Emerald Ash Borer, dutch elm disease, maple wilt, disease control, tree treatments
No question is a dumb question
Are you able to save this tree?
This is the number one question we receive.  The answer is dependant on the tree and its condition.  Often the most common guideline for tree health is that if it has over 50% lost foilage the tree will continue to go into a death spiral no matter what is doen to it.  With other diseases there is no treatment option once they are infected.  Example OAK WILT
Are there follow up treatments to the ones you recommend?
Many of the treatments that are carried out have follow up treatments that should be done at certain increments based on the longevity of the chemical within the trees or plants.  Every situation will be different and a professional will always be able to give a straight answer when it comes to your future financial responsibilities of your trees or plants.
Is there anything I could have done to change what happened?
In many cases our certified arborists will come across plants or trees that are too far gone and no treatment plans are available for them.  In these cases the homeowner wants to know what they should have been looking for or a validation that they werent ignoring their landscape.  In many cases a tree will suddenly drop all its leaves without notice and a reasonable explanation is in order.

In cases like these the tree can show no signs until it is too late and in those situations preventative treatment would have been the only option.  This is not recommended without some form of evidence that a treatment should be carried out or every tree could be treated for any disease it could get.
Can I plant another tree back in the same place?
Often loosing something like a tree will have a homeowner wanting to restore the area to what it was before.  Having the same tree planted is often the biggest mistake of homeowners.  We often hear stories where they tried planting the same tree in the same area severald times with negative results.  Note that many fungal diseases stay in the soil with no host for up to 30 years.  In other words dont plant the same tree back in the same area ever. 

The other issue is the root system.  The thought that the tree is magically holding the thousands of pounds up without a missve root system is quite astounding to think about.  Under the ground there is often a root system that is just as vast as the tree above the ground.
My friend/neighbor/tree service/landscaper told me the problem with the tree was...
Misinformation often leads to doing nothing in many of these cases.  When it comes to plant health care questions seek advice from a Master Gardener or ISA certifed arborist.  Not to put down anyone giving you advice on your trees or plant on your property but unless they have lost a tree from that disease and have either had a professional out or have extensively studied it they probably have no clue what is really happening to it.
What is left to plant? Seems like everything gets diseases
When going over plant diseases and what to watch out for many customers get overwhelmed.  They are often loosing a tree or want to plant a tree within their landscape.  When spacing permits and a tree can have a good environment to grow in tree planting recommendations can occur.  We will point out some species that will thrive in certain areas based on soil conditions, light restrictions and water needs and of course resistence to pests and disease.  The first thing that you need to know is your soil since many plants have issues in certain soil types and planting a tree in the wrong soil can lead to poor results.