General Tree Care

An Introductory Guide to Young Tree Establishment Advice, ideas and signposting for the public An Introductory Guide to Young Tree Establishment’ provides advice and ideas for a non-professional audience, as well as signposting readers towards other useful resources. It is not intended as a comprehensive guide, nor a replacement for [...]

In addition to the popular guides to tree watering and young tree aftercare launched over the past 18 months, the AA has produced two more posters aimed at educating the general public on tree care best practice.

A guide to some of the key things to remember after tree planting with John Parker, Technical Director of the Arboricultural Association.

John Parker talks us through some of the key points to focus on in the months and years after urban trees have been planted, in this example in a community park in Stonehouse, Gloucestershire as part of the Stonehouse in Bloom community project.

The science and practice of the cultivation, establishment and management of amenity trees for the benefit of society. Arboriculture refers to the care of trees grown or maintained for their amenity value – for the environmental, social and economic benefits that they bring – rather than for the value of [...]

For many years, gardeners and arborists alike would, as a matter of common tree maintenance, clear ivy from trees in order to remove the competition for light, water and nutrients, as well as the potential threat of the ivy totally smothering the tree. However, in the light of increasing knowledge [...]

Arboricultural Association Technical Director John Parker talks you through some basic steps to young tree maintenance in this video guide

The Arboricultural Association works alongside many leading industry bodies to help promote best practice throughout both our membership but further afield too. To that end we have helped produce a Biosecurity Policy to help prevent spread on pests and diseases in our tree stock. Biosecurity is the single most important [...]

Construction close to trees Trees are easily damaged by construction works, regardless of their scale. Digging a garden pond may cause damage to trees in the same way as building demolition and construction. It is important to ensure that trees are adequately assessed before ANY work takes place. This is [...]

Selecting the right tree for the right place Planting a tree in your garden is a decision requiring forethought and planning. Consideration must be given to the surrounding landscape and buildings, space available, soil type and location of the particular site. Careful thought will help to ensure that an appropriate [...]

The Arboricultural Association makes the archive of help and advice from the now defunct Tree Advice Trust accessible to all. Trees in Focus Code Title Date APN02 Compost from Woody Wastes 1996 APN04 Root Barriers and Building Subsidence 1997 APN05 Shaded by Trees? 1999 APN06 Trees and Shrubs for Noise [...]

Tree Pruning is part of a series of general information leaflets produced by the Arboricultural Association. The Association provides membership services, accreditation and support to 3,000 professional arborists in the UK and further afield. We strongly recommend that you use an accredited ARB Approved Contractor or AA Registered Consultant who [...]

Your local council is responsible for making Tree Preservation Orders (TPO). You should contact your local authority and speak to the tree officer or someone in the planning department who should determine whether the making of a TPO is appropriate. More detailed information on TPOs: www.gov.uk/guidance/tree-preservation-orders-and-trees-in-conservation-areas#Flowchart-1-Making-and-confirming-TPO

Tree roots typically grow close to the surface, and it is not uncommon for them to develop on the underside of hard surfaces such as driveways, which can lead to cracks developing through physical pressure. This damage is frequently superficial, and there is a range of options available which include: [...]

If the building work proposed requires planning consent, all trees which could potentially be affected by the development (including those off-site) should be assessed by an arboricultural consultant in accordance with British Standard BS5837 Trees in Relation to Construction – Recommendations, and details of this submitted to the Local Planning [...]

In spite of what you may read in newspapers or be told by insurance companies, there are no fixed minimum recommended distances that you should plant trees of certain species from buildings. When choosing a tree or trees to plant, you should give careful consideration to design, in particular how [...]