• Shorewood
• Sussex
• Thiensville
• Town of Brookfield
• Village of Pewaukee
• Waukesha
• Wauwatosa
• West Allis
• West Milwaukee
• Whitefish Bay

Why Choose Crawford Tree & Landscape?

Tree care requires expertise, the right tools, and an understanding of how trees grow and respond to their environment. Crawford Tree & Landscape provides top-quality tree care services in Milwaukee, WI, and surrounding areas. Our team prioritizes safety, precision, and customer satisfaction in every service we provide.

We assess each tree’s condition to determine the best course of action, whether it involves pruning, risk assessment, or reinforcement. Our approach focuses on long-term tree health while ensuring the safety of surrounding structures and people.

If your trees need professional care, contact Crawford Tree & Landscape today. Call (414) 710-0093 to schedule a consultation. Our team of ISA-Certified Arborists are ready to provide expert tree care that keeps your landscape safe, beautiful, and well-maintained.