Tree Care

The principle of “right tree, right place” has been known modern forestry, agroforestry, urban greening, and ecological restoration. At its core, it means selecting tree and shrub species whose biological traits, environmental tolerances, and growth habits match the ecological and environmental conditions of a specific site. There are several decades of research as well as […]

Wildfires pose a growing risk to farms, acreages, communities, and infrastructure in agricultural landscapes across Alberta. The 2025 Canadian wildfire season—one of the worst on record—resulted in an estimated $6 billion in economic losses, with wildfire-related insurance claims rising sharply and contributing to higher premiums and reduced insurability in high-risk areas. As climate change intensifies

Tree topping, sometimes referred to as “heading,” “dehorning,” or “hat-racking,” drastically alters a tree’s natural form by removing the upper canopy without regard to branch structure or biological function. After more than two and a half decades of professional practice and delivering hundreds of educational pruning workshops, it is still common to see that tree

Summer often brings intense and violent storms accompanied by heavy rain, strong winds, and hail. Both large and small hailstones can cause devastating damage to trees and shrubs. Fine foliage may be stripped away, twigs snapped, tender tissues torn, and—when combined with powerful winds—even large branches may break, or entire trees may topple. In many

As temperature across Alberta is sometimes change from -20C to + 15 C in few days, the impact on trees and shrubs health can be significant. Winter freeze-thaw cycles damage trees by causing expansion or contraction that leads to buds, twigs and branch mortalities, frost cracks, bark splitting, winter desiccation and sunscald. Wounds from freeze-thaw

Throughout my 28-year career working with trees and forests and many landowners, I have encountered numerous instances where privately owned trees were planted on public land, publicly owned trees were placed on private property, and privately owned trees were planted within other private properties. These situations often arise without regard for property boundaries. While trees

Watering newly planted caliper trees is a critical aspect of their care, ensuring their survival and healthy establishment in the landscape. These young trees have limited root systems that are unable to access deep soil moisture, making consistent and proper watering essential during the establishment period, typically the first one to three years after planting.

Southern Alberta is known for endless prairie landscapes with natural cottonwood and some willows. Closer to the mountains and foothills there are plenty of white spruce, pines, aspen, balsam poplar and in some places Douglas fir. Most of the trees you see around yards, fields, streets, parks, and RV campgrounds were planted in the last

As tree planting season is already underway, planting container and balled-and-burlapped (B&B) trees too deep is a common and often overlooked mistake that can have serious long-term consequences for tree health and longevity. This practice, frequently observed on farms, acreages, and in residential and commercial landscaping, results from a misunderstanding of proper planting techniques. Planting

Either you plant trees for shelterbelts, windbreaks, eco-buffers, or afforestation proper site preparation is essential for the successful tree establishment. Tree seedlings require four basic elements to grow: water, nutrients, sunlight, and space. Site preparation refers to the process of modifying and improving the physical and chemical properties of the soil to create favorable conditions