Urban tree maintenance falls broadly into three distinct stages.

Phase 1 - Establishment

If the tree is to succeed in the long term, correct care in the first three years is vital. Ensure that your programme of urban tree maintenance covers:

Watering - Even one instance of drought can have life threatening consequences for the tree. Waiting for leaves to show loss of turgor and drought stress before watering is too late. Ensure watering is pro-active and applied deeply enough to be beneficial. The watering should be phased out over three years to encourage the tree to establish its own root system in relation to existing groundwater conditions.

Weeding - Competition for scarce water between trees and weeds can be intense. It is good practice to maintain a weed/grass free area around the tree. This will also keep damaging strimmers at a distance if in turf areas.

Regular Inspection - Check for tree stability, loosen tree ties as the tree grows and remove them after three years. Countless trees have been strangled by ties. Check for early signs of disease, stress, chlorosis etc - quick action will be the most beneficial. Damaged limbs should be pruned carefully. Arborvents should be checked and cleaned annually.

Phase 2 - Semi-Mature

The tree is now semi-mature and establishing well - maintenance requirements should be low and relate mainly to crown raising if this is required by traffic constraints. Regular inspection by qualified personnel would be a great advantage in addressing any additional needs.

Phase 3 - Mature

The final phase as the tree approaches the fully mature stage. Maintenance requirements for mature tree stock can be specialist and extremely varied, so cannot be covered in detail. Again, if the tree pit has been carefully designed and the correct species chosen for the location, maintenance will be very low and the tree can be expected to provide wide ranging benefits for a huge number of people for many years to come.