Scouting is the essential first step of an IPM program. Shown here is Tammy Kovar, owner of Biological Tree Services, a nine-year TCIA member company based in Sarasota, Florida. All photos and graphics courtesy of the author. Plant health care [...]

Photo 2. Consider tree characteristics such as branch structure and overall health. There are three stated methods used to appraise trees and landscapes published in The Guide for Plant Appraisal, 10th Edition, authored by the Council of Tree and Landscape [...]

Pruning trees should not be a common practice used to force them into aesthetic constraints or spaces. Each cut has the potential to change the tree considerably. Image courtesy of the author. This is the first of a two-part series [...]

Pruning a tree to develop a strong, stable structure is the most important objective for the tree. Failure to develop a dominant leader results in multiple leaders, as shown here, and a weak branch structure. Photo courtesy of the author. [...]