Young Tree Training

This plum tree needs some young tree training. It was planted by Friends of the Urban Forest several years ago. They usually take care of trees for three years after planting. This includes stake and tie adjustments and some pruning. After three years it is the owner’s responsibility to maintain the tree.

The owner of this tree got a notice from the city advising him to have an arborist help with the upkeep. There was not much work to be done, but the work was very important. Street trees are exposed to the elements without a natural environment. They can get very thick and bushy, creating a wind sail. They also can grow too low over the street or sidewalk and thus more prone to break. If you get an arborist to train your tree when young you will end up with a longer living, more beautiful, healthy tree. It is also better for the tree to train the structure while still young rather than waiting until you have to make bigger cuts or waiting until there is damage or the tree falls over.

I also took the stakes away, since they were no longer necessary.