THE EMERALD ASH BORER

The emerald ash borer has been found in northern Illinois

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WINTER INJURY

The frequency and severity of winter damage is determined by a number of factors.

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PLANT HEALTH CARE REPORT

Access the latest information on plant diseases and insect pests in our area.

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Featured articles and help

• What are the Ages of Trees in Your Neighborhood?

  What are the Ages of Trees in Your Neighborhood? By John F. Dwyer, Research AssociateThe Morton Arboretum Trees are often a distinctive feature of the urban landscape. Large trees are especially prominent, have a particularly significant...

• Pruning Trees

  WHY Pruning is done for a variety of reasons. Most pruning is aimed at improving structure and safety, or for controlling size. Other objectives can be to open vistas, repair storm damage, and provide clearance for structures and traffic. Good...

• Pruning Deciduous Shrubs

  The objectives of pruning shrubs are to maintain vigor, remove damaged or diseased branches, help maintain the natural size and shape of a plant, and improve flowering and fruiting. There are four basic pruning techniques used for maintaining...

• Pruning Evergreens

  Evergreen refers to a group of plants that retain their foliage during winter. Most evergreens have a strong central branch leader, which requires little pruning except to control plant height, increase the density of branching, or to...

• Soil Considerations for Growing Trees and Shrubs

  Soil is a complex part of the living landscape. A natural soil takes centuries or millennia to develop. Precipitation, temperature, plants & animals, land forms, and geologic material (bedrock, glacial deposits, river sediments, etc.) ...

• Mulching Trees and Shrubs

  Mulching plants is both functional and decorative. Mulch typically is an organic material spread on the soil surface to protect roots from heat, cold, and drought, and to provide nutrients to plants as it decomposes. Once you have ...

• Tree Root Problems

  Root systems are vital to the health and longevity of trees. All plants need water, oxygen, and nutrients. These are most readily available near the soil surface where precipitation infiltrates the soil and oxygen from the atmosphere...

• Watering Trees and Shrubs

  Excessively dry soils cause the death of small roots and reduce a tree’s capacity to absorb water, even after the soil is re-moistened. The resulting drought stress increases a tree’s susceptibility to certain diseases and insects....

• Winter Injury to Trees and Shrubs

  The frequency and severity of winter damage is determined by a number of factors, including the plant species or cultivar involved, the location and conditions under which the plant is grown, and the exact timing of weather extremes ...

• Getting Started with a Landscape Design

  The most important aspects of successful landscape planning happen long before the first planting hole is dug. A lot of careful observation and thoughtful planning go into creating a landscape that will be a functional and pleasing ...