The Morton Arb

Selection guide

Use the pulldowns below to find information about trees or shrubs

or

or

or

plant_clinic_hours

Container gardens & Spring bedding at The Morton Arboretum

Spring Creations
Download a list of plants that can be found in our Container Gardens and Display Beds.

Use our Interactive Collections Map and our Plant Collections Map to identify where plants are located on our grounds.

Register now for Summer 2012 education programs at The Morton Arboretum

Search tree & plant advice

Changing Procedures in Urban Tree Planting and Management

Tagged as:

By Dr. George Ware
Research Associate
The Morton Arboretum


Coping with abiotic problems offers ongoing challenges for managing woody plant landscapes. In recent years, numerous improvements in methods and procedures have followed understanding and insights provided by arboricultural research. Morton Arboretum staff has been significant participants in both research and its application.

Some examples of changing management procedures:

  1. Wound painting on branch cuts - no longer recommended
  2. Flush cutting of branches - no longer recommended
  3. Recognition of the special role of compost in mulching trees
  4. Value of tub grinding to reduce sizes of mulch material for faster decomposition and consolidation
  5. Desirability of keeping composted mulch at a four to five inch depth with no mulch against the trunk
  6. Introduction of slow-release nitrogen which imitates re-cycling of nutrients on the forest floor
  7. Value of wide-hole tree planting for rapid root proliferation and tree establishment
  8. Recognition of uneasy coexistence of trees and grass
  9. Growing acceptance of fall tree planting, especially for oaks and slow rooting trees
  10. Growing improvements in selection of trees to match sites

Print

Related Articles