Diagnosing Plant Problems in Portland, OR

You’ve spent plenty of time and money on perfecting your landscaping. Running into plant problems can ruin your hard work if not handled swiftly. Count on Monkeyman’s Tree Service for plant problem diagnosis in Portland, OR.

Expert Diagnosis

Monkeyman's Diagnosing Your Plant Issues

“Healthy plants start with answers—our arborists bring clarity, care, and solutions to your backyard.”

There are several different reasons why the trees, shrubs, or other plants in your yard are browning, stunted, or seem to be dying off. Our certified arborist team can come and help diagnose the underlying issue and provide a solution to ensure your plants are restored back to full health and beauty.

Call us today, and we can talk to you more about what you see and whether or not our team can help keep your plants healthy and strong!

Plant Problem Diagnosis Portland

Spot the Signs

icon 1

Environmental Stress is Often the Culprit

Heat, wind, and lack of water often lead to stress, disease, or death in vulnerable trees.

01

Water Loss

Rapid evaporation from summer heat and wind can leave trees severely dehydrated and vulnerable.

Plant Problem Diagnosis Portland

02

Leaf Damage

Yellowing or browning leaves with spots or scorch marks are key indicators of disease or water stress.

Plant Problem Diagnosis Portland

03

Tree Stress

A stressed tree is a diseased tree—our certified arborists know the signs and the solutions.

Plant Problem Diagnosis Portland

Tree Wellness Plans

Common Plant and Tree Problems

Diagnosis

Expert analysis of tree disease, pest, or nutrient deficiency.

Root Care

Techniques like root spading and fertilization help trees thrive long-term

The biggest problem with trees is usually water-related. Harsh summer heat, combined with high winds can quickly evaporate the water from a tree, leaving the leaves wilted, scorched, or worse, dead, and falling. All these environmental conditions can stress a tree, and here at Monkeyman’s, we say a stressed tree is a diseased tree.

A careful examination of your wilting tree is the first step in diagnosing plant health problems. Dead leaves, brown or yellow spots, and strange bumps should all be examined. Thankfully, our ISA-certified Arborists have over 20 years of pest and disease identification.

Below are some common plant diseases and pests that our arborists mitigate on a daily basis:

Plant Problem Diagnosis Portland

Organic Boost

icon 1

Plant Health Care & Compost Tea Application

Plant Health Care

Plant health care is something we offer to clients throughout the Portland metro area. Many of our customers ask, “Why is my tree dying?”?

We can diagnose any plant diseases or pests that may be affecting the health of your trees with the help of an ISA Certified Arborist. In addition, Monkeymans Tree Service arborists will prescribe a plant healthcare program that will help your tree grow and thrive. A service we provide is root spading, which allows us to remove access dirt from trees that are planted too deep. For the trees to grow to their full potential, we can also apply organic fertilizer and compost.

To evaluate the health and safety of your trees, our ISA-Certified Arborist can also conduct a tree risk assessment. Just call us today and we can make sure your trees are happy and healthy.

Plant Problem Diagnosis Portland

Compost Tea Application

Our compost tea is brewed in our bioreactor at our shop in Lake Oswego, Oregon using high-quality worm castings, and compost. Compost tea can improve soil structure, water retention, suppress diseases, and enhance plant growth. Our versatile sprayers can cover your whole yard and even apply it as a foliar spray if needed.  In Portland Oregon, our clients have seen improvements in their lawns and gardens after we applied our fall and spring applications.

We are one of the only tree companies in the Portland metro area that has compost tea specially curated for your trees and gardens. Our ISA Certified Arborist on staff can help answer any compost tea questions you may have, don’t hesitate to call us today.

Plant Problem Diagnosis Portland

We Treat

icon 1

Monkeyman's Diagnosing Plant Problems

Monkeyman’s arborists treat a wide range of tree and plant conditions—from fungal infections to pest infestations.

Anthracnose

Why are my leaves turning brown?
It is likely a common fungal disease called anthracnose. This is widespread throughout the Willamette Valley of Oregon, because of our humid and wet springs. Some affected trees include ash, walnut, maple, dogwood, and American sycamore.

Treatment: prune all effected leaves to mitigate next year’s fungal spread.

Plant Problem Diagnosis Portland
Plant Problem Diagnosis Portland

Galls

Those ugly bumps on a tree can be evidence of an insect infestation. They can be balls of eggs laid by mites, or other insects. The good news is that they rarely cause permanent damage, A trained arborist can find a way to mitigate these problems and properly diagnose a treatment plan. Early detection is always the most effective way in mitigating insect pests. Call one of our ISA Certified Arborists today 

tree diagnosis near me
tree diagnosis near me

Mildew

A problem in wet, humid areas, call an arborist to evaluate the problem, and they’ll most likely prescribe a fungicide to clean up that musty white coating on your tree.

If the mildew stays untreated this can inhibit optimal photosynthesis for the tree. It can also make the tree more stressed which can lead to another disease down the road.

plant diagnosis
plant diagnosis

Rust

Untreated rust is an annual threat to cereal grains across the world. It is also a dangerous fungus to trees. Rust left untreated will eventually starve a tree to death. The fungus weakens the photosynthetic process in the tree, leaving it weak, with brown spots on the leaves, and ultimately will destroy the entire tree. This fungus requires a specialist, a trained arborist that will prune the already damaged leaves and apply the tree with fungicide.

plant disease diagnosis
plant disease diagnosis

Witches Broom

This is more a descriptive problem than one with a single cause. Insects can create these massed bundles of sticks growing from a single point on a branch, but the disease can create the same deformed pattern in your trees. To fully examine the problem you should seek the advice of a trained arborist to determine the cause and the remedy to the problem.

tree disease experts
tree disease experts

Aphids

Why is my tree dripping white sap?
This is a common question our ISA Certified Arborists often get asked in the summertime. This is surprisingly not sap but the excrement from aphids. Also referred to as honeydew can cover tree species such as Linden and tulip poplars are usually the trees most affected.

Fun Fact, the leaves on the linden tree are edible! no wonder the aphids can’t resist eating the aromatic leaves.

tree disease experts near me
tree disease experts near me

Serving the Greater Portland Area

icon 1

Nearby Cities

Monkeyman’s Tree Service proudly offers expert arborist solutions across Portland and neighboring cities—ensuring safe, healthy, beautiful landscapes.

Lake Oswego

Hillsboro

Portland

West Linn

our Services

icon 1

Our Other Tree Care Services

Our Portland arborists provide residential and commercial tree services. Take a look at which Portland tree services our experienced team can help you with us.