Get your tree a formative prune by an arborist in their early years of planting.

Formative pruning is the most important thing you can have done to the tree, and it will help the tree develop a form that will have less problems in the future.

The process involves removing defects in the crown when the tree is young. Younger trees respond better to pruning, and it’s also a very cost-effective way of managing trees as the defect can grow bigger as the tree gets older.

Mulch is perfect for keeping the soil healthy around the base of the tree.

Some of the benefits include keeping the soil moist during drier times, and establishing an area with mulch around the tree will mean less spraying or mowing required, so less risk of accidental damage.

Mulch helps feed the tree as well as aerating the soil by promoting microorganisms.

Arborist mulch is a byproduct of tree care so always ask to keep the mulch from any work you have done.

Choosing the right tree for the space, and selecting the right space for the tree will save you lots of money and hassle.

Do some research into the tree’s growth habit, the tree’s future shape, and the favourable conditions for the tree.

When choosing the site to plant, make sure there are no services (power, water etc) or buildings that the tree is going to interfere with, and consider your neighbours.

We all know trees provide many great benefits such as providing shade, edible fruit, oxygen, and sequestering carbon - but they have many other uses as well.

They can provide a structure for outdoor entertainment like kids’ swings, tree forts, hammocks, hanging objects such as bird feeders or art.

Also, the bits that come off trees (such as leaves) have value and can be composted and used in the garden. Deadwood or prunings can be used as firewood or some logs can even be inoculated with culinary mushrooms! (See https://www.mycologic.nz/growing-on-logs)

The tree trunk could even be milled as lumber at the end of its life, so its usefulness and memories can last for generations.