Planning Your Acreage or Domestic Garden - Important Considerations

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Our principal Arborist at Total Tree Services Jamie Nairn has a few tips to help you get started:

• Sitting down with a large piece of butcher’s paper and mapping out your yard is a great starting point.  Most people are very ‘visual’ and drawing in trees, shrubs, water features and existing buildings will help achieve a great balance.  If you find that a bit overwhelming, there are several landscape architects or similarly qualified people who can draw a plan for you and create a list of suggested trees to plant.
• Planning an acreage garden (over a standard yard) will have additional considerations relating to tree size and the infrastructure needed to water the property.  Like all things in nature, tree growth is impacted by seasonal conditions, the availability of water, the richness of the soil, and the weather in general.
• The trees selected should be relative to the available space in the yard.  Large trees in confined spaces may cause damage to fences and concrete paths.
• Consider the proximity of houses and other structures to large trees when they become fully grown.  Large branches may fall onto buildings during storms causing damage to property and injury to people.
• Get advice on the root structure of the trees planted and whether they will cause damage to building foundations and water pipes.
• Consider ongoing maintenance costs of keeping your large trees pruned and healthy.  Maintaining tree assets involves more than just watering and fertilising.  Once trees grow to a sizeable height and width, they will need some maintenance.  Proper structured pruning and thinning by a qualified arborist will improve the appearance, promote healthy plant growth and protect people and property.  Other benefits include removing dead or diseased wood and promoting new growth and better air circulation to reduce wind loading on branches during storms.

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Planning a new garden involves a bit more than just visiting the local nursery and selecting trees and plants based on the picture included on the tag.  Get good advice and plan carefully to ensure you get many years pleasure out of your new creation!

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Total Tree Services welcomes enquiries on selecting the right trees and the associated tree management strategies.  When engaging a professional arborist, you aren’t forced to compromise between quality and cost.  Fair pricing, quality services, and with a strong safety focus is the mark of true arborist.

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