Where can I Learn Tree Care?

People generally become interested in tree care for one of several reasons:

• They own a particular tree that is having a problem.
• They are considering the purchase of a particular tree.
• They are planning a large-scale landscaping project.
• They simply like trees and want to understand more as a hobby or avocation.
• They are interested in a career in which tree care plays more or less of a role.

There are also a variety of resources for learning about tree care. Which one is best for you will depend on your purpose for seeking tree care information.

A Tree in Trouble
A tree that is not doing well may simply need proper care to recover. But knowing what steps to take if you’re not an expert may not be obvious. What you need is very specific information, and when the tree is doing well again, your interest in tree care is likely to diminish.

A New Tree or Trees
When choosing a new tree or multiple trees, people usually have multiple questions about placement, planting, early care, and ongoing care. What you need is a pretty full understanding of the trees’ needs throughout their lives.

A Career
If you are interested in working in an arboretum, greenhouse, or nursery, a career in forestry, or on a tree farm, your interest in trees and their care will be both broader and deeper.

Sources for Learning About Tree Care in Different Situations
• Books on tree care abound. You can find books on caring for fruit trees, bonsai trees, growing Christmas trees, the role of trees in public spaces, gardening in Missouri, forestry, and keeping trees healthy in the Central Valley of California. Even with that much focus, however, these books may or may not speak to what you need if the information you require is very particular.
• Most plants that one purchases through a nursery, garden shop, or other retail establishment come with instructions. Furthermore, staff at the locale where the purchase is made are often qualified to give further advice on purchases you’ve made, even some time previously.
• Your state’s website may offer tree care guidance. Minnesota’s Department of Natural Resources, for example, offers information on planting, maintenance, and health issues, as well as alerts when warnings are needed. A number of their articles link to the University of Minnesota extension service (see below). Because the people behind this information, as is true with the extension service, are specialists in the trees of your region and their particular needs and circumstances, they can address local conditions.
• Your state’s university extension service, either through the website, or through telephone calls, can often offer you assistance with tree care questions.
• Tree care classes are available through a variety of sources, if you are in a situation in which a broader knowledge of tree care is of interest to you. Sources of classes include

• horticultural societies
• community colleges
• departments of parks and recreation
• industry-sponsored training by, for example, manufacturers of tree care equipment, such as chainsaws
• equipment demonstrations by retailers
• extension service courses
• degree programs at colleges and universities