Tree Planting and Management

Highway Tree Management:

Operations Note 51

(Forestry Commission)

Examples of good practice tree and highway management with respect to trees growing within the curtilage of the highway.

Published 19 July 2019

Managing Trees on Development Sites

(Barrell Tree Consultancy)

Site Guidance Notes (SGN) produced by Barrell Tree Consultancy to help manage trees effectively on development sites. Each of the 12 SGNs deals with specific issues that can arise during development. Free to download.

Tree Species Selection for Green Infrastructure: A Guide for Specifiers

(Trees and Design Action Group (TDAG) )

A key tenet of the Tree Warden network is to encourage the planting of "the right tree for the right place", where each tree has the best chance to thrive, and to be appreciated. Tree Species Selection for Green Infrastructure: A Guide for Specifiers includes information for over 280 species on their use-potential, size and crown characteristics, natural habitat, environmental tolerance, ornamental qualities, potential issues to be aware of, and notable varieties. Use it to inform choice of which tree species to plant where in an urban setting (street, garden or park).

A free copy of the guide and its companion database can be downloaded from the link.

Issue 1.3 / 2019

Which Species to Plant

(The Woodland Trust)

Another source to help decide which tree is best to plant where and for what purpose. Includes a downloadable comprehensive guide to 31 native tree species explaining soil preferences, average height, unique qualities and more.

The Ultimate Size and Spread of Trees Commonly Grown in Towns (2012)

(Arboricultural Advisory and Information Service)

"Published information on the ultimate sizes of commonly planted amenity trees reflects performance in open grown positions. This Note reports sizes of trees growing in urban conditions. If the data are used when selecting trees for urban situations the need for future expensive pruning and early felling can be reduced."

Part of the legacy of the Tree Advice Trust now hosted on the Arboricultural Association's website here.

Trees for Smaller Gardens

(Royal Horticultural Society)

"There are many trees widely available for smaller gardens, in all shapes and sizes, evergreen and deciduous. Given that many of us have limited space in which to garden, it becomes important that any trees chosen are right for their surroundings, in terms of proportion as well as for their decorative value."
A useful checklist of practical considerations for choosing which tree, and suggestions for trees which suit smaller spaces.

Also: Flowering cherry trees for small gardens (RHS, revised February 2020)

Barchams

(tree growers used by WSCC)

If you're thinking of donating a tree to be planted in West Sussex public highway land, Barchams is currently who WSCC expects to source it from. Even if you're not, the website is a great source of information, from its Guides to help you choose, plant and care for any tree, to its Tree Finder feature that lets you search for a tree by its characteristics, and a carbon calculator that includes not only how much carbon a tree can be expected to store in its lifetime but a way to estimate one's own carbon footprint.

Phytosensor Toolkit

(choosing plants, including trees, to fight pollution)

Research by Goldsmiths, University of London, resulted in "a citizen’s toolkit for planting air quality gardens” that was published in 2018. Trees included in the toolkit "designed to equip people with the knowledge and inspiration to plant gardens that can improve air quality and enhance the urban realm" are:

• Amelanchier lamarckii (page 27)
• Betula pendula (silver birch, page 29)
• Pinus mugo (dwarf mountain pine, page 39 - other pines mentioned)
• Taxus baccata (common yew, page 44)

as well as common ivy (Hedera helix, page 35) and other plants.

Trees Love Care (TLC) Campaign

(The Tree Council)

Annual campaign runs from late March to late September to highlight the need for better care for all trees, in order to ensure their survival and increase the number reaching maturity. Useful, simple resource sheets for tree planning, planting and maintenance, including in drought and wet/windy weather, with a particular focus on trees planted within 3-5 years of planting.

(Successor to the Tree Care Campaign which run up to and including 2022.)

Tree Risk Management

(see text for links)

more info. to follow

VALID Tree Risk-Benefit Management Strategy

an approach you might see used in professional reporting or wish to compare with other report formats; includes an Obvious Tree Risk Features guide.

Agroforestry

(see text for links)

Agroforestry Research Trust

"educational and research organisation, founded in 1992 as a registered charity, to educate and conduct research into all aspects of agroforestry"

Soil Association

"Simply put, agroforestry means combining agriculture and trees."

Wakelyns

Suffolk organic agroforestry, food, horticulture hub.

See also Knepp Estate in Rewilding /natural regeneration .

Rewilding / natural regeneration

(see text for links)

Knepp Estate

At Dial Post, near Horsham, RH13 8NQ

Lots of articles online, including this one in the Guardian from 15th June 2018.

Links checked: 4th April 2023